Bowdoin has another quirk. The platform on the return side back to Wonderland is only long enough for four cars so when the train comes in, the first two cars are actually in the tunnel and the operator cannot see to open the doors. There is a button on the side of the door that has to be pushed to open the doors so the passengers can enter the car. This also means that when the train gets to Government Center., the first two cars will always be empty so if one goes to this end of the platform, one has a better chance to get a seat during rush hour.

The amount of research you do for these videos is impressive. I rode the Blue Line often as a kid, heading to Revere Beach. I remember that part of the experience was the raising and lowering of the pantograph at, IIRC, Maverick. The lights would go off, everything got quiet for a few seconds, and then it all came back. (Wow. It's probably been 60 years since I last experienced that!) Keep up the great work.

The blue line tunnel extends a great deal past Bowden from when it used to have a portal to the street during the street car era. They park the trains in there overnight. I did a emergency training in there several years ago and the escape hatch is right by the fire department where the portal doors used to be. When I was climbing up, I saw the old hinges remained. Given all the stuff under the street now, it would be a nightmare to extend the tunnel, but they could easily open a new portal and create an elevated line to connect to MGH.

I’m from Vancouver B.C in Canada and if it’s one transit system I admire for keeping their heavy rail system is the MBTA! In Vancouver we scrapped our heavy rail lines in the 1950’s and then extensively rebuilt a entirely new elevated metro system to identically replace the heavy rail lines. Sounds crazy but it happened so often in Canada. I wish we kept our old rail lines instead of replacing them with automated rapid transit systems. If cities like ours kept the heavy rail lines intact we would have more funds to build out a more extensive rapid transit network! If it’s one city I still dream of visiting is the undoubtedly beautiful Boston! Hopefully I’ll be able to ride the old blue line cars before their replaced like the orange and red like cars are! Cheers and thanks for uploading this great piece of historical info!

We remain hopeful that it might it get extended to Lynn (and possibly Salem). In fact, a few days ago, the T had tweeted that it had a list of over 500 projects to be completed within the next five years. I asked if Lynn was on that list. Haven't however, heard back.

Can you please do a video on the commuter rail or the Mattapan line

The Blue Line was planned to expand to Lynn. However, the federal government said they would not fund any expansion of the Blue Line because it would be duplicating a service that is currently served by the commuter rail. Also, the city of Revere allowed construction on the right-of-way that was served by the narrow gauge which closed down in 1940. Also, the city of Revere allowed construction on the right-of-way blocking any chance to expand the Blue Line to Lynn.

The Blue Line is my absolute favorite line in the city. Best views, best stations, best ride overall. Very well made mini-doc on it! Also props from one Boston based Dalton to another!

The blue line! This line has always been my favorite! It always seems the cleanest and most reliable of all the lines. But you forgot to touch on the interior of the 0700s!

Good Video NICK VERY EDUCATIONAL!!! 😮😮😮😮😮😮BLUE LINE I TRAVELED 24 YEARS WORKING AVIS RENT A CAR ORIENT HEIGHTS 375 MCCLELLAN HIGHWAY

My favorite line! I like how it runs both on third rail and overhead wires.

I really love this. Good job Nick, and I can’t wait to see your channel grow even more!

I remember well taking the Blue line to Wonderland station. Thank you so much for the great memories from when I lived in Boston Great video.

Yes NICK I Enjoy It l LIVED In Boston Worked At AVIS in EAST BOSTON 375 McChellan Highway 25 Years l Had A CAR But So times l Took BLUE LINE Get off ORIENT HEIGHTS l Miss BOSTON.. 😮😮😮

yeessir nick with the bangers.

This is a wonderful video! I dont hear the blue line being talked about enough. I did not know that people had passed in Scollay station.

Great job! Fascinating video. I lived in Boston in the '90s and rode the T all the time.

I'm a new member to your podcast I really enjoyed it iv always loved the subway system and how it works keep up the great work!

And the height discrepancy between the Orange and Blue Line vehicles is interesting. In the previous generation of vehicles for both lines, They were the Blue Line vehicles that were taller than the Orange Line Cars

Great video. I live in Maine, but go to Boston several times a year and ride the subway often when there. It is nice to get such a detailed history on each line.

