MBTX reporting marks

[Iain]

why is the MBTA's reporting marks 'MBTX' and not 'MBTA' or 'MBT'?  Aren't reporting marks ending in 'X' meant to denote equipment owned by companies that do not have FRA regulated trackage?  The MBTA has over 300 miles.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

It's the same way with most transit agencies.
SEPTA is SPAX

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/railroadList.aspx?tid=7

Here's a Railroad.net thread that talks about the potential origins.
https://railroad.net/origins-of-spax-t29189.html

I'm thinking it might have something to do with not being a common carrier?

There's also the possibility that it's because it's operated by a private entity (I think it might be a Veolia operation).

[RockGp40]

Do they have cars that can collect demurrage? I'd be willing to bet that the overwhelming majority of their stuff stays on their system and isn't interchanged out frequently if at all. When you see cars ending in X, unless it's a flatcar/boxcar (think FBOX, TBOX, etc), those are not pay cars.

The B & O Museum in Baltimore's reporting marks are BOMX, and they have trackage too.

[peteski]

There's also the possibility that it's because it's operated by a private entity (I think it might be a Veolia operation).

French company Keolis runs MBTA.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

French company Keolis runs MBTA.

Ah, right, that's who I was thinking of. Thanks!

[Night Owl City]

I think the MBTA began similarly to SEPTA, by subsidizing operations on existing railroads (the B&M and NH in the case of the MBTA). Could it be that MBTX made sense back in 1964, and since the MBTA doesn’t interchange, there was no need to change it, even though the MBTA now owns the tracks and equipment?

[peteski]

I think the MBTA began similarly to SEPTA, by subsidizing operations on existing railroads (the B&M and NH in the case of the MBTA). Could it be that MBTX made sense back in 1964, and since the MBTA doesn’t interchange, there was no need to change it, even though the MBTA now owns the tracks and equipment?

Maye they own the equipment and some of the track but they also share ex-B&M track with CSX (or is it Norfolk Southern?)  I see MBTA and CSX trains on the same tracks.