Amtrack Running Late yesterday. Very Very Late

 Weather, Track Repairs, Storm Reroutes and One young man visiting his sister here was just trying to get back to school. It seems even the trains are not reliable anymore. I stopped flying 35 years ago and have not looked back. I like the trains very much, especially Amtraks Zephyer from Chicago West. My brother and his wife were inbound having been in Palm Springs all last week. I was down at Union Station yesterday to see them return. Due in at 3:10 in the afternoon. Then, 4PM or later. I left the station and headed home on track 1 at 4:30PM. Had a text  from my brother at 7:11. They were idle on a track half way between Ft. Worth and Dallas' Union Station. This morning, I had an update text that they got off at Irving and were finally home shortly after 10PM. Long day to end a fun week out West. 

However, I did get some shots of the busy 7-tracks at Union Station with Reunion Tower on the far side of the track roads. Two Union Pacific manifest freights running dual side by side on 6 and 7. Containers, and Car Racks with some covered gondolas, tanks, a few hoppers and a lot of Intermodal frames from empty container flat beds. The graffiti on the cars is most interesting. You see lots of interesting stuff from people who really are rather talented with paint. 

I had an interesting and brief conversation with a young man returning to college after visiting his sister here in

Dallas. he had a couple of canvas images that he was taking with him. Never got a chance to see the image but he obviously loved art. Nice man. Hope he got those canvas' home with out any travel damage.

Clean Green Commuting Machine--DART'S words--not mine.

Since I have been riding the busses, light rails and commuter rails for the past two years, and shooting the construction of the New Silver Line from North Garland to Terminal B at DFW, where it will join the already running TEXrail from Ft. Worth and Dart's light rail in Terminal A, as the first train to provide service direct to DFW. It was time to point out the fact that I have not looked back since riding public transportation. In fact, it has been a delight to sit back and watch the world pass by on the way around the Metroplex.

Several days ago, I was able to ride the new electric bus. What a bus! Everything you have heard good about no engine noise, fast, peppy takeoffs, no smells of gas fumes either from gasoline or propane-type fuels is true. I'd like for DART to get busy with charging stations so they can add more of these to their fleet. WOW! that would be so nice. 

And  speaking of trains---I surprised my brother and sister-in-law at Union Station to see them off on the Texas Star from Chicago to LA from Dallas. They were on their way to Palm Springs, there second trip to California area this year. Several years ago I rode (then) the San Francisco Zephry. Now, it's just the California Zephyr # 5 outbound  and # 6 inbound. It was everything that I had heard it would be and even better. The Roomette was comfortable. The dinning car was  excellent and then some. So, I know my brother and his wife, having been through the desert prior, will love it again this time. Actually, I just might give it a try again. The destination is not that important since I have traveled a great deal of the US, especially the midwest and eastern seaboard. I just love the Atlantic more than the Pacific. Sorry Pacifico. No hard feelings.

 

 

 

Off to Palm Springs for a fun time

Union Station Dallas, Amtrak Texas Star to California (LA)

From Unioin Station, a closeup view of Reunion Tower 570 feet observation. Wolfgand Puck operated a restaurant prior to Covid there.

                                            New Electric Buses Running as 106 and 28 routes.

Looking For Textures today. Found a Texture Mine

                                               Spring is busting out all over in the Metroplex.

One just never knows what you will find these days. Everyone has an opinion on why things have gotten so crazy.  That is exactly why I don't shoot people in poses and do weddings etc.,etc. There is a bus stop that I pass through almost every time I go out. A couple of weeks ago there was this weird accident at a high traffic intersection. Today, there was another on the opposite corner involving three vehicles instead of just two. A popular Asian Shopping Center because a cut-through for a bus that had to pass up two of its stops because of the fire trucks and police. I try not to let things like that bother me when I'm walking and using public transportation. But, I guess it is because I've seen so much over the years that having a normal day does not really occur that much anymore. In fact, I pretty much expect to see bags full of things during the day.

It's ten degrees cooler than yesterday and it still hit 81°F. At least just normal jeans and shirt made the backpack and camera case easier to carry with the folding canvas stool instead of dealing with a heavy winter coat. It rained from a fast moving system from California that cleared out of here by mid morning. Then, gusty winds dried up the moisture but left pooling ponds to dodge on sidewalks and curbs. 

