Our latest edition of the occasional Trains.com Recommended Reading feature is spanning the globe, as the old ABC Wide World of Sports intro used to say, to bring you a wide range of rail-related articles:
— The New York Times did a spectacular job with the design and graphics for this article on Penn Station and the challenges in improving it. This uses a “gift article” link, so the usual Times paywall should not be an issue.
— Staying in the same area, the nonprofit news site New Jersey Monitor looks at the workers who inspect the aging North River (Hudson) Tunnels and keep them functional while awaiting the massive, slow-moving Gateway Tunnel project.
— Over on the Left Coast, Fast Company explains how displays on now-retired San Francisco Muni light rail cars inspired a new type font.
— German public broadcaster DW (Deutsche Welle) profiles Mark Smith, the man behind the European rail travel site Seat 61.
— Finally, The Guardian reports on bizarre story from Britain, where the regulatory body Office of Rail and Road has lifted scheduling permission for a popular Avanti West Coast morning express train from Manchester to London Euston — but the train will continue to operate without passengers because the crew and equipment are needed for later trains. You’ll have to read the story for an explanation, however Byzantine.
Wonder what the man in Seat 61 would think of that?
P.S. I get to Grand Central Terminal regularly to the Oyster Bar, one of the oldest eating joints in the city and original to the Terminal’s construction. BTW am surprised at those who should know better who use “Station.” GCT is a Terminal, no thru trains ever. Pennsylvania Station has thru trackage.
Mr. Findlay is correct. I have been thru Penn. twice before and after Thanks to catch the NE Regional to D.C. The Train Hall is great before the descent down into Hades. If there is a Hell, here’s an early look. One of the benefits of the NY Times article was the graphic showing the pilings driven into the platforms (more than 1100) to support MSG, thus causing congestion. As originally configured, the platforms were fine.
The key number is 2028 when the Dolan lease on MSG rights expire. There is no hope for Penn. Sta. unless MSG is removed. Then something great may happen. Hope to live long enuf to see it. BTW: not too sanguine on Amtrak’s current role, Andy Byford (who walks on water according to some) notwithstanding. Stay tuned.
The NY Times article on Penn Station left me with the feeling that nothing will ever be accomplished unless and until a new home for Madison Square Garden is built. Perhaps the nation’s developer-in-chief can pressure MSG’s owner to relocate.
And I would urge readers to click on the free link to the NY Times article. The graphics explain a lot, to say the least.
Another howler was the PRR operating the B’way Ltd. w/no passengers.
Re: England. One reads that the UK government is retreating on passenger rail privitization. I can see why. The numerus operating companies keep changing. I’ve ridden a lot of trains in England. I never heard of Avanti rail as in the photo.
Forum member Curtis Larson has talked about the New York Times coverage of Penn Station. However much conservatives like me put down the New York Times, it is a real newspaper. Unlike the pitiful remnants of daily newspapers in cities around America.
This reminds me of a trip I took over 30 years ago. I had a Delta flight out of Atlanta to Mobile, AL that left about 10:00PM on Saturday night. It was a Boeing 727 and I was one of two passengers on the plane. I told the flight attendant I appreciated the service but was surprised that Delta didn’t cancel the flight. She told me that this was the normal load on this flight, but they and the plane had to be in Mobile for morning return flight that was normally fully booked.