ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[timio]

I also learned that the bogie can separate from the main train body, which is why the spinning track (http://gallery.patricklam.ca/picture.php...egory/1120) can work; with the body attached there wouldn't be enough turning room.

I found that fact interesting as well. We were trying to figure out what use the tiny turntables would have, but a helpful staff gave us the answer.

[Canard]

...and here's what one of the bogies look like, for reference (this is one of the ones off of a FLEXITY Outlook LFLRV in Toronto; the only difference between these and ours are the gauge and the gearbox):

   

They're "hot swappable" - using the train lift (pictures coming shortly), the entire 5-module train is lifted up... the bogies can be rolled out and exchanged, so heavy maintenance can be carried out offline.

Chris' tweet of Bryan's photos is great.  That's Metrolinx Pilot LRV No. 1 (FLEXITY Freedom No. 1), headed to Millhaven for Qualification and High-Speed Testing.  Those first two Pilot LRV's will live in Millhaven for quite some time; they have nowhere in Toronto to run them.

OMSF Open House, Saturday, November 26, 2016

   
Here's one of the two long pit bays that allow access to the bottom of the trains.

   
The overhead gantries here allow access to the roof, where all the electrical gear is housed on the trains.

   
Here's the train lift I was mentioning.

   
OMSF Yard.

[Canard]

   
The pop-out portion of the 2nd floor here with all the windows is the control room.

   
Here's the track exiting the car wash.  I forgot to ask; does anyone know what's up with the heavy-duty rubber booting being installed around the tracks, here?

   
Car wash.

   
Here's where the track branches off of the main line, into the yard.  Those are supports for the Weber St. Bridge in the background.

   
The switches get pretty funky in the yard, thanks to the added complexity of the restraining rail.

[Canard]

   
...one last shot from the OMSF Tour on Saturday.

1/2 - Sunday, November 27, 2016

   
Mass Electric crews have begun installing the catenary, starting at Conestoga.  Here, the messenger wire has been strung down to the Northfield station.

   
<3 Crossovers

   
Looking North out of the Conestoga station area.

   
The Conestoga platform, from the other end.

[Canard]

2/2 - Sunday, November 27

   
Here's a close-up of one of the "internal" catenary tensioners.  This shows pretty well how the anti-dropping mechanism works.  When the line is in tension, the entire force-amplifying pulley is sticking out to the right, here.  The tension on the line pulls it horizontally, the tension from the counterweight is pulling down.  If the line breaks, the counterweight pulls the whole thing down - and the outer diameter (with all the teeth) drop into that "V" shaped wedge at the bottom, preventing it from rotating any further (and free falling).

   
Golden hour comes pretty early now.  Northfield.

   
Northfield.

   
Fairway Road Hydro Corridor.

   
Embedded track going in on Ottawa.

[Drake]

I noticed when I drive south on King from Northfield there is an LRT curb that stands up pretty high. At first it was invisible, then the construction crews marked it with a pylon. I now see the pylon has disappeared. I can see someone unaware of this curb making a left from Northfield (WB) onto King (SB) and hitting it.

I can also see the snow plow hitting it. It is white on white.

I get we don't want people driving on the LRT lane, but do we need a curb for this? The current set up at King looks like it will cause more problems that it will solve. Sorry, no picture

[drum118]

King St in Downtown Waterloo opens Nov 30. Doing a mass concrete pour for the sidewalks on Sat. One block north of the RR tracks to be pave today or tomorrow. Traffic lights being install.

Love the setup for the photo taking with kids in the safety gear. The kids I saw, thought it was get to get dress up and have their photo taken in it. Even some of the parents enjoy doing it as well.

I was told they are supposed to build a ramp on the north side of Northfield to off load the cars.

The overhead is setup for high loads in the rail corridor and this includes an LRV on a flat. When the new cars start to show up, it will be on an 89' flat with a 60' flat at each end, since the LRV car over hanging the couplers and protection of the car.

