Chicago’s CTA unveils new Pride train design
Chicago’s CTA Pride train is back for Pride Month — with a new design. The new design will appear on all eight cars of the train, which will run on the Red Line. The Pride train features both the Philly flag and Transgender flag. The Philly flag adds a black and brown stripe to the traditional Pride flag, which is seen as a more inclusive version of it. The Transgender flag features blue, pink and white stripes. The Pride train is celebrating its sixth anniversary. It will run now through the fall. [fox32chicago.com]
Disney kiosk recalls LA’s Red Car Trolleys
The trolley-shaped kiosk inspired by the old Pacific Electric Railway of Los Angeles is back on Sunset Boulevard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.This kiosk is a small-scale version of a red trolley car and was once used as a merchandise stand called Trolley Gifts starting back in 1994 when Sunset Boulevard opened. The kiosk was closed as of at least September 2020 and vanished entirely sometime after. The red signs now read “Caricatures” so we can expect a caricature artist to be available here soon. [wdwnt.com]
NOLA remembers ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’
It was only a brief appearance, but New Orleans Streetcar No. 922 had a starring role in a major Hollywood motion picture. The movie was 1951’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” written by playwright, Tennessee Williams. At one time, Tennessee Williams was living in the French Quarter, a half-block from the Desire streetcar line. The building is now owned by the Historic New Orleans Collection, which is featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the Williams movie and Broadway play. [wafb.com]
London’s new Elizabeth line goes for the birds
While London’s new Elizabeth line is allowing commuters to start taking high-speed trains under the city, they are not the first travelers to enjoy the benefits of the new line. In Essex, thousands of birds have already taken advantage of the £19B ($24B USD) rail project – on a mosaic of lagoons, islands, and bays created from the 3.5m tons of earth dug up during construction. Avian visitors to the new nature reserve include avocets, spoonbills, black-tailed godwits and little egrets. Hen and marsh harriers appeared in winter while wigeon, teal and plover have also frequented the site. [theguardian.com]
Train switch track widths without stopping
Track gauge, or the distance between rails, varies widely around the world. And sometimes, these gauges meet at what’s called a break-of-gauge, which presents a problem often handled by simply switching trains. That’s been the solution so far for the Swiss tourist route GoldenPass Line, which connects some of the Switzerland’s biggest tourist destinations. Soon, though, the train won’t have to stop at all due to innovations on a new express train that’ll serve all destinations on the line, without forcing passengers to disembark. [thedrive.com]
Med vending machine tested in Tokyo station
A Japanese pharmaceutical company has started a trial sale of cold medicine, painkillers and other drugs via a vending machine it installed at JR Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, a project that would better serve commuters who suddenly come down with illness. The vending machine by Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. at one of the busiest train stations in Japan will be available to use until August 31st. Following the trial run, the pharmaceutical company hopes to install them in regions lacking many drugstores. [nippon.com]
