ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Bicycling past the Alexandria Rail Yard, I noticed a Metro car wrapped in green. All green. I had only seem yellow-wrapped cars previously. Oh and cars wrapped with advertisements.
What is it?
I looked up the number on the car and saw that GV01 the track geometry vehicle which was put in service in 2012 (WMATA). Elsewhere I have read that it’s a hydraulic diesel car.
The pickle
There are not a lot of references to GV01 on the web though it has a few nicknames.
Greater Greater Washington profiled GV01 in 2015:
A track geometry vehicle monitors the physical condition of rails and other track infrastructure. Metro’s new vehicle entered service in 2013, and some have called it “The Pickle” because of its bright green color and shape. Metro employees prefer to call it the TGV, or even just “The Machine.”
Meet “The Machine,” a special car that helps Metro run smoothly
I think I like “The Machine” more.
GV01 in action
Chances are, you haven’t seen “The Machine” while using Metro.
In 2017, somebody caught it going through Crystal City station though.
I suppose this answers the question of why the money train was yellow instead of green; the color was in use already. Alternately, perhaps green would have been too on the nose for the money train.
What will get you back on Metro?
More All-Day Service And Cheaper Fares? Metro Board Looks To Bring Back Riders – DCist
Since the COVID-19 pandemic is waning, what’s next for the transit agency?
My last Metro ride was March 11, 2020,
I have missed it.
It’s pretty simple for me — I need the bus line that I live near to resume operations and for my kids to be back in school. Presumably, that’s coming at the end of this summer.