# Father: Train operator in Boston collision is dead



## amtrakwolverine (May 29, 2008)

NEWTON, Mass. — Two commuter trains collided and derailed during the evening rush hour outside Boston on Wednesday, trapping and killing the operator of one train and injuring several passengers, authorities said.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-natio...9/Train.Wrecks/


----------



## printman2000 (May 29, 2008)

Saw that on the news this morning.

We will be using the Green line a lot during our stay in Boston next month. Our hotel is on the Green B line.


----------



## Joel N. Weber II (May 29, 2008)

Commuter trains? I believe that was an MBTA Subway line and not an MBTA Commuter Rail line.


----------



## AlanB (May 29, 2008)

Joel N. Weber II said:


> Commuter trains? I believe that was an MBTA Subway line and not an MBTA Commuter Rail line.


It was two D-Green line trains that collided, basically light rail trains. And the media gets everything wrong, as every story I've seen has the conductor driving the train and being killed.


----------



## Joel N. Weber II (May 30, 2008)

Yeah, I was sort of confused by references to a conductor. I thought the only MBTA service that has conductors is the Commuter Rail system.

I think on all four subway lines, the person in the front car is the motorperson. I'm not sure what the title of the person near the middle of the train who operates the doors on the Red Line and Orange Line, and for that matter, when two Green Line cars operate as a train, I'm not sure if the person in the second car is also a motorperson.

I've ridden a four car Blue Line train with the motorperson operating the doors, but four car red line trains seem to always have a separate door operator. I'm not sure how this is going to work when the MBTA starts running 6 car Blue Line trains.


----------



## HP_Lovecraft (Jul 3, 2008)

AlanB said:


> Joel N. Weber II said:
> 
> 
> > Commuter trains? I believe that was an MBTA Subway line and not an MBTA Commuter Rail line.
> ...


I've always been told the GREEN LINE is a tramway (or trolley), while the BLUE/ORANGE/RED are subways.

The PURPLE LINE is the commuter rail.

I was told this by the museum operator at the SEASHORE TROLLEY MUSEUM. Apparently, the largest museum in the world. There is, apparently a difference between a Tramway, light rail, subway, and train.

That said, the GREEN LINE train frightens me the most. It is loud, jerky, and uncomfortable. Apparently, it is also the business in the world? Which apparently prevents any sort of updates I'm told.


----------



## printman2000 (Jul 3, 2008)

HP_Lovecraft said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > Joel N. Weber II said:
> ...


I spent a 5 days in Boston last month using the T exclusively for transportation. 90% of that was on the green line. Funny, I did not find it loud, jerky or uncomfortable. Okay, maybe a little jerky, but nothing excessive in my opinion.


----------



## HP_Lovecraft (Jul 3, 2008)

> I spent a 5 days in Boston last month using the T exclusively for transportation. 90% of that was on the green line. Funny, I did not find it loud, jerky or uncomfortable. Okay, maybe a little jerky, but nothing excessive in my opinion.


The specific part is stretch from the MBTA North Station, to the Science Station just beyond. Every few months we take the Downeaster into North Station, then use the Green Line to get to the science museum.

It has to transition from the underground station, to the elevated platform. For reasons noone understands it has to start/stop/start/stop/start/stop on its way. It does that on every trip. It was amusing at first, as my kids would always loose there grips on the poles, and fall down. lately though, its just irritating.


----------



## printman2000 (Jul 3, 2008)

HP_Lovecraft said:


> > I spent a 5 days in Boston last month using the T exclusively for transportation. 90% of that was on the green line. Funny, I did not find it loud, jerky or uncomfortable. Okay, maybe a little jerky, but nothing excessive in my opinion.
> 
> 
> The specific part is stretch from the MBTA North Station, to the Science Station just beyond. Every few months we take the Downeaster into North Station, then use the Green Line to get to the science museum.
> ...


We took that trip over to the Science Station. I don't rememeber that stopping and starting. The only stop/start I rememeber is when we had to stop for a train in front of us, usually near a station stop.


----------



## Green Maned Lion (Jul 5, 2008)

Its not the busiest line in the world, thats for sure. Several New York City lines are at, or possibly above, capacity.


----------



## HP_Lovecraft (Jul 5, 2008)

Green Maned Lion said:


> Its not the busiest line in the world, thats for sure. Several New York City lines are at, or possibly above, capacity.


I thought the same thing, but that was what I heard.

I did check wikipedia, and they list these stats:

Busiest Light Rail systems

The list does not include any New York subways, so perhaps the list is really for tramways? Again, I guess its that semantics issue


----------



## AlanB (Jul 5, 2008)

HP_Lovecraft said:


> Green Maned Lion said:
> 
> 
> > Its not the busiest line in the world, thats for sure. Several New York City lines are at, or possibly above, capacity.
> ...


NYC Subways are not light rail, they are heavy rail so they wouldn't be included on a list of busiest light rail systems/lines. That's also why you don't see Boston's Red line, Orange line, and Blue line on that list, not to mention the Chicago El's or DC's Metro to name a few others. But almost all carry more passengers than the busiest light rail systems.


----------



## HP_Lovecraft (Jul 5, 2008)

AlanB said:


> NYC Subways are not light rail, they are heavy rail so they wouldn't be included on a list of busiest light rail systems/lines.


That makes sense then.

I was wondering how such a small train could be the "Busiest in the world", when the list apparently is just for the small rail lines.


----------



## George Harris (Jul 7, 2008)

HP_Lovecraft said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > NYC Subways are not light rail, they are heavy rail so they wouldn't be included on a list of busiest light rail systems/lines.
> ...


It is not busiest in the *world*, but according to the Wiki article, busiest in the US. There are several that are far busier in Asia. The busiest probably being the Tuen Mun Light Rail in Hong Kong's New Territories.


----------

