ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

Track installation at Waterloo Park!  Must have happend on Friday; I was by Thursday night and they hadn't started anything here, but then bam, Saturday morning and it's all laid from Seagram to the culvert/bridge!

   

   

   

   

[Canard]

...continued...

   

   

   

   
My favourite shot of the morning.

[GtwoK]

Great pics! I should really bring my DSLR along sometime instead of just using my phone.

Did you happen to go by Erb / Caroline? I noticed when driving past at night last week it looked like they had some new track down across Caroline between Erb / FDB. But it could have still been the old track. Thought maybe they had started the parking lot already.

[Canard]

I did, yeah - I drove down Bridgeport and turned right onto Erb, then left on FBD, and then right on Caroline. I didn't see any/new track laid at all, but I was mostly watching traffic since it's a bit of a mess in that area right now. Next time I'm by, I'll stop in to the lot there and have a look. I do recall them saying in one of the recent updates that work was to start there, soon!

[ijmorlan]

Great pics! I should really bring my DSLR along sometime instead of just using my phone.

Did you happen to go by Erb / Caroline? I noticed when driving past at night last week it looked like they had some new track down across Caroline between Erb / FDB. But it could have still been the old track. Thought maybe they had started the parking lot already.

I’m not certain what you saw, but the track across Caroline was cut out, removed, and put back in after water main work several weeks ago. Instead of paving, they have spiked large wooden beams to the ties to make the surface possible to cross with an ordinary vehicle. Except that the road surface now stops well short of the tracks, so a car couldn’t go through. I assume this is because the whole intersection still needs complete rebuilding so they’re not putting much expense into restoring it yet.

On the other side of the street, a short stretch of track was similarly removed and put back in at the north side of Erb St. more recently.

[ijmorlan]

Next up, some shots of the catenary pole (OCS) installation along the spur line, between Columbia and R&T Park Station:

Thanks for the great photo update!

Question about the third of the four pictures in that message: I see the points, apparently for gauntlet track. Is that at R&T Park? If so, do I recall incorrectly that the gauntlet track had been installed? I thought you had posted photos before that showed the gauntlet track, not just the points at each end.

[Canard]

It is the same station, yeah (R&T Park), and this is the only station that has the switches installed, but they haven't installed any of that track yet.

My guess is that they are just laying the "minimum" right now to keep the freight line open, and then will go back and finish off the detail work later.

I think the switch for the gauntlet track at Seagram will be just north of Seagram, and then four parallel rails will move through the road crossing. Should see that in the next couple of weeks.

[Canard]

This shot from behind Albert McCormic Arena, looking South, shows that the catpole foundations end just North of Quiet Place.

   

[timio]

Nothing new, but I noticed the updated Google Satellite imagery seems to be from early-mid August this year. Park Street at the tracks and the University crossing are closed, Bordon Street is partially paved.

[timio]

Placing ties at UW Station today:





Looking south to Waterloo Park from the E5 Bridge:

[Canard]

Fun! I wonder when the link-up will occur between the Waterloo Park track and UoW run. They'll need to close Seagram to finalize the crossing and gauntlet tracks at that time.

In other news, you can fill out an online survey about some of the proposed public art that will be at some of the ion stops.

[Canard]

From Ottawa: The Train is Coming: Confederation Line Begins to Take Shape

Sounds like testing may actually begin in Ottawa for their Alstom CITADIS trains before we see movement here!

[tomh009]

Victoria Park station ready to be poured, a few days ago:




Installing tracks in front of the Benton and Charles parking garage:




Tracks curving from Benton to Charles:

[ijmorlan]

Tracks curving from Benton to Charles:

I can’t quite see in the picture: is there a rubber filler strip between the two inside rails? I assume the rails will be encased in a boot but I’m guessing there should also be rubber filling the gap.

[Canard]

Probably metal spacer donuts where the bolts are that separate the running rail from the restraining rail.

The signs in the area say Charles/Benton is opening in November. I wonder if just this one section of track is being done right now so they can pour the concrete/pavement as fast as possible, and then open the road, and worry about the rest of the track in either direction (and down Frederick) later.

I really really really wish they'd show us their Gantt Chart for this project so we knew what the heck was going on! Although half the fun is guessing and being surprised when something of significance happens