Re: Wheaton Metro Escalator; 2nd Longest Anywhere?

[Sandy Smith <smiths@pobox.upenn.edu>]

Paul Nicholson wrote:
> 
> Philadelphia certainly has a subway/elevated system (two separate systems
> actually - one that used Australian-built cars although you would never know
> from the builder's plates inside the vehicles) as well as an extensive
> Sydney-style "heavy" suburban an interurban system. Trams (three "systems",
> trolleybuses and diesel-hauled/pushed commuter trains. An interestine
> enthusiast destination!
> Paul Nicholson
> 
> "Bill Bolton" <billboltonREMOVE-TO-EMAIL@computer.org> wrote in message
> news:n1i34t8eeua264trmeg6sm89lt5no5232g@4ax.com...
> > smiths@pobox.upenn.edu (Exile on Market Street) wrote:
> >
> > > And while Australian regional-rail services tend to run underground in
> the
> > > city centers, with intervals between trains short enough to offer
> > > transit-style service, it doesn't have subways as commonly understood.
> >
> > Do you think Philadelphia has "subways"?  If so, then so does Sydney.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Bill

I'm kind of glad I saw Paul Nicholson's reply first, for I might have
said something intemperate otherwise.

Certainly, Sydney has a system of electrified rail transport with a
network of underground stations in the city center (and one new line
that is mostly subsurface to boot) and whose headways in the center are
frequent enough so that passengers to close-in points need not worry
about consulting a timetable.  Those are characteristics of
rapid-transit subways as commonly understood.  But the service is not
set up to provide similarly frequent service to all points on the system
-- the further out you go, the less frequently the trains run.  Most
North American rapid-transit "subways" offer frequent service (at least
during daytime and early evening hours) to all points served, while
metropolitan rail services are timetable- and not headway-based.  I
believe Sydney is a cross between the two.


There are also characteristics of the equipment that may distinguish the
two.  I don't know for sure, but I'm sure that the rail cars that
operate on Sydney's metropolitan rail service are designed to offer as
many seats as possible, and more comfortable ones than might be found
on, say, a tram.  This is not the usual practice on US subways (although
that new Australian-built Market-Frankford Line fleet seems to have
followed that country's practice).  Generally speaking, subway cars are
designed so that they can accommodate a larger number of standees for
peak-hour service.

-- 
Sandy Smith, Exile on Market Street, Philadelphia   
smiths@pobox.upenn.edu
Pennsylvania Current, yadda yadda          
http://pobox.upenn.edu/~smiths/
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