Buses
The "T" has close to 1,000 buses and trackless trolleys. Many are run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) which cuts down on pollutants. The web site displays examples of both diesel and cng powered Nova buses as well as an example of a CNG Neoplan articulated bus on the Silver Line. Hopefully upon return to Boston this section will expand with more examples of both regular and trackless trolley buses.
The Red Line
The Red Line is an expansion of the former West Line that once terminated at Harvard Square. During the 1980's the Red Line was expanded to its present terminal at Alewife Road. The expansion included a deep subway tunnel with Porter Square most likely being one of the deepest subway stations on the system. On the north end the Red Line does run above ground where it crosses the Charles River on the Longfellow Bridge. The one station is the Charles/MGH station where several shots were taken. Heading south the line submerges again where it ends up at the historic Park station. Passengers can board the Green Line at that point. The line heads south where it ultimately branches with one branch going to Ashmont where passengers can board the historic heritage trolley service of the Mattapan-Ashmont PCC line which was not running at the time of the webmaster's visit due to a massive station rebuilding project. The other branch goes to Braintree where there is a direct connection to the Purple (commuter) Line. This branch was once a railroad line itself. The Red Line has a mixture of older cars that are painted red and white and the newer 01800 series which are stainless steel with a red wide stripe below the window line. Hopefully more pictures of the Red Line will be taken during the next visit to Boston. Click on Red Line picture to go to the Red Line Page
The Blue Line
The Blue Line is the shortest subway line on the "T" and unique in a number of ways. It is the only line that uses both third rail in the subway and overhead cantenary once it gets to the Airport station and surfaces. It also uses 48 foot cars versus the normal 70 foot cars found on the Red and Orange Lines. The shorter cars most likely are due to clearance issues in the subway where, at one time part of the original line had streetcars running thus justifying tighter curves and clearances. For a detailed history click on the picture of the Blue Line car to your right or click here.
The Green Line
The Green Line is made up of four separate branches and a main subway line. Part of the subway between the Boylston and Park station are the oldest continuous running subway in the United States. Built in 1897 the line also features tight turns that require shorter LRV cars than most other properties. There are several subway terminals: Park, Government Center, North Station and Lechmere. The latter is not in a subway and is the terminus for the "E" branch. Lechmere is located just north of the Charles River Bridge.
All of the lines were originally streetcar including the "D" or Riverside Line. The "D" Line is unique as it was built on a former railroad commuter line that had been abandoned in 1958. Because of its nature it resembles an interurban more than a former streetcar line. At the end of the Riverside Line is the main Green Line shops where an assortment of cars can be seen stored on the yard tracks. Presently there are two classes of LRV's running. The Boeing LRV's have been removed from service and are in storage at the present time.
The majority of this web site is dedicated to the Green Line and includes pictures taken on the "B", "C" "D" and "E" lines. There is no longer an "A" Line. That was abandoned in 1969. Additional pictures will be added to this site if there is a subsequent trip to Boston in the near future. To view green line please click on the picture to your right.
The pictures on this page were taken between 5 October and 11 October, 2007. A second trip to Boston will take place during late Summer of 2008 when additional pictures will be taken. All "T" logos shown as well as any maps are copyright of MBTA and used expressively with their consent. Material and pictures of these pages are copyrighted by the webmaster and can be used only with his express consent. They may not be altered in any way without consent nor can they be used on any web site under the same conditions. The webmaster wishes to thank the employees of the MBTA and management for their assistance.
copyright 2008 UpperMidwestCycling
Last updated 16 May 08 19.30
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Boston's Massachusetts' Bay Transit Authority is probably one of the few transit properties in the United States that covers just about every possible mode of transit. It has buses, trackless trolleys, a heritage streetcar line, light rail, ferry boats, subways, elevated and heavy rail. The system is wide spread covering the greater metro area of Boston with MBTA commuter trains operating out of both South and North stations to the suburbs as well as Rhode Island.
Closer to the city you have the core system. The history of the "T" (as it is known by local Bostonians) goes back to the 1830's. The Park Station is not only the hub of light rail service but the oldest subway in the United States. It features a tile mosaic depicting that first subway on one of the walls. Each segment of the subway/light rail service is named after a color. The color corresponds to the color of the cars for that line. Thus the Green Line cars are green, for example. All though this web site will show samples of most of the various modes of transportation its main purpose at this time will be devoted more to the Green Line. There will not be any subway shots of the Green Line at this time. Also missing are the trackless trolley buses, the Orange Subway Line and the Purple Lines which are the diesel powered commuter lines. Links are on the bottom of this page as well as on some of the pictures. Presently this site is in beta and subject to upgrades and corrections.