Trolley picture of the day
Portland Streetcar's 007 lays over at the (temporary) Riverplace terminal on December 22, 2005. Why, yes, it was pouring down rain, but I certainly don't think that's a good reason to stop taking trolley pictures.
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It depends on the particular car. I don't much like the SD600s, but the old BBD/BN highfloor cars are fairly nice in a sort of second-generation diesel sort of way. The Astras haven't been around long enough to grow on me, but this side view of 007 makes it look nice in a sort of elongated PCC way (not that I'd mind seeing a non-rebodied PCC running on the downtown streetcar line)
On a [sort of] related note, have you noticed where the road is being ripped up on McLoughlin/Harrison, there's exposed brick and what looks like railroad tracks? Any clue what this used to be?
Btw, enjoy your train pics.
jc
I don't have my copy of Fares, Please! handy, but I'd guess that those tracks are the old East Side/Bridge transfer line (look at the Portland Vintage Trolleys Homepage if you want to see, in almost as much detail as Fares, Please!, a listing of the routes) or, possibly, a turnback loop for the Hawthorne line.
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I love public transit, especially all of the various forms of rail transit. But when looking at modern light rail vehicles, they are lacking in character. They have all the bland design character of most modern architecture. With historical trolleys there were some truly beautiful designs. I am not saying designers must simply copy old designs. However, I believe that aesthetics are often lacking in modern city planning including transit. Public transit is an ideal place for a city to show off unique designs. When the bean counters rule we end up with uninspired designs.
-Mike