September 7, 2019:

 

            I got up and got dressed. I went to the lobby for breakfast. After breakfast I went back to my room and got ready. I then headed out and walked to the DART station. I had some difficulty buying a day pass, but I eventually did.

 

            I boarded a train and rode to Inwood/Love Field station and got off. I photographed the train before I filmed it pulling away.

 

 

            I filmed the train pulling away. I then caught a bus downtown to McKinney Avenue. I went into a nearby 7-11 before I saw another one of McKinney’s streetcars coming. This was car #7169 which is named Emma.

 

            “Emma” was from Brussels, Belgium and is sister to car #737 in San Francisco. #7169 was made with a new body and parts salvaged from PCCs that ran in Johnstown, PA.

 

            I rode to the car barn and got off. I photographed #7169.

 

 

            I then filmed #7169 pulling away and walked to the car barn. This time, the barn was open. I asked if I could go inside and mentioned I had spoken with John Landrum. I was told I could. I photographed streetcar #754 which is named “Betty”.

 

 

            #754 originally ran in Dallas and when the car was retired, its body was used as a playhouse at a residence. However, the body was kept in good condition. Once the children and grandchildren grew up, the body was donated to McKinney Avenue Transit Authority and subsequently restored.

 

            Behind #754 was the car I had come to see: PCC #4614; Margaret. I photographed the car.

 

 

            While #4614 is still in TTC maroon and cream, the sides have been shrink wrapped for the energy drink Red Bull. Not really shown is that a single stream door was installed on the left hand side of the car. This is to allow people to board at stops where people board on the left hand side of the car.

 

            #4614’s trucks were also painted. While TTC did paint trucks on their air-electric PCCs when new, they eventually stopped. Later all electric cars never had their trucks painted. Today, only one TTC air-electric PCC survives: #4000 at the Halton County Radial Railway Museum. Its trucks are painted just like 4614’s.

 

            I then photographed Rosie and Matilda undergoing work.

 

 

            It was obvious that #4614 was not going to go out. I left the barn and walked back to the streetcar stop. Petunia was the next car to come. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            I rode to Cityplace station and then photographed and filmed #636 as it was spun on the turntable.

 

 

 

            I then filmed #636 departing. I then caught a DART train to downtown and transferred to a Buckner bound Green Line train. I rode to Fair Park station and got off. I photographed the train before I filmed it departing.

 

 

            When I was in Dallas back in 2009, this stop was well under construction. The platform was finished but the Green Line wouldn’t open for at least months after I was there.

 

            Fair Park is next to where every fall, the Texas State Fair is held. It wouldn’t start until after I went home. It was also close to where the Museum of the American Railroad used to be.

 

            Some time after I visited the museum in 2009, the museum was forced to vacate the fairgrounds. They relocated to Frisco which is north of Dallas.

 

            However the yard with former Amtrak hi-level heritage cars was still there and I photographed it.

 

 

 

            I then walked over to try to see McKinney’s other ex Toronto PCC #4613. Unlike its sister #4614, #4613 hasn’t been touched since I was there.

 

            I walked along the fence past the gate that I got access to it and #4614 back in 2009 but wasn’t able to see it from that vantage point. I did walk over to an overpass and saw the car right where I left it. I photographed the car.

 

 

            I also saw a car in the yard belonging to the Dallas Streetcar. The Dallas Streetcar uses cars similar to the Q-line in Detroit. I would try to ride the line in the next few days. I photographed the car from the bridge.

 

 

            I then walked over to get as close as I possibly could get to #4613. I found a small hole in the fence and photographed #4613 and another one of McKinney Avenue Transit Authority’s cars: #143; Winnie.

 

 

 

 

Here’s a front shot of #4613 taken back in 2009.

 

            When I was in Dallas in 2009, Winnie was in the car barn. McKinney Avenue Transit Authority was having no end of mechanical issues with the car so they eventually moved it out of the car barn to the track formerly occupied by #4614 in the DART yard. They also moved car #332; “The Morning Star” which they had been working off and on with to allow for cars #754, #4614, and #7169 to be restored. They are in the process of building a new carbarn nearby that will house Rosie.

 

            I then made my way back to the Fairgrounds DART station stopping at a nearby McDonald’s for lunch.

 

            Once back at Fairgrounds station, I photographed the next Buckner bound train before I got on.

