Subways

[General Pain]

Subways has not been discussed in this forum. As I see it it is a excellent asset.

FOR PLAYERS:

Bombshelter
transportation
mobile hq
etc etc
u could probably hide a small factory in some of the bigger tunnels

FOR GMs:

the subways could be infested with all kinds of dangerous shit -
sewerpeople,scruffies,cannibals,mutants(if allowed), other armed enemies
angry rat swarms etc etc

subways also has quite a different look/feel after a nuke / conventional war has hit a city.The power is gone....

(sadly, in this picture the light fictures worked)

[General Pain]

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by General Pain

Subways has not been discussed in this forum. As I see it it is a excellent asset.

FOR PLAYERS:

Bombshelter
transportation
mobile hq
etc etc
u could probably hide a small factory in some of the bigger tunnels

FOR GMs:

the subways could be infested with all kinds of dangerous shit -
sewerpeople,scruffies,cannibals,mutants(if allowed), other armed enemies
angry rat swarms etc etc

In general, I agree except for one thing: flooding. Almost all modern subways require regular, reliable electrical power to keep them dry. The DC metro system (the second largest in the US, although far behind New York) was shut down a few years ago when power failed during a heavy rain storm. Within a few hours several stations were flooded with over a meter of water on the tracks. After months or years of no electricity (and no regular maintenance of the tunnels) I think the subways would be quite deadly, dark and dangerous underground rivers/lakes.

[Nowhere Man 1966]

Originally Posted by chico20854

In general, I agree except for one thing: flooding. Almost all modern subways require regular, reliable electrical power to keep them dry. The DC metro system (the second largest in the US, although far behind New York) was shut down a few years ago when power failed during a heavy rain storm. Within a few hours several stations were flooded with over a meter of water on the tracks. After months or years of no electricity (and no regular maintenance of the tunnels) I think the subways would be quite deadly, dark and dangerous underground rivers/lakes.

I wonder if most subways are like that. I assume Pittsburgh's joke of a subway needs to have pumps running as well, we have three rivers here plus a fourth underground one.

I've also heard that in an emergency, if you can open a manhole cover and go down, that could provide a quick bomb shelter. Trouble is, many cities are switching to locked manhole covers so that might not be an option, in fact, my millionaire (I'm part of the poor relations) cousin is involved in selling them.

Chuck M.

[General Pain]

Originally Posted by chico20854

In general, I agree except for one thing: flooding. Almost all modern subways require regular, reliable electrical power to keep them dry. The DC metro system (the second largest in the US, although far behind New York) was shut down a few years ago when power failed during a heavy rain storm. Within a few hours several stations were flooded with over a meter of water on the tracks. After months or years of no electricity (and no regular maintenance of the tunnels) I think the subways would be quite deadly, dark and dangerous underground rivers/lakes.

very inspiring...thax for that one...

but I guess it rains alot more in dc/ny than LA ?

[weswood]

Are there subways in LA? I've never heard of any, and burrying a trian in an area known for earthqukes is questionable to me. But never been there, so I maight be wrong.

[kcdusk]

In twilight chronicles a few years ago now, i had a whole series of encounters planned to entice the PCs underground. I dont think we quite got there though.

But yes, in general, i think tunnels would be great for the reasons you mention. And even if there isnt anything you can see, its often the thought of "whats in the dark" that builds the tension.


There was that show on pay tv, and more recently on commercial tv in australia (where i seen it). It was called "Earth after humans" or something.

In it, they said the NYC subway system has 4 million gallons (!) of water pumped out of it each day.

I guess most subway systems, being underground, are "below the water line".


.

[kato13]

Originally Posted by kcdusk

In it, they said the NYC subway system has 4 million gallons (!) of water pumped out of it each day.
.

The math nut in me had to do this, and I figured I would share.

Ok the New York Subway system has 443 miles of Track tunnels and about 300 miles of supporting tunnels. Assuming a diamter of 16 feet for the track tunnels and 7 feet for the supporting tunnels. Gives about 60,959,463 cubic feet. I am going to round up to 65 million including stations. A gallon is .133 cubic feet. So the system would have filled in approximately 122 days.

I would guess you could calculate other cities by comparing annual rainfall, but my guess is that most would be flooded by the time T2k rolls around.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Originally Posted by weswood

Are there subways in LA? I've never heard of any, and burrying a trian in an area known for earthqukes is questionable to me. But never been there, so I maight be wrong.

I was well aware of LA's massive storm water drains and runoffs, they've featured in many, many movies but I didn't know about any subway systems. But yes, Los Angeles does have subways (something I didn't know until your question kicked my curiosity into gear!). Specifically it has two working lines and one abandoned line.
The working lines are the Red Line (16.4 mi / 26.4 km) opened in 1993 and the Purple Line (6.4 mi / 10.3 km) opened in 2006. The Purple Line runs most of its length on the Red Line although I am unsure if it has a physically separate track and platform system (seems unlikely). Extensions are planned for the subway system but funding appears to be a big problem.
The abandoned line was operating in the mid-1920s and had a short life, it ceased operations in 1955.

