Passenger Trains > Could Solari board at PHL 30th Street be staying after all?

Could flipping board at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia be staying after all?
WPVI
Tuesday, December 11, 2018

PHILADELPHIA -- There's a glimmer of hope that the flipping board at
Philadelphia's 30th Street Station may not be clicking its last clack
anytime soon.

Rep. Brendan Boyle told Action News on Tuesday that Amtrak may
reconsider the plan to replace the board with a digital sign.
 
Boyle said that came during a lengthy discussion with Amtrak CEO
Richard Anderson.
 
According to Boyle, Anderson said the company will "re-examine" the
issue in January.

Amtrak announced the plan to replace the board, officially known as a
Solari board, late last month.
 
Any change in that decision would have to happen soon. The
replacement is scheduled to happen in January.
 
If it is removed, the flipping board would reportedly be sent to The
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, about 60 miles west of
Philadelphia in Amish country. 

https://6abc.com/travel/could-flipping-board-at-30th-street-station-be-staying-after-all/4879778/

===========================================================

Personally, I think Amtrak president Anderson was patting Rep. Boyle on the head
and playing him for a sucker. If the scheduled changeover is in January, the necessary
parts have already been paid for and may well be on the property. And what Anderson
reportedly told him was a very tenuous "maybe," anyway...a decision to be made in
January regarding work to be done in January????

Maybe Boyle is playing along to pick up a few pro-Solari votes in the next election.


 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/18 23:12 by GenePoon.

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Maybe Boyle is playing along to pick up a few
> pro-Solari votes in the next election.
>
Yes, because whether 30th Street Station's Solari board stays or is replaced is a huge concern of voters in Representative Boyle's distirct...

(sarcasm)

I have fond memories of the white-haired 90 year old usher prior to the Solari board with the blackboard, chalk writing that would become visible a minute after applied, and beautiful penmanship, but time marches on.

Let it go. Of all the things to bother Anderson with, this is ridiculous.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/18 05:47 by joemvcnj.

This is something a Congressman needs to get involved with?  And "world famous."  I doubt my international railfan friends have ever heard of it. 

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is something a Congressman needs to get
> involved with?  And "world famous."  I doubt my
> international railfan friends have ever heard of
> it. 

Umm as the Solari boards are made in ITALY I am sure your international friends have heard and seen them.  GOOGLE it and see where in the world they are in operation.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/18 10:08 by 4489.

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GenePoon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Maybe Boyle is playing along to pick up a few
> > pro-Solari votes in the next election.
> >
> Yes, because whether 30th Street Station's Solari
> board stays or is replaced is a huge concern of
> voters in Representative Boyle's distirct...

Boyle's district encompasses many of the people who ride Amtrak who live in Philadelphia. Many riders are very fond of the 30th Street Solari boards, including Congressman Boyle.  I don't think Amtrak has ever auctioned off video monitors removed from service, but they have auctioned off parts from Solari boards.  That should tell you a lot.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have fond memories of the white-haired 90 year
> old usher prior to the Solari board with the
> blackboard, chalk writing that would become
> visible a minute after applied, and beautiful
> penmanship, but time marches on.
>
> Let it go. Of all the things to bother Anderson
> with, this is ridiculous.

Aesthetics are very important and good aesthetics are a primary draw of people to riding the train.  Solari boards in the train station are one of the primary sensory aesthetic pieces people associate pleasantly with riding the train.  If you don't understand that, you don't understand the passenger railroad business.

Its interesting to see who is in the Bauhaus function without form coterie here.

The Solari board is toast, as are rotary dial pay phones. All they can do now is make the new LED one sound and look like it, as they did at Newark Penn.

4489 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This is something a Congressman needs to get
> > involved with?  And "world famous."  I doubt
> my
> > international railfan friends have ever heard
> of
> > it. 
>
> Umm as the Solari boards are made in ITALY I am
> sure your internation friends have heard and seen
> them.  GOOGLE it and see where in the world they
> are in operation.


