So There Was This Neoplan AN440...

Alas, it has been about two weeks since my last post. Sorry to keep any of you regular readers waiting. So what's been going on? Well, on the 111 things are as usual. Last Tuesday (Bunker Hill Day) I had the good fortune to see all thirteen buses that were operating on the 111 during the PM rush hour. This of course happened in the timespan of about twenty minutes. Speaking of the 111, this morning I spotted bus #0518 heading inbound. What's so remarkable about that? Well, Neoplans are a rare sight on the 111.

For those who don't know, this is a Neoplan.

But that isn't why I was so shocked to see it. 0518 is a Fellsway Garage bus. The 111 is a Charlestown Garage route. Granted, Charlestown does cover Fellsway routes weeknights and weekends, but to flip things around like that? Bizarre. Then again, I have seen many a Cabot bus doing Arborway work.

Note the untiled platform. Summer rehab work at
Wonderland, Revere Beach, Beachmont, and Wood Island Stations
will soon correct problems such as this.

In rapid transit news, the Blue Line will soon become the "New Line" once several station renovation projects are completed by summer's end. Sorry for the corny rhyme. Taking place at Wonderland, Revere Beach, Beachmont, and Wood Island Stations, the work will primarily focus on redoing the platforms. Additional work such as putting up new signage and painting will also be done.

I have also seen some of Quincy's brand new New Flyer D40's. I still have not ridden one yet, but I plan to soon.
Our old pals, Type 3 snowplow #5164 and PCC wire car #3332, have now been incorporated into the collection of retired transit vehicles at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine. 3332 was the last double-ended ex-Dallas PCC (try saying that three times fast) still on T property. It spent its last years as a support vehicle on the Mattapan High Speed Line. 5164 (and I don't think any other T vehicle has accomplished this feat) put in 100 years of service for the MBTA, MTA, and BERy (Boston Elevated Railway). 5164 originally entered service as a passenger streetcar in 1907. Twenty years later, it was converted to a snow plow (with many of its Type 3 brethren). Unlike now, back then many cities and towns did not plow their main streets as they often had a streetcar line running down the middle of them. BERy (along with the Eastern Mass. Street Railway in the suburbs) took on the responsibility of clearing away the snow for auto (and of course streetcar!) traffic. Good luck at your new home!


Also, keep your eyes peeled for the 2008 MBTA Service Plan, coming to a community outreach meeting near you! The biennial assessment of the T's bus and subway service it sure to be chock full of good stuff (unless you take the 743, but then again who does?).