Finally Ive Been Waiting for this

still happy with the work I help you out on the red line video and Im so happy you were able to release this video m8

Good video. Well done. I grew up in JP in the 1980s, near Forest Hills. Love the T and it’s history. This was well done. Thanks for the time and effort and facts put in.

I think this is the most clean doc we've seen from you so far, the improvement can def be seen, nice

14:42 632 was a PA1. Hawker-Siddely built the PA3’s starting in 1972 with an exterior and interior design that was very close to the PA1 and PA2 that came from St Louis Car starting in 1965. So the 600 and 1200 not only owe their looks to a fellow Hawker-Siddeley product but to an earlier one from St Louis Car as well.

In the mid-1990s, the Blue Line Station Modernization Program began and Aquarium was the first station to be completely rebuilt between 1996 and June 3, 2004, although the new entrance to the station opened on September 22, 2003. In April 2000, the MBTA began a project to completely rebuild and relocate the old Airport Station. The new station opened on June 3, 2004. In October 2005, construction began on a renovation to Maverick Station and the full renovation was completed by August 2009. State was completely renovated from November 2004 until April 26, 2011. Orient Heights received a full renovation between March 23, 2013 - November 26, 2013. With Government Center closing on March 22, 2014 for an extensive two-year renovation and reopening on March 21, 2016, that left good old Bowdoin as the only non-accessible metro station on the Blue Line. When the program started, Wonderland, Revere Beach, Beachmont and Suffolk Downs already received renovations.

Many fond memories of riding the Blue line to Logan 1965 to 1969, thanks for the informative video.

Great history on the blue line. When I was a kid we used to take this line to Revere Beach changing from the Orange line to the Blue line at State Street Station. I wished you had shown what the inside of the newer 7000 fleet looked like.

Excellent job!! I can remember many times meeting my gf (now my wife) at the Bowdoin subway stop in front of the New England Telephone Co. building where she was a telephone operator back in the 1970's. A lot of telephone employees used this stop for its convenience. Please do a segment on North Station (the old one) sometime. Can't find too much on the old place from the 1960's when it was busy with long distance trains going north and west of Boston as well as commuters. I was in the Coast Guard then and used to come in from Greenfield, MA. We now live in Northampton and recently got the Valley Flyer here from Amtrak. We had no train service for a long time. Thank You

These history videos are awesome! Can you please do the Green Line next? Since it branches off into different places and since it’s the oldest line, that would be an interesting one to learn about!

The conversion of the Blue Line tunnel to high platform rapid transit deprived north shore BERY patrons of a one seat one fare ride into Boston. Prior to the construction of the harbor tunnel, there were plans to run the present Green Line into the Harbor Tunnel, but by that time building pilings were in the way. Before the conversion, there was a Jeffreys Point/Harvard Square streetcar route, via the Longfellow Bridge. A century ago Cambridge was an industrial city, and this route brought workers from E.B. to the Cambridge industries.

The Blue Line is a rapid transit line in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, one of four rapid transit lines operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). It runs from Bowdoin station in downtown Boston under Boston Harbor to East Boston and Revere on the inner North Shore, where it terminates at Wonderland. The stop at Airport Station, by way of a free shuttle bus, is one of two rapid transit connections to Logan International Airport. In 1967, during a systemwide rebranding, the line was assigned the blue color because it passes under the Boston Harbor. With an end-to-end travel time of less than twenty minutes, the Blue Line is the shortest of Boston's heavy-rail lines and the only line to have both third rail and overhead catenary sections. The East Boston Tunnel was built as a streetcar tunnel in 1904 with Howard A. Carson as chief engineer; after an extension to Bowdoin in 1916, it was converted to heavy rail metro rolling stock in 1924. In 1952 and 1954 the line was extended along the former route of the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad, in a project intended to reach Lynn but ultimately cut short to Wonderland. Further extensions to Lynn and Charles/MGH downtown are long-planned but not yet funded. From approximately 1998-2011, the MBTA made most Blue Line stations fully accessible as part of a larger effort to accommodate 6-car trains on the line. As of 2018, the only station in service on the Blue Line which is not fully accessible is the downtown Boston terminus Bowdoin.

