Re: Driven By Customer 'Service' Parte Dos
I think this information is somewhere on here, but I can't find it:
A list of stations where MBTA trains (Red/Orange/Blue/Green) can turn-around/terminate their trip.
For example, on the Green Line, northbound trains can turn around at Lechmere, North Station, Government Center, Park Street. I don't know all of the stations for which each of the lines can turn around in one or both directions. Does anybody know a resource that would show maybe one line or the system or something of that variety?
Can Southbound Red Line trains turn-around at South Station? I think not, but I'd love to have access to information like that. Thank you in advance.
This is probably well out-of-date, but you can theoretically reverse anywhere there's a crossover. Most of these are not used except in emergency service disruptions, however. And a lot of the emergency ones are hand-throw crossovers requiring an onsite track worker.
Here's the list of ones I recall have seen actual use for non-emergency turnbacks.
* = infrequent or special-event use
** = used only for operator shift changes
*** = used only for street-running service disruptions
Green eastbound:
-- Kenmore* (Sox games, C/D tracks only)
-- Park
-- GC
-- North Station
-- Lechmere (**post-GLX, will be done on shift changes since carhouse is before next stop)
-- (Union Sq.)
-- (College Ave...later Route 16)
Green westbound:
-- GC* (Garden events)
-- E: Northeastern***
-- E: Brigham Circle*/*** (<-- hand-throw crossover; intermittently used only because of the staggered-platform setup)
-- E: Heath St.
-- D: Reservoir**
-- D: Riverside
-- C: Cleveland Circle
-- C: Boston College** (<-- Rule violation if an operator lets passengers stay aboard when making this shift change, but I've actually made this trip in revenue service before.)
-- B: Blandford* (Sox games)
-- B: Boston College
Fenway and St. Mary's mimic Blandford--sans pocket track--as preferred turnbacks for westbounds when the C or D is disrupted or is having a weekend bustitution. Washington St. on B and Coolidge Corner on C have also been used within last couple years for service FUBAR closures.
Orange:
-- Forest Hills
-- Wellington**
-- Oak Grove
Mass Ave. is where they were turning for a little while after the blizzard.
Blue:
-- Bowdoin
-- GC (nights/weekends)
-- Orient Heights**
-- Wonderland
Airport was turnback for a little while after the blizzard.
Red:
-- Alewife
-- JFK**
-- Ashmont Branch: Ashmont
-- Braintree Branch: Braintree
Quincy Center was the end of the Braintree Branch from 1971-80 until they belatedly opened the last 2 stops, so this is still set up with the old automated pocket track turnback. Not used for shift changes, and I can't remember the last time it was used in a service disruption.
Mattapan:
-- Ashmont
-- Mattapan
There are no crossovers period outside Mattapan yard, and the PCC's are single-ended and can't run in reverse.
Red mainline is really in a tough spot since the emergency crossovers are so cumbersome to use for regular service they'd grind everything to a halt. No way to change ends fast enough to not foul the next headway, and structural mods for any pocket track are impossible in any place where they'd do the least bit of good.
EDIT: Looks like eleventeen people beat me to the punch!
