I'm not a frequent visitor to Baltimore's Penn Station, but on a recent drop-off of a friend I happened to wander inside to wait with her. As I was sitting there I noticed something different -the old mechanical arrivals/departure board was missing. In its place was a large LCD screen with signs attached that said "testing in progress." At the service counter, a small TV screen displayed train times and as I looked around I saw other locations where TV screens appeared to also be in testing phase. I guess the times they are a-changing.
Indeed, said Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Romero, explaining that Amtrak is installing new LCD screens at stations it owns throughout the system. Baltimore, just so happens, is the first to get the upgrade.
Since Amtrak owns most of the stations along the Northeast corridor, that's where riders will see the majority of the changes, Romero said, adding that not every station has the same boards. The electronic boards will be installed in 29 stations by the end of September. The new signage will also include smaller screens along the platform areas.
Amtrak said the changes are needed to satisfy ADA requirements and will be partially funded by stimulus grants. Romero said Amtrak is donating the old board from Penn Station to the B&O Railroad Museum, which is creating an exhibit around it.
The old mechanical boards - called Solari boards - harken back to the glory days of rail travel. For me, they provide an aural memory of some of my earliest childhood trips - to Washington with the safety patrols; to Philadelphia with my great-aunt; and to New York on a college student budget. The sound of the board flipping through numbers - chchchchchch - as the trains departed and arrived on different tracks was enthralling to a kid. I loved to watch the board as it seemed to come alive in those moments.
The new boards will be as quiet as a pin dropping. Sigh. But I'm all for progress, especially for Amtrak, which needs updating in the worst way.