Okay. The current setup of heavy rail terminals, and now on the green line, started in the 1970s. Again, please keep in mind of the dates.For 6 decades, roughly the terminal set up was the setup that survives solely at both Wonderland and Ashmont/ Peabody stations. The original Forest Hills Station, the original Harvard Station and Everett Station. The more prevalent set up that we see for heavy rail here in the Boston Area started with the opening of the South Shore (Braintree) Branch of the RedLine. PSA on electrified PA system also started on this line as well. Though shouted PAS were already performed on commuter rail

great video! always love public transit history, especially in Boston because it’s my home city. one thing I’d be interested to hear more about, whether this be a separate video or just added onto the inevitable green line video, is the history of the closed down stations. love to learn about what replaced them and see where the stations stood

Another well done documentary!

I dont like how the T doesnt use their lights in the tunnels. thats dangerous because when people see the red lights, it makes it seem like the train is going away from you and not toward you.

Yeah, not going to lie: I keep forgetting Bowdoin even exists. I haven't been in the Blue Line in years, but every time I did, there was always something with Bowdoin that makes Government Center the de facto terminus. I was always wondering why even keep Bowdoin if it's not going to be accessible all the time.

I lived in Boston for a short time late 1994 I worked for an Airline and was based in Boston Lived on Saint Edward Road and used the Blue Line all the time between Orient Heights to the Airport

Rode the blue line in 1979 &1980, nice trains.

I been waiting for this I haven’t been on your Channel in a while I like that pic At 14:03 you should make more also the Blue and Orange line should have got Car like The Red line in the concept photos Fleet would have looked at all the same and used similar parts then it would’ve have been easier to maintain It’s crazy how St. Louis built the PA 1 and the PA 2 which where the base models for the 600 series and 12,00 series St. Louis also built the 550 series for the blue line

7:43 Super cool! Great documentary

When mbta was fessed up with the various manufacturing issues and funding requests during the new blue line car procurement, I felt for them because their whole fleet was completely killing itself, or it was slowly dying rather. When the contract was given to Siemens in 2001, the first deliveries were expected by January 2004 and all cars on property by January 2007. After the new millennium rolled in and by the early 2000s, the blue line fleet wasn’t doing so good, the 0600s started to deteriorate at a rapid pace, because the salt air was corroding the exterior body and undercarriage of the cars. The mbta had originally planned in upgrading and completely reusing the cars, but after an examination of the entire fleet, the mbta realized the damage was much worse than they thought and they figured it would just be a lot cheaper and easier to completely replace the fleet with something that would be a lot more modern and future-proof as well as actually corrosion-proof as well. This made them very unhappy and I could see why their whole fleet was literally slowly dying. The t wanted to improve service on the blue line by replacing its entire aging fleet and that was screwed up due to the fleet arriving three years behind schedule and all the manufacturing delays and funding requests that delayed the $200 million upgrade.

2:38 Speaking of which, the blue line just completed a MAJOR rework of its tracks and equipment and I am so happy that it is back online. I can't wait to go back into Maverick for South American food when I get the chance again.

excellent video, kudos from Massachusetts

I hope you do the green line next! Keep up the great work!

Many years ago they was going to extend the line to Lynn ma even Lynn station was color blue

The 500s didn’t have to suffer bad corrosion from the salty sea air from the ocean near the beach due to them being underground for nearly 30 years. When the line first opened in 1905, it only ran between Court Street in downtown Boston to Maverick Square in East Boston as a streetcar tunnel. The line was converted from low-level streetcar platforms to high-level rapid transit platforms when the whole East Boston Tunnel was converted to rapid transit on April 24, 1924, with standard-gauge subway heavy rail tracks. The line didn’t go past Maverick until 1952, when new stations opened at Airport, Day Square (now Wood Island) and Orient Heights on a surface-level extension. The last streetcars at Maverick ran on January 5, 1952. The line was extended to Wonderland in Revere on June 19, 1954, completing the line that we know today. It will be 70 years this June 19th since the Blue Line was last expanded and now, almost 70 years later, no new extensions have opened since. Court Street was abandoned in November of 1914 due to being replaced by the nearby Scollay Under station (now Government Center), which opened on March 18, 1916. The station closed on October 28, 1963, due to the line being rebuilt to an all-new tunnel alignment. Scollay Square or “Under” was replaced by Government Center in October 1963. The East Boston Tunnel was extended to Bowdoin on March 18, 1916.