 

 

            The train departed. As we passed the yard with the ex Amtrak cars, I filmed it. A little while later, we arrived at Buckner. I had wondered if there was a bus that would take me to the Blue Line as it had been extended on both ends since I was in Dallas in 2009. I wanted to have ridden the whole DART light rail network again. Sure enough there was a bus. I got off at Buckner and photographed the train.

 

 

            I caught a bus to the Ledbetter station on the Blue Line. In the 10 years since I was in Dallas, DART retired all their RTS buses. Some have been saved by a private owner. Today’s DART fleet is all low floor buses that are either CNG or battery electric buses like the three electric LFS buses in Montreal.

 

            I had a wait for the next train but it eventually came and I rode to UNT Dallas station. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

 

            There was another train at UNT Dallas station, but it departed before I could board. I ended up getting back on the car I had arrived on and waiting 20 minutes to depart. At least the car was air conditioned.

 

            The train did depart and I rode to Union Station. I saw there was a Trinity Railway Express commuter train in the station led by an ex GO Transit F59PH. In addition to F59s 565-568, TRE purchased additional F59s from GO as new MP40s came online. However, all of TRE’s F59PHs have been renumbered.

 

            This train had two coaches led by F50PH #122. I photographed the train.

 

 

            I had 15-20 minutes before the train left. I went into the station and bought a bottle of Pepsi from the vending machine. I went back and boarded the cab car. I photographed a freight train that passed.

 

 

 

            The train soon departed. I photographed Dearly Plaza right after we departed.

 

 

            I was riding the train to the end of the line. When I rode TRE 10 years ago, I only rode as far as Fort Worth Intermodel Transit Center. The TRE continues to Fort Worth T&P station a short hop away.

 

            When we passed the TRE yard, I filmed it. I saw there was a single RDC in the yard. TRE has since retired their ex VIA RDCs and most have been sold off. However, as I said, one car remains.

 

            As the train approached Fort Worth, I attempted to film the Heartland Flyer departing. The train had two Superliners bracketed by two P42s. After departing the Forth Worth Intermodel Transit Center, I photographed two Amtrak cabbages.

 

 

            The train curved off to the right and arrived at Fort Worth T&P station. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            I have now ridden the whole TRE line. I went downstairs into the station. I was now looking to ride Texrail; a new line running from T&P station to DFW Airport. I looked for where to board the train and found it.

 

            A train was departing in a few minutes. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            Texrail uses Stadler build DMUs called FLIRT3s. The trains have USB ports at the seats which came in handy for charging my Ipod. We soon departed.

 

            Texrail follows the same route as TRE to the Fort Worth Transportation Center. After, we took a route north of the TRE route. At one point, we passed a freight yard which I photographed.

 

 

 

 

            I filmed other Texrail trains when we passed. We stopped in Grapevine where there’s a tourist railway which has some FL9s and some NPCs; Budd’s less than successful successor to the RDC. I took some photos and videos of the Grapevine tourist train equipment.

 

 

 

            We waited for another Texrail train before we departed. We were soon getting close to DFW Airport. I could see some planes landing. I photographed a Boeing 747 as in came into land.

 

 

            As we got closer to DFW, I photographed the trains used to run between the terminals. In 2009, they were blue. They have since been painted Orange.

 

 

            We soon arrived at the DFW Texrail station. There was another train waiting to depart. I photographed the trains and filmed the other train departing.

 

 

            I then made my way over to the DART Orange line station. The Orange line serves DFW. On my way to the station, I photographed an American Airlines jet.

 

 

            I photographed a DART train awaiting its next departure.

 

 

            I got on the train and we soon departed. We started going north but curved around and were heading south alongside the east end of the airport.

 

            As we came by the North Lake College station, I saw what looked like the right of way for some sort of rail transportation. I rode to Bachman station where the Orange and Green Lines meet. I got off. I was hoping to take a bus from there because it went closer to my hotel. However, it wasn’t due for awhile so I got on the next Orange line train. I photographed it when it arrived.

 

 

            I rode one stop to Burbank and got off. I photographed the train.

 

 

            I then walked back to my hotel. I stopped for Dinner at Whataburger. After dinner I returned to my hotel and went for a swim in the pool. I saw my cell phone needed charging. I looked and found I had lost my charging cable. I thought I could find something the next day. I eventually called it a night.

