The other day, I ran onto a train that was labeled as going to North Hollywood and half way through the trip he announces that we are instead going to Wilshire/Western. Thus, I have to get off at the station where the two lines split. I got off at Wilshire/Vermont and since I had 5 minutes, I walked around a bit, before my train pulled into the station. One of the things that makes this station unique, is the fact that it is on two levels. Outbound trains are on the lower level and inbound trains are on the upper one. So you will be standing on the platform and you can hear the trains coming in on the upper level, but you don't see them. Another thing unique is the fact that the tunnel splits into two, just past the platform. I remember the first time I rode the final stretch of what is now called the Metro Purple Line. I could see the future North Hollywood tunnel off to the right, as we exited the station.
The Purple Line only goes 2 more stops after this station, but after over a decade of it ending where it does, they are thinking of starting to dig the subway further down Wilshire Blvd, eventually getting to Santa Monica. I am a big fan of public transportation and I would love to see this happen someday. Who builds subways that end up nowhere? Obviously, LA does. Who builds trains that don't go to the airport, but instead swing to the south? Right, Los Angeles again. Hopefully, they will finally try to fix some of their past mistakes.
If they do, I will be there, checking it all out. :-)
>>> One of the things that makes this station unique, is the fact that it is on two levels. Outbound trains are on the lower level and inbound trains are on the upper one. So you will be standing on the platform and you can hear the trains coming in on the upper level, but you don't see them. <<<
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of how the IRT #3 train comes into Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Exactly so. Going to Manhattan, you go down one level, coming back, you come up two levels .... or is it the other way around.
The photo of the two lines bifurcating is really cool. It's interesting to note, and I've never used the LA subways, that the tunnels are round. In this area, at least, they seem to have used a tunnel boring machine, rather than cut-and-cover.
That is correct, they did indeed use 2 tunnel boring machines, to make the subway tubes. Unfortunately, that did cause some shifting of the ground over the tubes. The most famous problem, being on Hollywood Blvd, near Vermont Ave., where the street collapsed and a hole opened up. They had to send gunnite into the hole to fill it.
ReplyDeleteThose tubes by the way, create a huge wind tunnel effect, when the train is approaching the station. Be warned. :-)