Solari Board at PHL

[Devil's Advocate]

Why do American railfans have this obsession about preserving things in situ instead of in museums, with no regard for costs and other collateral consequences?

Please quote the specific post that you feel went into obsessive "damn the costs" anti-logic.  I'll wait.

 

[jis]

Meanwhile airports and highways march along modernizing, though not as fast as many wish they would, while passenger rail folks have to pick through their sparse crumbs to preserve stuff ... while service languishes. Oh well. I guess whatever floats ones boat.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Meanwhile airports and highways march along modernizing, though not as fast as many wish they would, while passenger rail folks have to pick through their sparse crumbs to preserve stuff ... while service languishes. Oh well. I guess whatever floats ones boat.

Airports, airlines and roadways typically receive a higher priority when it comes to funding so that helps when it comes to modernization.  

 

[jis]

Please quote the specific post that you feel went into obsessive "damn the costs" anti-logic.  I'll wait.

You are welcome to wait for a long time, since I was just making a general observation, not based on any specific post. Of course my observation could be a bit over the top, but it is what it is.

 

[jis]

Airports, airlines and roadways typically receive a higher priority when it comes to funding so that helps when it comes to modernization.  

The issue that bugs me is if we start scarfing away money from an already meager pot to address things that are not as critical as ADA and service quality and safety, it makes the task of making rail passenger service attractive all that much harder. New riders that we hope to attract would not presumably be familiar with the setup with or without old relics anyway.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

A US company in Philly makes the flappy boards (oat foundry) as someone pointed out, but problem would not be solved by buying from them.

https://www.oatfoundry.com/split-flap/

The old board needs replacement, replacing it with Oak foundry board would cost more than LED screen replacements and would be costing more because of labor cost.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

You are welcome to wait for a long time, since I was just making a general observation, not based on any specific post. Of course my observation could be a bit over the top, but it is what it is.

Perhaps you would be so kind as to walk us through the logic and purpose of your persistent gaslighting.  Your repeated mislabeling of otherwise calm and casual discussions as if they were irrational screaming diatribes is far more interesting to me than the future fate of some train station schedule board.

 

[gswager]

Two things: Firstly, Penn Station is really just on the somewhat west side of Manhattan, not the far west side of NYC. (I know, I’m the worst)

On other side of Hudson River in Newark.

 

[cpotisch]

On other side of Hudson River in Newark.

Well Newark Penn Station isn't in NYC at all...

 

[NorthShore]

Well Newark Penn Station isn't in NYC at all...

But it is on the far west side of NYC!

(I suppose on the far east side would be London.)

 

[NorthShore]

What do you mean when you say you “didn’t get to witness it spinning”? Was it broken or there were there just no updates happening you were there or what?

I chose to walk outside, and around the station, to see that perspective, rather than be the geeky railfan staring at the board; uncertain if or when the flaps would turn.  Nor did it move while I was in line to reboard.

Glad I got to see it, though, before it is removed.  Was long on my railfan bucket list.  

 

[jis]

Very nice photos capturing the grandeur of the building up close!

 

[CHamilton]

Clickety Clackety! Philly Rallies to Save its Train Station Flip Board

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/12/amtrak-philadelphia-30th-street-station-split-flap-display-board/578053/?utm_source=feed

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Now that the media (and perhaps the preservationists) are making this a "thing," let's see what happens. If they are successful in saving it, maybe we can learn some tips from how they go about it for our larger advocacy in trying to save things like LD routes?

 

[cpotisch]

Well Newark Penn Station isn't in NYC at all...

But it is on the far west side of NYC!

(I suppose on the far east side would be London.

I may be missing something here, but a lot of stuff is west of NYC (arguably every place on the planet). When someone says that something is "on the far west side" of a city, that generally means that it is in that city. And if that doesn't mean that, how can something not far outside said city, such as Newark Penn, count as the "far" side? But forgive me if this is just an example of me sucking at semantics.

 

[Acela150]

I passed by 30th Street today on the bus back home. I was amazed to see that the cleaning project is progressing well and the 29th Street side of the station is finally free of obstructions.  

 

[NorthShore]

I may be missing something here, but a lot of stuff is west of NYC (arguably every place on the planet). When someone says that something is "on the far west side" of a city, that generally means that it is in that city. And if that doesn't mean that, how can something not far outside said city, such as Newark Penn, count as the "far" side? But forgive me if this is just an example of me sucking at semantics.

Other side of the Hudson = far side of the city. (Since it's, in fact, outside and beyond the boundardies, west of the river.)

(As does other side of the ocean.)

OP seems to have been making a nuanced joke, sort of like using the expression "wrong side of the tracks."

 

[NorthShore]

Now that the media (and perhaps the preservationists) are making this a "thing," let's see what happens. If they are successful in saving it, maybe we can learn some tips from how they go about it for our larger advocacy in trying to save things like LD routes?

Well, obviously, it's Gritty!

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Well, obviously, it's Gritty!

 

[Anderson]

Meanwhile airports and highways march along modernizing, though not as fast as many wish they would, while passenger rail folks have to pick through their sparse crumbs to preserve stuff ... while service languishes. Oh well. I guess whatever floats ones boat.

First of all, on the highway front, the number of "troubled" bridges in need of replacement comes to mind.  With the condition of the highway trust fund, in many cases we're "modernizing" at the rate needed to avoid physical collapse.

On the airport front: Yes, I do love how airports are "modernizing" by removing moving walkways to try and drive me into their shopping mall (which is, in turn, propped up by the fact that I have to build in all sorts of extra time to accommodate dubious-value security measures that might hold me up).  That's exactly what I need when I got screwed in the security line and am now running for my gate!  Maybe they could extend the terminal another thirty gates so I get my daily exercise en route, or physically force me to wind my way through more stores on my way out of security [1]?

Considering what happened when Amtrak decided to foist "contemporary" dining options on folks out of the blue (or "modernized" their way out of a first-class lounge car on the Starlight...), I don't think it's surprising that we're more than a little hesitant.  It doesn't help that, as often as not, we've seen airline service "improve" away several inches of legroom, most on-board meal service (so I can pay extra to grab an overpriced meal in the terminal!), etc.

If I'm being honest, that "languishing" service of 5-10 years ago is something that I would be willing to take for the next fifty.  I wouldn't mind having more, but in general I'm not inclined to gamble what I have for what might come to pass.  But I'll also admit that in most respects I'd happily take the future out back and shoot it sight unseen.

And let's not forget that half of the time when someone tries to re-dress a facility in a "modern" way, the result is a butt-ugly eldritch mess that should result in the architecht having to pay us all a fine for inflicting their "innovative" design on us.

[1] LHR and BNE are pretty bad offenders on this front.

 

[Acela150]

Solari Board is coming down tonight per reliable sources.

 

[jis]

Solari Board is coming down tonight per reliable sources.

That is confirmed from multiple sources now. Apparently a lot of the new cabling and brackets for the replacement are already in place too.

 

[cpotisch]

Yep, they were just talking about it on WNYC.

 

[Acela150]

That is confirmed from multiple sources now. Apparently a lot of the new cabling and brackets for the replacement are already in place too.

I was at PHL on Sunday and stood right by the board. I didn't really pay attention to it other then the fact that it was working. 

 

[fairviewroad]

Solari Board is coming down tonight per reliable sources.

Any update on this? Has someone been through PHL in the past two days? I can't find any confirmation of this actually happening.