Great video - love the Blue Line with its hybrid catenary and third rail. On the 2 and 3 series trains was the conductor's door opening controls in the area between cars on the exterior so the conductor would have to leave the interior of the car to operate the doors at each station?

Cool video Nick !

13:05 Holy crap, the R32s on the NYC subway never got this bad.

7:53 And at Aquarium, you can also see salt buildup from all of the water that keeps leaking into the station forming on the edges of the platforms.

I never knew “Rail fanning” was a thing.. now I do

Exellent video,Nick.

Hopefully it'll get extended to MGH/Redline. I remember riding it in the 70's in the front car. It was cool watching it dive under Boston Harbor. For the life of me don't know why they don't move airport station right into Logan vs taking a bus there.

A sponsor under 1000 subs? 🤯😍🤑😎

Fun fact: The remnants of the old Aquarium station is barely seen in the tunnel just after the current Aquarium station. One old platform and part of the walls with a faded sign reading “Aquarium” can be seen if you peek out a car with a clean window with no finger prints invading the scenery very closely. An old hatch to get inside is also visible at street level on Atlantic Avenue and Aquarium. But it’s closed and sealed shut.

love how you just colour corrected the orange out of the your 1200's footage for some example 0600 cars. really think it wouldn't slip by unnoticed??? in all seriousness, thats fucking ingenious, and smooth editing i gotta say

Bowdoin apparently will most likely be closed with the new plans for the connection as part of the new MGH building on Cambridge St, including a new entrance on Cambridge St.

It’s pronounced BOW, as in bow tie and DOIN rhymes with coin. The family emigrated from France before the revolutionary war. William Bowdoin served on several committees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony but died in 1773 before the war started. The family has a burial crypt in one of the cemeteries in Boston. I was born and raised in the Boston area.

Don’t forgot it also connects silver line

They brought the red and blue line connection back up again but I think we should do it for real because after all don't you want to have bowdoin station renovated and traveling would be much faster than it already is.

There is a plan to extend the line to Lynn. Some information is known, but it is unlikely that work will start before the green line is finished with the extension.

I don't have any sources of this info to cite but my (layperson) understanding is that the Blue Line Siemens trains are the most reliable of the current fleets. That's partly attributed to the preventative maintenance they introduced to fix things before they break. Or maybe just cuz they're the newest entire fleet (until now). Also I think the Blue-Red Connector at Boudin/Charles MGH is still being considered. I learned a ton from your video about the line's history. But I still get to tease you about slipping in those PATH 23rd st station pics! I was trying to think of where along the line a municipality has numbered streets and I'd not have figured it out if you hadn't pointed out that the Path PA-3s used until 2008 were nearly identical. I never saw them in service but I took the PATH to work like ten years ago.

As you probably know, at one time equipment could exit the Bowdoin loop and reach the surface of Cambridge Street via an incline at North and South Russell streets. From there, tracks proceeded across the Longfellow Bridge to the streets of Cambridge. This is shown in the map associated with the Boston Transit Commission Nineteenth Annual Report (June 30, 1919). At a later time an opening in the fencing along the Longfellow and a short piece of track allowed a connection to the Red Line for maintenance access to the Red LIne. More recently, there was talk about substantial revision of the Bowdoin station to eliminate the loop and extend tracks underneath Cambridge Street to a subterranean station under Charles/MGH. Have your researches found any updates about that idea?

