New member from Boston

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Joined
Jan 22, 2022
Messages
7
Location
Boston
My name is Wayne and I'm from the Boston area. This forum seems to have many enthusiasts and employees of Amtrak, so I figured I'd make an account.

I work for the MBTA as a motorperson and have plans to join Amtrak in the future and make my way up to becoming a locomotive engineer (Though I've been trying to get my foot in the door for the last 4 years with no luck). I like trains and do enjoy operating them. Fun fact about myself: The challenge of barreling towards a station, stopping in just the right spot and doing it so smoothly that the passengers don't even notice until I open the doors is super satisfying to me.:cool:

Anyway, just making this first post to say hi to everyone, so.....hi.
 
My name is Wayne and I'm from the Boston area. This forum seems to have many enthusiasts and employees of Amtrak, so I figured I'd make an account.

I work for the MBTA as a motorperson and have plans to join Amtrak in the future and make my way up to becoming a locomotive engineer (Though I've been trying to get my foot in the door for the last 4 years with no luck). I like trains and do enjoy operating them. Fun fact about myself: The challenge of barreling towards a station, stopping in just the right spot and doing it so smoothly that the passengers don't even notice until I open the doors is super satisfying to me.:cool:

Anyway, just making this first post to say hi to everyone, so.....hi.
Curious what you run: heavy rail, LRV, or PCC?
 
Hi Wayne. I now live in Maine but spent my high school years living in Boston and riding the red and orange lines to school every day. This was in the days of the El and the 01100 Pullmans on the OL. Cool that you motor on that line. Have you gotten to run the new CRRC cars yet? Welcome to the forum.

I volunteer for the Seashore Trolley Museum here in Maine mostly running the older cars from early last century but did get qualified on our Blue Line 0600 cars which I believe are very similar to your OL 1200 cars.
 
Hi Wayne. I now live in Maine but spent my high school years living in Boston and riding the red and orange lines to school every day. This was in the days of the El and the 01100 Pullmans on the OL. Cool that you motor on that line. Have you gotten to run the new CRRC cars yet? Welcome to the forum.

I volunteer for the Seashore Trolley Museum here in Maine mostly running the older cars from early last century but did get qualified on our Blue Line 0600 cars which I believe are very similar to your OL 1200 cars.
Yup, and I ran the new 1900 cars on the red line once during training as well. The 1400s operate very smoothly and can really get out of their own way at full throttle. Though, there are some design choices that baffle me as an operator.

The 0600s you mention are pretty much the 1200s but shorter. They can be a mixed bag nowadays. Sometimes I get a set with terrible acceleration, but amazing brakes or one that has trucks with refurbished motors but the suspension is so bad your fillings might get knocked out going over bumpy track.

Thanks for the welcome. Everyone here seems nice.
 
It's good to meet you, Wayne. I'm John from Providence, RI (actually I grew up in Warwick just south of the Hillsgrove Station). These days Providence seems like a suburb of Boston.
I think you did the right thing working as an engineer for the MBTA and hoping to be able to move to Amtrak. I hope you succeed.
These days I live just west of Newark, NJ. Perhaps one of these days I'll be able to come along and ride your train.
 
It's good to meet you, Wayne. I'm John from Providence, RI (actually I grew up in Warwick just south of the Hillsgrove Station). These days Providence seems like a suburb of Boston.
I think you did the right thing working as an engineer for the MBTA and hoping to be able to move to Amtrak. I hope you succeed.
These days I live just west of Newark, NJ. Perhaps one of these days I'll be able to come along and ride your train.
Thanks for the encouragement. I took a pay cut coming from my old job to this one hoping the experience would help me in my pursuit for a career at Amtrak, so hearing you say that is reassuring.
 
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