Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Monday Shot: MP36PH

Monday Shot isn't quite espresso, but hopefully this weekly transit picture will help get your week started.

Good morning. Monday Shot is running on Tuesday this week because I was snowed out in the blizzard.

MP36 at Silver Spring
One of MTA's new MP36 Locomotives
looks sleek pulling a Brunswick Line
train through the snow at Silver Spring


My photostream

Metro Offering Reduced Rail Service

UPDATE: Metro has announced that the Red Line will operate full service on Tuesday. Trains will operate every 20 minutes on each line.

Because the of the storm, Metro is still recovering. On Tuesday, February 9, trains will not operate over all segments of the Red and Blue lines. Full service is expected on the Orange, Yellow, and Green Lines.

On all lines, trains will operate every 30 20 minutes.

MetroMap_2-9-2010_1

Monday, February 8, 2010

Snowpacalypse Redux

Those of you in the Washington area are probably still digging out from under all the snow we got this weekend. I spent the weekend snowed "out", which is why there was no Monday shot this morning. I intended to spend Friday and Saturday with a friend on U Street, but with no Metro service aboveground on Sunday and today, it was difficult to get back to Greenbelt. I managed to take the MARC train to New Carrollton this afternoon and a taxi the rest of the way.

Anyway, I've included my photos from one of the region's worst-ever storms. It was a blast!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Four O'Clock Factoid: Faster than a Speeding Bullet

Four O'Clock Factoid is a daily feature on Track Twenty-Nine helping to get you through the workday with a bit of useless knowledge.

On October 1, 1964, the first modern high speed rail line in the world opened, Japan's Tokaido Shinkansen. The line, which connects Tokyo to Osaka, a distance of 320 miles, in 2h25. It is the most heavily traveled high-speed rail line in the world, having carried over 4.5 billion passengers since its opening.

Photo Friday: Evening Ripples

Photo Friday is a series showcasing a photo of mine each week. Enjoy!

IMG_0865
Piedmont Park's Lake Clara Meer acts as a perfect mirror
for an Atlanta sunset. Compare this photo to last week's:
same location and date at different times of day.


My photostream

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Four O'Clock Factoid: Supremely Continental

Four O'Clock Factoid is a daily feature on Track Twenty-Nine helping to get you through the workday with a bit of useless knowledge.

In 1978, when Via Rail Canada took over operations of CN and CP passenger rail services in Canada, they operated two transcontinental routes, the Canadian and the Super Continental. The Super Continental had been Canadian National's transcontinental route, operating on the northern route from Montreal to Vancouver through Edmonton. The Canadian was CP's flagship train, operating over the original transcontinental route through Calgary. It started from both Montreal and Toronto, with the trains being joined (or split, eastbound) at Sudbury for the journey to Vancouver. Over the years, the Canadian became the premiere train on the Via network, and during the cuts of 1990, Via cancelled the Super Continental. The Canadian, along with the stainless steel rolling stock inherited from CP, began traveling over the route of it's former rival, the Super Continental. This arrangement continues today, leaving Calgary the largest Canadian city without Via rail service.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Four O'Clock Factoid: Genesis

Four O'Clock Factoid is a daily feature on Track Twenty-Nine helping to get you through the workday with a bit of useless knowledge.

The GE Genesis is currently the workhorse of the Amtrak locomotive fleet. Units are also in use on Via Rail Canada, Metro-North, and NJ Transit. The Genesis locomotives were built between 1992 and 2001 and are more efficient than their predecessor the F40PH, using 22% less fuel and producing 25% more power. The first variant of the locomotive, the P40DC is capable of traveling at 103 mph, while the newer variants, the P42DC and the P32AC-DM can make it up to 110 mph. The P32 is used on routes operating out of New York-Penn Station and on Metro-North (out of Grand Central) because it is also able to pull power from a third rail in tunnels around New York City.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Four O'Clock Factoid: Interbau

Four O'Clock Factoid is a daily feature on Track Twenty-Nine helping to get you through the workday with a bit of useless knowledge.

Berlin's Hansaviertel is an example of modernist planning principles. The neighborhood was mostly destroyed during the Second World War and planners sought to recapture the Stadt-Wesen, the city essence, lost during the industrial revolution. The development follows the principles of Le Corbusier and the Athens Charter, and is composed of buildings in a parklike setting. The buildings were designed by many well-known architects and constructed for the 1957 building exhibition Interbau.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Four O'Clock Factoid: Deep

Four O'Clock Factoid is a daily feature on Track Twenty-Nine helping to get you through the workday with a bit of useless knowledge.

The world's deepest subway station is Kiev's Arsenalna station. It is located 102 meters (335 feet) below the surface. An escalator ride to the platform takes close to 5 minutes. It opened November 6, 1960.

Monday Shot: Green Dresden

Monday Shot isn't quite espresso, but hopefully this weekly transit picture will help get your week started.

Dresden 018
Dresden's Stadtbahn cruises along green tracks north of the Elbe


My photostream