Hi Nick! great pro quality mic! the dynamics and EQ is spot on. Not to nitpick, but I cringe when I hear the term "heavy rail" applied to a metro type operation. (we could run a whole thread about this semantic minutiae) The term got into use that way from political creatures who do not know that direct suspension trolley wire is not catenary. The purple lines are "heavy", adhering to FRA specs. I want to tell you about Court Street station: A1903 Boston transit Commission report, along with reports about the tunnel construction progress, had drawings indicating the plan was to merge into the Tremont Street subway to run through cars from South and West. Therefore, the stub was temporary, until as the report stated, "the elevated trains are removed". The Washington Street tunnel was still being planned, but was finished a mere five years later Things got built faster then, but there is a long history of cheapening out, reneging, and poor decisions that got us here, and continues today.

Hi was watching your video I was one of a few that can actually say I was working on the blue from first rivet. Starting at Canadian Car Thunder Bay Ont as a line builder then transferred to Boston as a service tech for the blue and then the Orange line

cool video and have more video to come do a video of nyc subway of the r211

Yes

Oh and the icing issue on the Blue Line. This is a problem occasionally faced on the Red Line where the line passes near Dorchester Bay. And this needs to be REMEMBERED by the current generation of decision makers on the MBA who seem to be attempting to get away from the overhead wires

They should expand the blue line Winthrop and Lynn . This would reduce traffic in this areas.

When I heard the MTA ordered the 500s from the St Louis Car Company I realized the Chicago Transit Authority ordered their replacement El cars from the same firm at the same time. Both sets of cars appear to have the same window and door pattern and appear to be the same length. I know the CTA's cars were based on the PCC platform, maybe the 500s are also? 🤔

Wow blue line

The #4 (0600s) design came from the PATH PA1 built by ST LOUIS CAR and PA2/3 by HAWKER-SIDDELEY; KAWASAKI kept it up for the PA4. KAWASAKI updated the design further for the PA5 albeit also mixing a bit of the R143/R160 design to it.

Yes woohoooooooo!

My favorite!

Blue Is My Favorite MBTA Subway Line.

Why has it take so damn long the MBTA to extend the blue line to Lynn? It’s the shortest line by far. It could also extend it to Chelsea. At least they’re connecting it to Charles MGH for the redline.

Isn't that the abandoned Station of old Court Station before you reach government from state? With all those pillars. I think I repeat I think

Also, Frank also did the voice for the 0700s series of Blue Line unlike the Orange Line, Green Line and the Red Line!!!

Do you have any videos or photos of the Bowdoin loop/ train yard underneath?

Dope 💯

Connection between south and north stations

Thankyou Nick Dalton Smart Educated about MBTA 😮😮😮😮

Good work here. Hey do you know why they put those 4 red lights on the front of their subway trains? Just an aesthetic? I know Chicago has 2 sets of red amber and green lights on the top left and right sides on the front of their trains but that's more for utility. The red lights are a good look forsure but wondering if there's another reason for it perhaps.

You left out a unique feature from the conversion to high level rapid transit in the early 1920's to the opening of the Revere Beach expansion in the early 1950's. The line ran from Bowdin to Maverick. Both terminals ended in loops. There were no storage tracks nor maintenance facilities. How did they overcome this difficulty for nearly 30 years? Know the answer?

Cleveland used the same St Louis cars before they got the Tokodo cars

Nice video

Blue Line Is My Childhood

Weren't those first cars built before Pullman and Standard Steel merged?

When you where saying the terminals for the red and orenge line you say that ashmont was a isand platfom but it is like anderw.

Nice blue color

I’m pretty sure the t is planning to extend the blue line to Charles/MGH most likely closing bowdoin in the process

No data-spec sheet on the 700s and no photos of the operator's cab...😢

Great shit Nick, Great visual representation's for a dumbass like me to understand trains

Not gonna lie a blue version of legends never die shirt long live 0600s would be awesome

Nick Nice Person MBTA Education Blue Line Orange Line Train!!! 😮😮😮😮😮 I Ride Train 30 Years.!!! 😮😮😮😮

3 million in 1904 is equal to roughly 100 million now

So I think my OCD has kicked in for the Blue Line. with the twin models for the Orange and Red lines, I think we now need 0800s..

sheeeeeeeeeesh

GREEN LINE DOCUMENTARY PLEASE