# Swadian's Photos



## Swadian Hardcore (Mar 29, 2014)

WARNING: This doesn't include many train photos yet! It does have quite a bit of PCC trolley photos. I will upload more train photos in the future.

Thought you guys might be interested in my photos on Flickr. Most of it involves buses but I think they're a nice break from all the train photos on the Internet right now. There's some PCC photos too. You don't have to like them, just take a look: https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/with/11460080793/.

Yeah, I busted up the 52672 shot, should've taken it from the sunny side. Oh well, better luck next time I get my favorite bus.


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## WhoozOn1st (Mar 29, 2014)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> Most of it involves buses but I think they're a nice break from all the train photos on the Internet right now.


Think again. Buses are not nice breaks from anything but walking.


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## jebr (Mar 29, 2014)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Swadian Hardcore said:
> 
> 
> > Most of it involves buses but I think they're a nice break from all the train photos on the Internet right now.
> ...


While perhaps this post would be better-suited in non-rail transportation (as there's not many train photos,) the cynicism of buses is, frankly, annoying. I'd much rather be on a bus than driving, and while I have no hope of seeing train travel in the town I live in anytime soon, there's a chance that bus service could serve this town, and having bus service is much better than only being able to drive places.


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## GG-1 (Mar 29, 2014)

I have moved this thread here primary because because it is not related to the original thread topic on how to take pictures of trains.

The link does lead to an impressive selection of pictures of mostly non rail pictures.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Mar 30, 2014)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Swadian Hardcore said:
> 
> 
> > Most of it involves buses but I think they're a nice break from all the train photos on the Internet right now.
> ...


Gosh, I know I posted in the wrong place and it got moved, but still, I'm just trying to share some photos. As I said, you don't have to like them, but don't shoot them dead just because they're bus photos, scenery photos, or whatever else I have uploaded. Did you even take a look at the PCC photos? Hopefully I'll have more after my trip to Yosemite.


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## SarahZ (Mar 30, 2014)

I like them. It's nice to be able to see the various interiors. I always like to check stuff out before taking a trip. I've never taken a bus anywhere, so these are helpful.


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## Trainmans daughter (Mar 30, 2014)

Nice! My favorites are the SF streetcar pictures.


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## NW cannonball (Mar 30, 2014)

Thanks for the photos.


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## Green Maned Lion (Mar 30, 2014)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Swadian Hardcore said:
> 
> 
> > Most of it involves buses but I think they're a nice break from all the train photos on the Internet right now.
> ...


What are you, Patrick? Five?

Busses are an important aspect of a comprehensive well serving and effective national transportation system. I like street running trolleys, but I don't think they make much sense versus trolley busses in places the rail has already been removed. They operate just as effectively and just as efficiently.

Now if we are talking separate right of way for much of the route, rail makes more sense, sure, especially for high frequency. But putting in a bus based system without a desperate right of way, busses cost less, making the system easier to justify and put in. Rail is nice, but the key is mobility. Busses provide mobility for no more capital investment then the cost of the bus.

We shun them at the cost of people moving when they need to move. It pisses me off. My order of preference has always been 1) put in rail 2) put in a bus, 3) prevent non auto users from visiting the area.

Why do self-centered rail fans reverse 2 and 3?

Thanks for the pictures, Swadian.


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## brentrain17 (Mar 30, 2014)

great pictures, hope this is as close as I get to a bus when on Amtrak.


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## AlanB (Mar 30, 2014)

Green Maned Lion said:


> Busses are an important aspect of a comprehensive well serving and effective national transportation system. I like street running trolleys, but I don't think they make much sense versus trolley busses in places the rail has already been removed. They operate just as effectively and just as efficiently.
> 
> Now if we are talking separate right of way for much of the route, rail makes more sense, sure, especially for high frequency. But putting in a bus based system without a desperate right of way, busses cost less, making the system easier to justify and put in. Rail is nice, but the key is mobility. Busses provide mobility for no more capital investment then the cost of the bus.
> 
> ...


I'm sorry, but buses do NOT cost less when all expenses are considered. Yes, you're correct you can put in buses for less initial capital expense than rail. But that is where the bus advantage ends. Long term, light rail is always cheaper than the bus. For Streetcars the jury is still out, and to some extent hampered by cities that continue to run old Streetcars that have much higher operating expenses.