And for many railfans and civic-minded folks that fame is reason enough to justify a law requiring Amtrak to retain & maintain the board. After all, this is America.

abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I have fond memories of the white-haired 90
> year
> > old usher prior to the Solari board with the
> > blackboard, chalk writing that would become
> > visible a minute after applied, and beautiful
> > penmanship, but time marches on.
> >
> > Let it go. Of all the things to bother Anderson
> > with, this is ridiculous.
>
> Aesthetics are very important and good aesthetics
> are a primary draw of people to riding the
> train.  Solari boards in the train station are
> one of the primary sensory aesthetic pieces people
> associate pleasantly with riding the train.  If
> you don't understand that, you don't understand
> the passenger railroad business.
>
> Its interesting to see who is in the Bauhaus
> function without form coterie here.


Should a law be passed to save the board?

Duna Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Its interesting to see who is in the Bauhaus
> > function without form coterie here.
>
>
> Should a law be passed to save the board?

Amtrak should have managers who understand that little psychological things like this help draw people to ride the train and develop the habit of enjoying train rides.

No one ever went down to a station to watch the progression of the video monitors.

abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Duna Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > Its interesting to see who is in the Bauhaus
> > > function without form coterie here.
> >
> >
> > Should a law be passed to save the board?
>
> Amtrak should have managers who understand that
> little psychological things like this help draw
> people to ride the train and develop the habit of
> enjoying train rides.
>
> No one ever went down to a station to watch the
> progression of the video monitors.


Is that why people go to RR stations?

If forced, I'm sure Amtrak will find the money to maintain the old board. It's only money, and there are no other priorities.

 Let’s send the Solari board to the museum.    Turns out someone in town already makes replacements: https://www.oatfoundry.com/split-flap/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/18 08:55 by El_Duderino.

Or you can just go to this site and listen to Solari boards to your heart's content for any Amtrak station in the US:

http://dixielandsoftware.net/Amtrak/solari/stations.php?data=CHI&tz=CT

Keeps Congress busy and out of trouble.

Think of the real damage they could be doing...

Posted from Android

Duna Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> abyler Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Duna Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > > Its interesting to see who is in the
> Bauhaus
> > > > function without form coterie here.
> > >
> > >
> > > Should a law be passed to save the board?
> >
> > Amtrak should have managers who understand that
> > little psychological things like this help draw
> > people to ride the train and develop the habit
> of
> > enjoying train rides.
> >
> > No one ever went down to a station to watch the
> > progression of the video monitors.
>
>
> Is that why people go to RR stations?

Sometimes it is.

https://technical.ly/philly/2018/11/29/30th-street-sign-flipping-sign/

> If forced, I'm sure Amtrak will find the money to
> maintain the old board. It's only money, and there
> are no other priorities.

How does the supposed maintenance costs of the current board compare to the cost to (a) purchase and install a replacement + (b) maintain the replacement board?  No doubt it will be difficult to find such factual information but the argument that keeping the existing board is a waste of money relies on ipse dixit without it.

The original digital replacement for the Solari board in New York City onlay last 15 years before Amtrak replaced it this year.  How is this sort of short life economical?  The Solari board in 30th Street has well over 40 years of service.

The progression of excuses for replacing them is amazing.  8 years ago, it was supposedly for ADA compliance.  More recently, we're told they are functionally obsolete even though they obviously still work.  An excuse has been broadcast that its because the current control system of the board is Windows 95 (obviously a mid-life upgrade from the original control system of the 1970's).  Apparently, Amtrak wants us to believe they can't update the board's control system again.

Here's what the maker of the Solari boards (Solari di Udine spa) has to say about this:

"The flap clock was invented by Solari and, since the ‘40s, it never stops being an example of design and comunication minimalism. The genious within mechanically turning a continuous movement into a digital visualization leads to a high mechanical reliability, a reduction in power consumption and a distinctive and refined communication style.  This technology first represents a style choice: nowadays, adopting a flap display means giving a cherished and timeless design to any environment, without sacrifices in terms of clearness and communication effectiveness, while still respecting environment."

I agree with them (and with abyler).

Perhaps chalk boards could be saved as well.

Posted from Android

And chalk dust from scrapped train status boards should have been collected over the years, preserved and reconstituted into legible text artifacts for those of us who have such needs.

Perhaps the real reason for the "upgrade", contrary to the usual catalog of excuses (obsolescence, spare parts, ADA, etc.), is that the new displays can be used to sell advertising space.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA