Category Archives: Engine Bob

Engine Bob and ‘FDR’s Funeral Train’

It gives me tremendous pleasure to announce the springtime publication of a book about a most unique train ride that chugged through our area nearly 65 years ago. In April 1945, a train hauling the giant bronze casket of Franklin … Continue reading

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‘Extreme Trains’ Debuts

As BobbyDerailed notes, tonight is the grand premiere of Extreme Trains on History Channel. According to the History Website, the show “reveals the incredible inner workings and past lives of the amazing locomotives that haul huge loads across the nation … Continue reading

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Hailing the Grand Central Documentary

Finally got around to checking out the Grand Central documentary on PBS from the other night. It’s terrific, offering a painstakingly detailed look at the railroad’s transformation from steam to electric, Grand Central’s rivalry with that Joisey-accented west side upstart, … Continue reading

Posted in Engine Bob, Grand Central, William J. Wilgus | Tagged | 1 Comment

Trainjotting Classic: Ask Engine Bob — Why Not a No-Cellphone Car?

Q: Engine Bob, why don’t have they have a no cell-phone “quiet car” on Metro North, like they do on Amtrak? Surely, enough quiet-seeking commuters could fill a train car?  A: What a fine, fine question. My fingers are twitching … Continue reading

Posted in Ask Engine Bob, Engine Bob | Tagged | 3 Comments

Tennis, Anyone?

I got this emphatic answer to my question about the mysterious tennis court in Grand Central. Apparently, this appeared on yelp.com. Recently, I had a unique experience at Grand Central that I will never forget. My friend and I were … Continue reading

Posted in Engine Bob, Grand Central | 2 Comments

Engine Bob is Back!!!

Q: Engine Bob, I commute to New Jersey from Penn Station, which means my train runs beneath the Hudson River. Somebody once told me that those tunnels are so shallow that they’re not anchored to anything and they “swing” like garden … Continue reading

Posted in Ask Engine Bob, Engine Bob, Tunnel Bridge | 3 Comments

Ask Engine Bob

Q: If my Metro North train is on the underground level, why do I have to go to street level from the (underground) subway, only to descend again for my Metro North train? Shouldn’t I be able to stay underground … Continue reading

Posted in Ask Engine Bob, Engine Bob, Shuttle, William J. Wilgus | 3 Comments

Ask Engine Bob: What’s that Rumbling in the Men’s Room?

Q: Engine Bob, the other day I was using the men’s room near the bottom of the escalators that lead to the food court downstairs at Grand Central. Suddenly, there was a low rumbling noise that got pretty loud—and then, … Continue reading

Posted in Ask Engine Bob, Engine Bob, Loop Tunnel, Oyster Bar | 3 Comments

Straight From the Engineer’s Cab

Fun piece in today’s Journal News about a guy who drives a Metro-North train every day. The reporter tags along with Kevin Mahoney, and this is what she learns: Senior people on the job pull strings to get on the … Continue reading

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Ask Engine Bob: Should Conductors Hold the Door?

Q: Some fellow LIRR travelers say that the conductors won’t hold the doors for a passenger who’s boarding in the morning with a cup of coffee in his or her hand, because that suggests they’re lackadaisical about making the train. … Continue reading

Posted in Ask Engine Bob, Engine Bob, LIRR, Schedule-padding | 1 Comment