Monthly Archives: April 2010

Bar Cars Reportedly Rolling to a Stop Once Again

Posted on April 21, 2010 by TJ

Metro-North doesn’t seem to envision bar cars in its future, reports the NY Times, which says it looks unlikely those bygone-era relics will fit into the long-awaited rollout of the M8 cars on the New Haven Line last this year. … Continue reading →

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Oh Deere, I’m Going to Be Late

Posted on April 20, 2010 by TJ

Had a rare early a.m. meeting today atop some midtown skyscraper, and had to take the dreaded 7:52 with that peculiar stop in Mount Vernon West. I’ve had some difficult times of late with not quite making trains that are … Continue reading →

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THE TRAINJOTTING READER: The Given Day

Posted on April 19, 2010 by admin

We shared an earlier passage of Dennis Lehane’s The Given Day a few months back–which also had Babe Ruth drinking heavily on a train. It’s a big ol’ 700-pager, but it’s interesting. Lehane of course does those Boston-based crime novels that … Continue reading →

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JerseyJim Has Front-Row Seat For ‘The Lyin’ King’

Posted on April 16, 2010 by TJ

Rode the post-rush-hour train yesterday morning, 4/14, as I was getting our taxes all buttoned-up. It being Wednesday, aka Matinee Day, the 9:30 a.m. express was pretty full. I grabbed an aisle seat in the first car, next to a sleeping … Continue reading →

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An Open Letter To:

Posted on April 15, 2010 by TJ

The man who works the security desk at my office. You’re the last man I see as my daily commute concludes and my workday begins. You’re a pleasant man, always with a warm smile and a good morning over the … Continue reading →

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Riding the Vegas Monorail

Posted on April 13, 2010 by TJ

Every year around this time, I get to sample one of the more unique public transportation vessels around the world—the Las Vegas monorail.   Traffic in Vegas has gotten awful as the city continues to grow; apparently all those murders … Continue reading →

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THE TRAINJOTTING READER: “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold”

Posted on April 9, 2010 by TJ

Gay Talese’s 1966 “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” is often held up as the finest bit of journalism, or at least celebrity journalism, in U.S. history. As the back story goes, Talese, writing for Esquire, was not given access to the … Continue reading →

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Clean Up, Clean Up–Everybody Clean Up!

Posted on April 8, 2010 by TJ

This is a bit ironic. Hopped an earlier train home yesterday, thanks to a late afternoon meeting at 30 Rock that didn’t quite leave enough time to hustle back to the office. So I made a few phone calls from … Continue reading →

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Straphanger Joe Remembers When LIRR Guys Made Money the Old-Fashioned Way

Posted on April 8, 2010 by TJ

Old-School Disability There used to be a break room at Penn Station somewhere between track 15 and track 18, back before it was upgraded to a “modern” station. My grandfather worked as a conductor for the LIRR starting in the … Continue reading →

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JerseyJim is Sick of the Doorks

Posted on April 7, 2010 by TJ

A bit drowsy at our Summit stop this morning, I thought I had been dreamily transported to the NY Subway, or maybe a train upstate.   CONDUCTOR ANNOUNCEMENT: (LOUDLY) “The woman with the blond hair, let go of the door!” This … Continue reading →

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