ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[tomh009]

You can also find some photos here. There weren't any Old Look buses made in the 1970s; the GM buses from that era were New Look. Kitchener Transit buses from the 1970s were silver, red/orange, and white. The silver colour was dropped in the 1980s. I think if you go back to the 1960s and early 1970s you will find a sort of aqua and white colour. Although I did find this beauty (bus #28?) which seems to be a special Centennial red-and-white edition.

Thanks for the link!  Looks like I was wrong with the pale yellow, it was white and (blueish) green.  Those buses were indeed built in the 1960s or earlier, but Kitchener Transit was still using them (in their original colours) in the late 1970s.

Now back to the regularly-scheduled ION discussion!

[Canard]

Now back to the regularly-scheduled ION discussion!

Sounds like a plan!  I have ::gulp:: over 200 photos from today to sort through...  

[Canard]

1/6 - Sunday, August 4, 2016

   
Trackwork along Duke.

   
Victoria/Charles.

   
Queen platform gets ready for another pour.

   
Anchor bolts.

   
Looking down Charles, from Cedar

[Canard]

2/6 - Sunday, August 4, 2016

   
Looking up Charles.

   
Very disappointed to see this newly-laid sod completely torn up.

   
This is a bit like putting carpet in the house that is under construction when the landscapers still have their muddy workbooks on.

   
Borden station area.

   
An almost-fully paved Ottawa.

[Canard]

3/6 - Sunday, August 4, 2016

   
Looking down the Huron Spur, from Ottawa/Mill.

   
Still no sign of trackwork at the bottom end of Borden.

   
Façade work along King at Union, in front of Sun Life Financial.

   
Very happy to see the streetlights integrated into the catenary poles, here - hopefully those wooden ones will come down afterward!

   
Aha!  The first of our little trackside lubricator pumps has shown up.  I wondered when we'd get to see these.

[Canard]

4/6 - Sunday, August 4, 2016

   
Note.

   
Speed limit signs have gone up along the Waterloo Spur!  Sadface - only 50 km/h between Seagram and University.  

   
40 km/h on approach to stations - this one, University.

   
40 km/h approach to Seagram.

   
40 km/h around the curve into University.

[Canard]

5/6 - Sunday, August 4, 2016

   
The only 70 km/h stretch I found was between R+T Park and University.

   
The Traction Power Substation at Columbia is now fenced in.

   
R&T Park Station is being kitted out.

   
R+T Park.

   

[Canard]

6/6 - Sunday, August 4, 2016

   
Inductive loops have appeared on the track at the Seagram station, two per side, in about the middle of the platform.

   

   
Erb/Caroline.

   
Southbound track curve onto Caroline, at Erb/Caroline.

[tomh009]

6/6 - Sunday, August 4, 2016

Inductive loops have appeared on the track at the Seagram station, two per side, in about the middle of the platform.

I think that solves the mystery of the pink concrete cut-outs at stations:

[Canard]

The pink cutouts aren't at stations - they're at intersections and are inductive loops for the check-in/check-out points for redundant train sensing at intersections.

[tomh009]

But still inductive loops, no?

[Canard]

Yes and no - I'm not convinced it's for the same system, because the "pink ones" are for traffic signals (vehicle/automotive traffic signals). There aren't any signals like that at Seagram - only the railway crossings, and there's no inductive loops on the North side of the tracks - only two on the platform. So I'm more inclined to think the ones that I spotted at Seagram are to tell a signalling system that "a train is sitting here" when it covers both of the loops fully.

[The85]

Very happy to see the streetlights integrated into the catenary poles, here - hopefully those wooden ones will come down afterward!

I like the streetlights integrated into the catenary poles, but too bad they are going with conventional cobrahead luminaires and arms instead of luminaires on the catenary poles that were more decorative/contemporary/urban. You'd think that at least in the areas where one of the BIA's has jurisdiction (the UpTown BIA has jurisdiction on this stretch of King) and can pitch in a bit of funding for streetscaping elements that something a little better could have been used.

I am thinking something along the lines of what was used on St. Clair Ave West in Toronto (albeit no on the catenary poles, but could easily have been done): https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6867645,-...56!5m1!1e1

[tomh009]

You'd think that at least in the areas where one of the BIA's has jurisdiction (the UpTown BIA has jurisdiction on this stretch of King) and can pitch in a bit of funding for streetscaping elements that something a little better could have been used.

Given the existing contract with Grandlinq, making changes (even if someone else is pitching in money) becomes a non-trivial undertaking.

[Canard]

Personally I think these look ok and and relatively modern. I hate frilly-scrolly-gingerbready things, though. The ones you show on St Clair are ok, too. Almost nautical!

The ones on Weber at the new grade sep there are sublime.