But on average in this country it costs 60 cents per passenger mile to move people using light rail, 90 cents per pax/mile with a regular bus, $1.40 per pax/mile to move them using either Streetcars or Trolleybuses. Over time, that disparity between bus operating costs and light rail operating costs eats away at the initial capital cost disparity until such time as light rail ends up costing taxpayers less money.

Two other factors not being dealt with here is the fact that it requires many more buses to move the same number of people as 1 light rail car and the fact that the average life of a bus is 10 to 12 years, while the life of a light rail car is 30 to 40 years. Meaning you need to buy many, many more buses over time to do the same job.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Mar 30, 2014)

Thanks for the compliments, but if you guys could tell me where I could improve my shots, that'd be great! I know I messed up with the sun angle on a few of them, and my aging camera can't capture some of the numbers accurately. But since I'm using a point-and-shoot right now, I'm basically doing just that: see something, point it, shoot it, then look for something else to shoot. I'm really bummed out that some of my shots with great angles turn out blurry.

I'm usually uploading three shots a day, and I'll be uploading some shots from San Francisco. After I come back from Yosemite, I'll upload some train shots and I also found some shots from my last LD Amtrak trip.

Please don't turn this into a light rail vs. transit bus debate, as I do not use much of either and I don't have many transit pictures in my photostream. I don't even see transit buses more often than Greyhound lol.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Apr 6, 2014)

Aw, I have to share my story from today! Great day of bus fanning!



I was heading out with a friend to the Greyhound terminal to take some pictures and hopefully catch a 102DL3. Thought we'd take a peek at the buses before I head to Yosemite. This was about 4:15 pm, in Reno, NV. We were driving out towards the station and this Amtrak California D4505 blows right past us. OK, taking rear pictures of that one for sure. Then this Greyhound D4505 drives past in the other direction (departing). Now, at about 4:20 pm, that was not supposed to happen, there's an arrival about that time, but not a departure! We both felt confused, maybe it was the 2:50 pm sked to San Francisco.



But we had no idea about the Greyhound weirdness we were about to see! First when we got closer and I had a line-of-sight to the terminal, I immediately recognized the profile of a blue 102DL3. Its shovel nose was unmistakable in the bright sun, nosed towards the garage. Then when i got out and looked at the bays, guess what I saw? A PREVOST! A Prevost X3-45 in Reno! I thought I was seeing incorrectly, but when I walked up it was a Prevost, Greyhound Lines #86222! It had a right-hand sign that said "RENO, NV". Too bad I couldn't get a good angle 'cause the sunny side was out in the bus path where the 102DL3 was nosed facing the garage.



Then things got weirder, the 102DL3 was #6398! I had caught this bus over a year ago, but my camera's batteries failed. Was always bashing myself over missing that DL3, was a sunny day and great angles possible since it was in the Ready Lot. Well, I got my chance now. Took two pictures of it, from either side. Couldn't get the front clear since it was nosed into the garage, but I ended up liking the side shots. Couldn't get the rear either.



But yeah, that Prevost. They're supposed to run primarily in the Northeast, with some in the Southeast. But one had been spotted running Denver-New York. Sure as heck I never thought it would come out to Reno. Probably ran New York-Denver then leaked onto Denver-Reno. Now it's a long way from home! But the door was open and the sign was still on at approx. 4:25 PM. Sounds like it was just arrived, Denver-Reno is supposed to come in the morning. So maybe it managed to "leak" all the way to San Francisco, then ran a sked to Reno on its way back home.



And again, running into that same 'DL3 that I had been bashing myself over, that was good luck!



There were also two of the usual D4505's at the terminal, no G4500's at all. Good! Hopefully I can get either a X3-45 or an 102DL3 when I ride in two days! I wouldn't mind trying a rebuilt G4500 either. Also saw a chartered J4500 parked in a small run-down mall by the road.



This is why I love bus spotting! All the pleasant surprises! Uploads coming up, I'll get them in before I leave!


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## Swadian Hardcore (Apr 7, 2014)

I copied this over from the Greyhound thread in case anybody in interested. Probably my favourite photoshoot to date.

Uploaded my last batch of pictures before leaving.

Here's my new avatar and my favorite bus: https://www.flickr.c...07/13686926033/

Here's the Prevost in Reno: https://www.flickr.c...onsandlayovers/

Side of a D4505: https://www.flickr.c...onsandlayovers/

Overview of the fleet: https://www.flickr.c...onsandlayovers/

Amtrak D4505 with the old rear end alongside a car: https://www.flickr.c...07/13677714623/


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