 

September 8, 2019:

           

            I got up and got dressed. I went to the lobby for breakfast. After breakfast I went back to my room and got ready. I then headed out and walked to the DART station. I bought a day pass. I went to ride a Green Line train to North Carrollton; the northern end of the Green Line.

 

            I photographed a southbound Green Line train led by a wrapped LRV before my train arrived.

 

 

 

 

            Past Bachman station, I saw the Green Line passed a new yard for DART trains. I guess the other yard couldn’t handle the extra cars. I thought it was too bad PCC #4613 wasn’t stored there as it looked easier to photograph at that yard.

 

            We also passed a yard used by a short line. I attempted to photograph some locomotives.

 

 

            I had been hoping to ride the A-Train line which boards at the stop before North Carrollton. However, I learned the line doesn’t run on Sundays. I rode past to North Carrollton and photographed the train.

 

 

            I then headed back downtown. As we passed Love Field, I photographed a white Boeing 727 parked near the fence and a Southwest Boeing 737.

 

 

 

 

            I rode downtown and transferred to the Red Line. I rode the Red Line to Plano. Following my 2009 Dallas Trip, I learned that there was an old interurban on display there. I went to check it out. I got off at Plano and photographed a plaque on the ground.

 

 

            I wasn’t sure where to go, but I soon saw a park and realized the interurban was there. I went into Haggard Park and found the interurban on display. I photographed it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then went back to the DART station. I photographed a mural on a building.

 

 

            I then went to the DART station. I saw a sign saying that DART intended to extend the platforms for stations on the Red and Blue to allow for three car trains.

 

            When I was in Dallas in 2009, DART was in the process of expanding its fleet of cars by adding a low floor section in the middle. Before the cars were extended, they ran in trains up to three cars. After expanding, they now needed two cars for the same capacity. However, the Red and Blue lines look pretty well used.

 

            I rode the next Red line train to Park Lane and got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            Once again, I was going to take a bus to try to save some time as I wanted to ride to the other end of the Blue line. A bus soon came and we departed.

 

            At one point, I saw a Wal-Mart and figured they might have a replacement for my missing cable. I thought I found something but it turned out not to be the case. I returned it and looked at another store. I had this phone since 2007 so it was hard to find the kind of cable to charge it. This other store didn’t have what I was looking for.

 

            I also noticed that Wal-Mart was already selling pumpkins for Halloween despite it being early September! My Home Depot didn’t start selling until after I returned.

 

            I ended up walking to a nearby 7-11 and bought lunch. I went to the bus stop across the street waiting for a bus to take me to the Blue line. I saw the bus I wanted but it turned a block before the stop I was at.

 

            I ended up walking past a nearby mall. I looked at three stores for a cable without success.

 

            I then made my way to the bus stop and caught a bus to the White Rock DART station on the Blue line. When I got there, I just missed a train. I waited for the next train to Rowlett. When it came, I got on.

 

            Along the way, we were running parallel to a freight line. I took some photos.

 

 

 

 

            We soon got to Rowlett. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            I remembered back in 2009 I rode a bus on the highway which allowed me to get a video of PCCs 4613 and 4614 from the highway. I was hoping to do that again. I saw an express bus but I had to get to a terminal from the Blue line. There was a bus from Rowlett, but it didn’t run on Sundays. I saw there was another bus to the terminal leaving from Downtown Garland so I got back on the train and rode there. I then went to the bus terminal across the street and caught a bus to the terminal.

 

            When I got to the terminal, I saw the express bus didn’t run on Sundays as well. I caught another bus back to Garland but got off part way because I saw several stores that might sell a cable for my phone. I went into six different stores without any luck.

 

            I eventually caught a bus to another DART bus terminal and transferred to another route to a stop on the Blue Line. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a Blue line train due for 20 minutes! I caught another DART bus to the red line and rode downtown and bought dinner from the McDonald’s I ate at two days earlier. I then boarded an Orange line train to Burbank and photographed the train when I got off.

 

 

 

            I then walked back to my hotel. I phoned John Landrum and he mentioned they might take PCC #4614 for a test run tomorrow and if they did I would be able to ride! We arranged to meet the next day.

 

            I also looked online for my cell phone and the kind of cable. I saw various Target stores in Dallas had something that might work. I would try tomorrow. I eventually called it a night.

 

Click to read about the last two days of my trip:     Last two days in Dallas