24-02-29 PHOTOS: Leap Day

It's not every day I get to use transit for work related purposes and its not every year that February has 29 days, but in 2024 both happened at the same time and the net result was that I wound up with a few extra DC Metro photos. Also included in this set ( mirror ) are some pics of the SEPTA Saxer Avenue station on the Route 101 Media suburban trolley.

I had to go to an event near the DC Metro Wiehle-Reston station that I had previously visited as part of the Silver Line phase 1 and 2 opening day festivities in 2014 and 2022 respectively.

As predicted, the new Metro station has brought a large amount of Transit Oriented Development to the area, generating both inbound and outbound passenger traffic.

The east end of the platform still has issues with restricted sight lines, as seen here with 7k car #7374.

Although the Silver Line was built to support speeds up to 75mph with cab signal codes to match, the scheduled speeds enforced by the ATO system max out at 55mph, resulting in transit once again getting passed by private motor vehicles on the adjacent Dulles Toll Road.

Here is some cab facing video I managed to shoot between Wiehle-Reston and East Falls Church.





For some reason on my return trip I had to make a double backtrack, changing from Silver to Blue at Roslyn and then Blue to Yellow at Pentagon. Both are dual level stations to make room for the adjacent flying junctions. Here we are on the Roslyn upper level looking down at 3k car #3100 on the lower followed by a 7k train.

Here are some videos of the split level action at Roslyn.





View down the deep bore Blue/Orange/Silver line tunnel east of Roslyn heading under the Potomac River.

Between Roslyn and Pentagon I took a headway at the open air Arlington Cemetery station where a departing eastbound Blue Line train put on a rather impressive light show.

Upper level of the Pentagon station looking down the platform and into the tunnel at the junction between the Yellow and Blue lines.

7k car #7704 on the Pentagon lower level platform as seen from the upper level platform.

Mars Light equipped MARC bi-level kab kars #7852 and #7846 at Union Station.



Jump cut to Suburban Philadelphia we find the Saxer Ave station on the SEPTA Route 101 trolley complete with its vintage stone passenger shelter.

The station is adjacent to one of the two aspect Stop-Go block signals on the Route 101/102 network.

Unfortunately the Route 101 had been bustituted that weekend so the only train to be seen was this vintage HO model of Conrail bicentennial GG1 #4800 at the house where I was helping to move a Seaborg RD 100 jukebox.

That's all the photos from today's leap day. I'll hopefully see you back in four years with more.