General info about the transit system including the subways
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_R...Angeles_County)
http://www.la-electric-travel.com/Lo...etro-Rail.html
Map of the passenger rail system (subways are red and purple)
http://subway.umka.org/map-los-angeles.html
Article from 2010 about subway expansion
http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/11...-system-grows/
Article from 2012 about subway expansion
http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2...-25-years-off/
And finally, (the most interesting one!), the abandoned system
http://www.awalkerinla.com/2012/05/1...iginal-subway/
http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/subwayarea.htm
http://laist.com/2008/07/12/laistory_the_19.php

[Cdnwolf]

SUBWAYS
I hate closed-in places. I always have, but I hate them more
now. That trip down those endless, cold stone steps into
darkness must have been the longest walk I ever took in my
life. Turk had the torch and he was behind us, the light casting
weird and shifting shadows which rushed across wet stone
walls or vanished into pitch blackness, shifting and changing
with each step down. At the bottom there was water-bitter
cold and black as ink. The air stank, and the darkness pressed
around us like a blanket. I'd heard New York's subways were
bad, but this ...
Then Turk screamed and the torch went out, and right then
all of us about jumped out of our skins. There were shapes out
there in the dark, half seen by the faint light that was filtering
down from the top of the steps, and those shapes had grabbed
Turk. I could hear them.. .making low, wet, throaty gobbling
noises in the dark.
My rifle was bucking in m y hand before the echoes of Turk's
screams stopped. The muzzle flash lit up the targets like a strobe
at some horrible light-show. Dements, three ... five ... ten of them,
standing over Turk's ragdoll form, some of them pitching back
into the dark as rounds chopped into them at close range, but
the others were looking at me, their eyes very strange in the
strobe-flashing of m y rifle.
My magazine emptied and I sent it clattering to the floor. Backing
away, I pulled another from m y belt pouch.. . even in the dark,
I could sense them moving towards me...

Page 36 of Going Home deals with the New York subway system.

[WallShadow]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

I was well aware of LA's massive storm water drains and runoffs, they've featured in many, many movies but I didn't know about any subway systems.

LA's storm drains? Think of the potential for rumors! D'ya think they'd find any giant mutated ants down there?

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

I was well aware of LA's massive storm water drains and runoffs, they've featured in many, many movies but I didn't know about any subway systems. But yes, Los Angeles does have subways (something I didn't know until your question kicked my curiosity into gear!). Specifically it has two working lines and one abandoned line.
The working lines are the Red Line (16.4 mi / 26.4 km) opened in 1993 and the Purple Line (6.4 mi / 10.3 km) opened in 2006. The Purple Line runs most of its length on the Red Line although I am unsure if it has a physically separate track and platform system (seems unlikely). Extensions are planned for the subway system but funding appears to be a big problem.
The abandoned line was operating in the mid-1920s and had a short life, it ceased operations in 1955.

General info about the transit system including the subways
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_R...Angeles_County)
http://www.la-electric-travel.com/Lo...etro-Rail.html
Map of the passenger rail system (subways are red and purple)
http://subway.umka.org/map-los-angeles.html
Article from 2010 about subway expansion
http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/11...-system-grows/
Article from 2012 about subway expansion
http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2...-25-years-off/
And finally, (the most interesting one!), the abandoned system
http://www.awalkerinla.com/2012/05/1...iginal-subway/
http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/subwayarea.htm
http://laist.com/2008/07/12/laistory_the_19.php

Beware of "Them"! Have a flamethrower handy.......

[unkated]

Yes, I know its an old entry but Stainless is still around.

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

I was well aware of LA's massive storm water drains and runoffs, they've featured in many, many movies but I didn't know about any subway systems. But yes, Los Angeles does have subways

Ahem! The Italian Job (2003). You don't dodge trains in the storm drain system :-)

Uncle Ted

[kalos72]

Side note: Metro any good?

[Targan]

Originally Posted by kalos72

Side note: Metro any good?

Absolutely. Both of them. Would've preferred them to be a bit more "open world" though.

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by Targan

Absolutely. Both of them. Would've preferred them to be a bit more "open world" though.

I second this statement!

[ChalkLine]

Originally Posted by Targan

Absolutely. Both of them. Would've preferred them to be a bit more "open world" though.

They said Metro Exodus will be more open world

(I'm gearing up to do a subway game)

[ChalkLine]

There's stories about Australian saltwater crocs being transported to the US.
You do not want this.
(But they do like stormwater drains . . .)

[.45cultist]

"Armies of the Night" had a bit on subways used for transport, water and food(rats).