An Update on the Solari Board

[Acela150]

Last week while grabbing some dinner at PHL I walked up to the Customer Service area in the center of the concourse at PHL and asked the status of the Solari board. The woman was very polite about it. She stated that the replacement is on hold due to protests and a part of the replacement was due to the city name Lynchburg isn't on the board. She said that it would cost thousands of dollars to put that word in the board. How true that is I have no idea. But that's what was said. Just and update for those fans of the board!

 

[bobnabq]

Last week while grabbing some dinner at PHL I walked up to the Customer Service area in the center of the concourse at PHL and asked the status of the Solari board.

Ummm...OK. What is the Solari Board?

 

[Trogdor]

Ummm...OK. What is the Solari Board?

This:



As seen at a few stations along the NEC.

 

[amamba]

The Solari Board makes the very characteristic "click click click click" sounds when the board is updated. When I used to travel daily through BON (boston north station) I thought it was so cute how they actually piped the clicky sound out when the digital board updated. It let people know to look up at it!

 

[Acela150]

Ummm...OK. What is the Solari Board?

This:

 

[Devil's Advocate]

She said that it would cost thousands of dollars to put that word in the board. How true that is I have no idea. But that's what was said.

Seems like all it would take is a bit of quick-drying paint and a properly positioned fan and the name can be added overnight. Maybe a bit of enamel remover to take something else out if necessary. Unless the entire allotment of extras has already been used up and every single city is still active and required.

 

[Acela150]

Well there was an ADA law passed quite some time ago. I have to believe it was that. It was rumored to be that at least in the PHL area.

 

[PRR 60]

She said that it would cost thousands of dollars to put that word in the board. How true that is I have no idea. But that's what was said.

Seems like all it would take is a bit of quick-drying paint and a properly positioned fan and the name can be added overnight. Maybe a bit of enamel remover to take something else out if necessary. Unless the entire allotment of extras has already been used up and every single city is still active and required.

I know for a fact that the PHL board still has a Montreal flap, and that one has not been used in years. On the other hand, it might cost over $1000 just to have an Amtrak person set up a ladder to do the work, so maybe the cost estimate is not outlandish after all.

 

[Acela150]

She said that it would cost thousands of dollars to put that word in the board. How true that is I have no idea. But that's what was said.

Seems like all it would take is a bit of quick-drying paint and a properly positioned fan and the name can be added overnight. Maybe a bit of enamel remover to take something else out if necessary. Unless the entire allotment of extras has already been used up and every single city is still active and required.

I know for a fact that the PHL board still has a Montreal flap, and that one has not been used in years. On the other hand, it might cost over $1000 just to have an Amtrak person set up a ladder to do the work, so maybe the cost estimate is not outlandish after all.

I've seen that and quite a few other random cities. I think NLC is in there too.

 

[AlanB]

I know for a fact that the PHL board still has a Montreal flap, and that one has not been used in years. On the other hand, it might cost over $1000 just to have an Amtrak person set up a ladder to do the work, so maybe the cost estimate is not outlandish after all.

I've seen that and quite a few other random cities. I think NLC is in there too.

New London however is still a stop that Regionals make, Regionals that serve Philly.

Montreal however cannot be reached from Philly without a transfer.

 

[Acela150]

I know for a fact that the PHL board still has a Montreal flap, and that one has not been used in years. On the other hand, it might cost over $1000 just to have an Amtrak person set up a ladder to do the work, so maybe the cost estimate is not outlandish after all.

I've seen that and quite a few other random cities. I think NLC is in there too.

New London however is still a stop that Regionals make, Regionals that serve Philly.

Montreal however cannot be reached from Philly without a transfer.

I don't know why NLC is in there but it's in there. Montreal is in there as the Montrealer used to go through PHL on it's way north. The board has gone through some extreme changes in it's life time but is well used!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I wonder how much Amtrak would charge to sell me their Solari board.

I'd use it as an alarm clock followed by a real air horn. "Click click click...Honnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnk!"

 

[jis]

I think it is outright silly of people to protest replacement of a high cost of maintenance mechanical board by an electronic one. This sort of thing is what gives me pause about renewing funding for things without questions asked. In case of mechanical Solari board, Boston has already demonstrated that one can add the click-click sound to an electronic board enough to drive everyone batty.

The other mechanical Solari board on the NEC is at NHV I believe.

 

[amamba]

I think we still have one in PVD. Maybe the traveler can confirm? TBH I rarely look at the board when I am in there but its not digital. But I'm not sure its technically a Solari board, either.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Newark Penn Station and Atlantic City are the other two stations in the Northeast I believe.

 

[jis]

Newark Penn Station and Atlantic City are the other two stations in the Northeast I believe.

Right you are.

Personally I like the new boards that LIRR has installed at NY Penn Station, both the main board and the boards by each platform door. Bright, easily readable properly color coded for each route, and easy to maintain, and does not create a racket.

 

[afigg]

Newark Penn Station and Atlantic City are the other two stations in the Northeast I believe.

There is a Wikipedia entry on the Solari boards - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solari_departure_board - which has a list of where the boards are still in use. The list for the US may be not be entirely up to date. But it also lists Newark Penn Station, New Haven (with the board scheduled to be replaced), Rt. 128.

According to several articles or posts about the Solari boards I've read is that they are getting increasingly difficult and more costly to maintain because of availability of spare parts and the need for a specialized service technician. Adding new destinations and signs is a lot easier with a LED or LCD display. So the Solari boards will all be replaced sooner or later. If people want the clickity-clack sound to indicate board updates, IIRC, the board in BOS was replaced with a electronic display with speakers that made the clickity-clack sound.

 

[trainman74]

I wonder how much Amtrak would charge to sell me their Solari board.

I'd use it as an alarm clock followed by a real air horn. "Click click click...Honnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnk!"

...and I'm picturing a Texas Sunset-sized hole in the ceiling after you jump 20 feet the first morning you have that air horn hooked up.

 

[Acela150]

I think it is outright silly of people to protest replacement of a high cost of maintenance mechanical board by an electronic one. This sort of thing is what gives me pause about renewing funding for things without questions asked. In case of mechanical Solari board, Boston has already demonstrated that one can add the click-click sound to an electronic board enough to drive everyone batty.

The other mechanical Solari board on the NEC is at NHV I believe.

I hate that board at BOS! :angry2: It drives me insane! :help: It's a piece of junk! :angry: Not original! The one at NYP is nice! Looks great and has worked well and doesn't AFAIK make that clicking noise. Keep in mind I've only been to NYP once since that board has been there.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

In addition to saving the remaining Solari Boards, I would love to see some of the bigger stations use the European style chimes to proceed announcements.

 

[Acela150]

In addition to saving the remaining Solari Boards, I would love to see some of the bigger stations use the European style chimes to proceed announcements.

If you can find a video of one of those can you post it I'm interested to see it.

 

[Anderson]

Hmm...serious question on the lack of a "Lynchburg": Couldn't they just repaint the "Cape Cod" sign to say "Lynchburg" since I don't think Cape Cod is even on the regular rail network anymore

 

[njdon]

I beleive Trenton, NJ still has a board even after the refurbishment of the station.

 

[jis]

Hmm...serious question on the lack of a "Lynchburg": Couldn't they just repaint the "Cape Cod" sign to say "Lynchburg" since I don't think Cape Cod is even on the regular rail network anymore

I wonder what it takes to change the electronics driving the thing to reflect that change internally. I have no idea. Just wondering aloud.

 

[Acela150]

I beleive Trenton, NJ still has a board even after the refurbishment of the station.

According to the Wikipedia entry there still is one at TRE. Although it is Wikipedia.