Last week, Boston hosted the American Public Transportation Association's annual rail conference. A highlight of the conference is always the rail rodeo, in which teams from subway systems across the continent compete in both train maintenance and operation.

Snellman and GrisoliaAn MBTA inspector who saw a Watertown man mug a woman about to get on the train at Maverick last night didn't let the guy leave the station, MBTA Transit Police say.

According to a police report, Inspector Ira Lawrence was in the customer-service booth at the Blue Line station around 11:20 p.m. when he noticed Sean Snellman hand a guitar and bag to Brittney Grisolia, then run toward a woman and grab one of the two purses she was carrying:

Around 7:30 a.m., on the tracks, natch, Channel 5 tweets.

The Herald reports MBTA officials figure a full shutdown would let them rehab the station in less time and wouldn't drag on forever and ever like certain other T-stop projects one could think of.

President enters the Fenway. Photo by Jeff Tamagini.

The Red, Green and Blue lines all experienced delays this evening as the presidential motorcade passed over or under them.

The placid Orange Line remained stolidly unaffected by Motorcade One, but Nay and Steven Leibowitz report the T held an inbound train at Back Bay when a panicked Little Monster reported a lost ticket to the Egg Lady's concert at the Garden. A passenger found the ticket, the kid was reunited with it and the train resumed service.

Photo copyright Jeff Tamagini. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

MassDOT is posting photos from today's emergency drill by local and regional emergency departments at the Bowdowin Blue Line stop, including this one of a robot (which got down the stairs by itself) guarding a pair of dummies.

The Globe reports the T plans to introduce countdown clocks to Red, Orange and Blue Line stations, but will pay for it in part by eliminating the refunds it now offers to people whose trains are way late. Also look for lots more advertising - right down to the CharlieCard - as the T tries to cut a $130 million or so deficit.

Dead Green Line train at Newton Highlands. Photo by Jenny Mackintosh.

Update, 8:10 a.m.: There's a dead train at Wollaston on the Red Line now.

Dead trains mean lengthy delays on the Green, Blue and Orange lines this morning; well, except the T is urging Orange Line riders to just forget it exists and seek alternate routes. Delays on the Silver Line to Design Center, too, due to a dead bus. Jennifer Musso tweeted from Oak Grove on the Orange Line:

Hundreds of people waiting for shuttle buses at OkGrv sub0 weather! Station worker says he's not answering "any more questions"

Commuter rail? How 'bout those 30-40 minute delays on the Worcester line? Erin Bowles checked in:

At Framingham, there was a woman on platform nearly in tears. Hoping she'll be OK, but there's no way she doesn't have frostbite.

Not that North Station lines were immune from problems. Matt Hrono tweeted:

T alerts failed. Haverhill 208 cancelled, people waiting in record cold for 45 mins, no alert. What gives? Safety issue much?

Around 9 a.m, Matt Karolian reported:

Blue Line all screwed up, multiple disabled trains, all passengers deboard at Airport.

One passenger on the Blue Line in Orient Heights seemed a bit squirrelly this afternoon. In fact, the Animal Rescue League of Boston had to be called in.

ARL volunteer Margaret Wirth reports T workers found a baby squirrel running around a Blue Line car around noon. Boston Animal Control worked with the league to corral the critter, whom they promptly named Charlie, of course.

Wirth says Charlie is headed to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Weymouth, where he will be prepared for a life in the wild. She adds that kindhearted T inspectors did not charge him with fare evasion.