Nice work, although unless I am missing something or misinterpreting what you wrote, the Siemens S70 is not a 100% low-floor car:
http://www.modernstreetcar.org/pdf/Siemens%20S70%20Streetcar%20rev%203-29-11%20photo.pdf
(Note steps in the interior leading up to the section above the motor...
It will take more, they are essentilly taking the slots in the tunnel occupied by half of the 746 trips to operate the 743s. Only 2 buses are freed up by eliminating half of the 746s, the total requirement of 741/742/743/746s will go up. The 746 will go down by 2 while the 743 will be 2+x buses...
My understanding is that in the rush-hour, every other existing Route 746 trip (the South Station-Silver Line Way short trips) is going to be converted to a Route 743 trip (the new SL3 South Station -Chelsea). The 746 runs every 5 minutes right now in the rush-hour, so if every other one is...
The overhaul of the 32 dual-modes has to be completed and all back in service.
Right now 17 have been completed, 6 are in Maine being worked on, and 9 are still in service that have not been overhauled. Thus, the start of the spring 2018 schedule is the earliest that the service can start.
The photo on page 6 of the linked document is of one of the actual pilot cars, not the mock up. The car has three-doors and is sitting on top of an actual pair of trucks (bogies). The first 6 pilot cars for the Orange Line are being built 100% in China and will be tested for at least a year...
I forgot that Paul Revere is doing the weekend Boston Landing-Reservoir shuttle for the Worcester Line diversion around the Comm Ave work. But that only uses a small number of buses.
Comm Ave is just Peter Pan with over-the-road coaches. Newburyport/Rockport is primarily Yankee Lines with some other sub-contractors on weekdays, but all over-the-road coach.
I don't think Paul Revere is interested in bidding on any job that would take work away from 589.
Then they would have got no responses. The bid issued preferred low-floor transit but allowed high-floor over-the-road coaches. Peter Pan was the only bidder. No private company has 35 extra transit buses just sitting around waiting for a two-week shuttle contract. Peter Pan is one of the few...
The reason for the planned shut down has been because of the need to demolish that section of the viaduct, not because of the land swap. Before work was halted, the plan was to shut the line down as required by the timing of the viaduct demolition.
It is propably a dropped track circuit in the signal system resulting in no speed code or fluctuating speed codes. That will result in an automatic brake application.