Orange Line Information and Photo Tour
		ABOUT THE LINE - The Orange Line runs from Malden at Oak Grove on a surface right of way along a Boston and Maine commuter route . The northern leg is a series of depressions, elevated embankments, a bridge over the Mystic River and a dash under I 93 to a tunnel under the Charles River. The route also passes the Boston Engine Treminal wherte most MBTA commuter trains are maintained. From the tunnel, through downtown the line turns south and west then emerging along the Soutwest Corridor. The rest of the route is in a walled cut all the way to through Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and  on to Forest Hills along the Southwest Corridor. The Southwest Corridor is the newest section of the Orange Line from Chinatown southward. The entire route is 11.1 miles. One unique aspect of the Orange Line is the construction of the older subway staions in downtown. These stations have the platforms situated at an angle from each other. The inbound and outbound platforms do not sit across from each other but up the tunnel from the other. The surface routes run along active rail routes at both ends and one can see a variety of commuter and Amtrak transin depending on what part of the line you are on.Currently the Orange Line operates with 01200 series cars. These cars as were the 01100's were ordered with extra support for pantagraphs, though none were ever installed. The thinking was that the Orange Line would be extended beyond it's current terminals and use overhaed wires for the power pick up. The Orange Line is named for Orange Street, now named Washington Street. The southern El traveld over this street until 1987. HISTORY - If you left Boston before April 1975 and came back today you would not recognized today's Orange Line. This route has seen the most dramatic changes than any other on the MBTA system. The Old Orange Line began as an elevated in Everett and ran through a tunnel in downtown and then onto another elevated over Washington Street to Forest Hills. The Els were built in the early 1901 from Dudly in Jamaica Plain to to Sullivan Square in Charlestown. Both were extended to Forest Hills and Everett by 1919. Both  were originally linked through the Tremont Street Subway through Boylston, Park Street and out at North Station. They were also linked via an elevated that ran via Atlantic Avenue. Around 1920 the Mian Line Elevated tunnel was built allowing the heavy rail cars to avoid the trolley tunnel via the Tremont Street Subway. The Atlantic Ave Elevated was taken out of service in the late 1930's. The MBTA planned on extending both lines from the El's but then decided to tear both down and build new extensions. The first to come down was in Charlestown El  in April of 1975. The Haymarket North extension was opened and extended gradually eventually reaching Oak Grove in 1980. This route provided high speed rapid transit form communities north of Boston. In April of 1987 the Washington Street El came down when the Southwest Corridor opened ending the era of the Main Line El in Boston. The new Southwest Corrdor provided more stops, and faster service then the El. However residents along Washington Street were not amused as the move left them with no rapid transit alternatives. Several ideas were tossed around and one was even to retain the El from Dudly to Boston. But the MBTA could not do that and suggested a light rail extension of the Green Line or a dedicated bus lane. The bus lane won out and will be called the Silver Line. The Orange Line was never extended beyond beyond it's current teminals as the commuties along the extensions wanted commuter rail. Commuter Rail now operates on those extensions today.
						A snowstorm desends upon the area as  an inbound train of 01200's slices through the 1 inch per hour storm in February 2000.
							Another train rolls into Malden Station in the storm. February 2000.
							An outbound train arrives at Malden. February 2000.
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