I've been passing a rather unusual themed restaurant that was developed along a stretch that I cover in the old neighborhood area, Not far from where my mom lived, then I lived, after my younger brother had lived in the neighborhood as well while he was single. My, how time flies. But, when the train stopped at the station across the street, I got off and started walking another block of the blocks. I found some red bud threes that were busting out the blooms already. Spring is gonna pop here real soon. Usually by the first of March in years past. I had even forgot that Fat Tuesday was yesterday and people were beginning the first day of Lent in the Christian Religion with burned palm ashes placed on their forehead. When reality struck, I walked over to the restaurant and went in side.

I had a great lunch outside on their covered patio eating to the sounds of the street and the trains. When I finished, I ask the host if I could take a couple of shots of the most unusual architecture element that I had seen. It was simple and yet, it just stood out. "Sure, have at it, he said."  That changed the attitude of the day. It was 4 o'clock when I walked into the house with some keepers and some that were ifs and maybes because of the wind and me not changing my settings like I could have. Yet, the keepers will go to one or two of my agents that knows how to choose things from the same view point that I saw when I choose to shoot them originally. Everyone thinks that fads last. They don't.

                                                Simple,plain, very well done interior

                                                        Plastic Cars or not, this was a hard hit.

Another discard of the same breed as I found yesterday.  The difference here is a single glove and a woman's. The ones yesterday were a pair of men's. What's the odds of finding the same discard 10 miles removed from the first find?

90°today. Not even a record, but the AC was working on the buses and trains. Lunch on a bench in Lakewood.

 Discovery Missions are always fun. The fun is in the discovery. Even if it is small. The discovery was a new small number route; small sign topper; small architectural element that is over 2000 years old in design. The design comes from Morocco in North Africa's Marrakech to Casablanca train route. But sold for centuries in the Market's of Marrakech. 

As far as the small number route. Well, it is a bit over an hour from start to finish and in some places it's know as a true crosstown. It's about 20-minutes to get where I started but enroute found another way to pick it up midstream for it is the far western end of the route that I really would like to explore more. Another time, maybe when I can start out earlier than I did today. And this being Texas, before it gets to hot.

                                                                    Morocco Treasure

                                                                    Historic Junius District

                                                      Some things people discard along their way

 

                                             

Knoll Trail Mystery Solved

 Everyone knows where Knoll Trail is but no one can find it, or so they say. In fact, I know where  it is but only if I travel from the opposing direction. The one Silverline Station under construction that I have not photographed in that amazing state of creation, is the Knoll Trail. The reason is that the developer of the now leveled Valley View Mall has included a people mover from the Valley View location and the nearby Galleria to the new Knoll Trail Station. 

Well, today, I solved my mystery. Knoll Trail is a continuation of Momtfort at the Walmart on the corner of Momtfort and Arapaho. In the Issue No. 1 Silverline Dallas Rapid Transit stated that the station was a "Kiss and Ride" station with no parking. From what I saw today, there is parking. Plainly marked. To be fair to DART, they call it an urban oasis. Actually, that definition comes very close to what this station will be. The people mover thing came from the developer at the old Valley View project. I have not seen much action from that site but dirt being moved from pile one to pile two. Come on late 2024!

Beautiful Georgian Architecture at SMU for Thomas Jefferson

 The architecture at SMU is of the Georgian style chosen by the architect from the style at Charlottesville, Virginia's university from the Thomas Jefferson era. It is one of my favorites, still, today. The Cox school of business is undergoing at present, a major building addition with a quad structure. 

The Perkins Chapel of the Divinity School is always a peaceful experience inside and out. I love the benches and the rose gardens before going up the steps to the entrance. Today, I noticed at large number of tulip trees in bloom. 

I always walk by the Greer Garson Theatre Building. My mom knew Greer and I do visit her grave from time to time out of total respect for such a wonderful person that she was. Mom would like that, too.

Got to Ride the New Electric Bus Today. AWESOME!!

 The route number is 106 and 28 leaving from their stop at the Rosa Parks Plaza across from the West Transit Center.

It was smooth

It was Quiet

It left no odor.

The comfort of the interior is 100% improved 

I have been wanting to know which one of the downtown buses would go to Trinity Groves at the west end of the Margaret Hunt Hill (Maggie 1) Bridge. I had a choice and took the first one to pull in, which was the 106. I came back on the 28. Truthfully, I hope to see more of them on the streets. DART sold me with one ride. Seen here on the Maggie 1Bridge with the arches of the Maggie 2 in the background of the Maggie 1 cable stays. Trinity grove is at the end of the bridge. I shot this from the Ron Kirk Deck Park which for 80 years carried the Singleton Traffic over the Trinity River on the Continental Bridge.