Some Updates...

Earlier this week, the T finally lifted its 10 mph speed restriction on the Longfellow Bridge. Guess that means I can't challenge Red Line drivers to race across the bridge anymore. Service on the Mattapan Line was suspended for a few hours yesterday morning. The "grease" they smear on the rails to cut down on screeching (particularly at Ashmont) was apparently on a little too thick. Talk about a slippery slope. Or I guess, "slippery viaduct". Passengers were told to take Route 27 to/from Mattapan and Ashmont. Oh wait, that bus runs only every 35 minutes! Thankfully, Arborway sent over a few extra buses to help out. Service was back up and running before long. 3234 has been chugging along for about a week or so. No major problems reported so far. The second AC PCC to enter service (3230 was the first), it is planned to have all the Mattapan cars retrofitted by October. 3265 is up next for installation.

Note the AC unit on the roof.

PCC 3260 is slated to be moved over to Riverside after an encounter with a stray tree branch left it with some major damage to its frame:

Nothing major on the Orange Line. I've noticed a few more repainted cars lately. Lookin' spiffy!

Word has it that starting this fall, six-car trains will start operating on the Blue Line during rush hours. While it will not be every train (3 or 4 out of thirteen), it should certainly help with crowding. And of course, move to the first four cars to get off at Bowdoin! Unlike the other stations, Bowdoin cannot have its platforms extended. So two cars will be out in the tunnel.

Fifty of the 600-Series cars planned to be scrapped over the next several months. 20 cars will be kept to supplement the growing 700-Series fleet). Hopefully, Seashore (Trolley Museum) up in Maine will get a pair for their collection.

New Flyer D40s have made their debut on the North Shore! Up in Central Square, Lynn, Dan Grabauskas and company had a little debut ceremony. Lynn Garage will receive 70 new buses, Quincy Garage gets 65, and Cabot Garage 20. Any Neoplans from Lynn and Quincy will be shifted back to Fellsway, Charlestown, and Albany.

Oh, and one last thing...

I was watching Channel 7 tonight and there was a story about the cameras on MBTA buses. I couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that they showed mostly NABI's (only four out of 299 NABI buses have cameras) and even a few RTS buses on the CT1! Chances are, you'll never see a security camera system on an RTS as they are slowly being phased out (only a handful are expected to remain in service until 2012). At least they had a clip of a New Flyer D40 on the 74...