If the timetable to open Hayward in early Dec is to be met, they need a major push to get the tracks in place and pour ASP. The road is pave with sidewalk being pour. It was supposed to open months ago.

I see the fence in the ROW near the Fairview Mall has been cut in a number of location like I said would happen so people can do some shopping or getting something to eat. Need a few crossing in this area like the University area.

As for the rubber on the rail in the yard, its for protection, since the rail will be encase in asphalt. The yard can be expanded at a future date when more cars are added to the system.

Some videos I shot of the open house.
https://youtu.be/86dhif-PdD0
https://youtu.be/xmT4GWSLJP0
https://youtu.be/ZO2pNzNixyk

Will be sometime before I get the 200 photos I shot on Nov 27 up on my Flickr account and the thread for this project. You can find the thread at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/drum118/al...6082534850

[Coke6pk]

We're getting closer to the point where we can ride a pallet train from end to end without worrying about those pesky LRV's getting in the way.

 : stare :

I've thought riding one of those every time I drive by the stack of wooden pallets sitting on the tracks...

Coke

[Elmira Guy]

I'd like to know which businesses so I would know which ones not to patronise in the future.

Businesses affected by LRT construction turning to legal arena

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/mobile/busin...-1.3180723

[embe]

I'd like to know which businesses so I would know which ones not to patronise in the future.

Really?

Things might pick up again in a couple years (and then some) but reality is, in the short term there are probably a lot of businesses that can't/couldn't swing it but are still paying the same rent/taxes/operating costs as before (I wouldn't want to be operating a business along that route in the last year or so).   If the legal option is available to them it doesn't surprise me that people are looking into that option.  Not from an 'anti-LRT' point of view, but from a 'hey-trying-to-run-a-business-here' perspective.

[danbrotherston]

Really?

Things might pick up again in a couple years (and then some) but reality is, in the short term there are probably a lot of businesses that can't/couldn't swing it but are still paying the same rent/taxes/operating costs as before (I wouldn't want to be operating a business along that route in the last year or so).   If the legal option is available to them it doesn't surprise me that people are looking into that option.  Not from an 'anti-LRT' point of view, but from a 'hey-trying-to-run-a-business-here' perspective.

Construction of any kind is a realty, and yes, I wouldn't patronize a business which sues the region I live in, you know, my government, for maintaining or expanding infrastructure as needed.

I'm sorry for their lost business but this isn't the answer.

[danbrotherston]

It's mostly lawyers trolling for business. They do the same thing for roundabouts and road widening projects in the region. The legal process means money for themselves.

I can believe this, but I don't know if it's true. If so though, I mean, scummy lawyers, not exactly rare I think.

[Elmira Guy]

It doesn't surprise me either that some businesses are exploring legal action, and I'm even less surprised that a certain phylum of lawyer is scuttling to represent them.

But as danbrotherston said, I'm not interested in supporting a business who is seeking to take money from the local government/taxpayers simply because said government is doing their job by improving and expanding necessary infrastructure.

I sympathise with the plight of businesses who have been sincerely impacted by all the construction (not those who claim that the LRT is the cause of their demise even when it clearly is not), but that does not mean they warrant monies for said troubles. Sure strikes me as a worrisome precedent.

[jeffster]

Really?

Things might pick up again in a couple years (and then some) but reality is, in the short term there are probably a lot of businesses that can't/couldn't swing it but are still paying the same rent/taxes/operating costs as before (I wouldn't want to be operating a business along that route in the last year or so).   If the legal option is available to them it doesn't surprise me that people are looking into that option.  Not from an 'anti-LRT' point of view, but from a 'hey-trying-to-run-a-business-here' perspective.

Construction of any kind is a realty, and yes, I wouldn't patronize a business which sues the region I live in, you know, my government, for maintaining or expanding infrastructure as needed.

I'm sorry for their lost business but this isn't the answer.

Yeah, you're mostly right. I do feel bad for any business that is losing money here, and it is certainly a shame for them. As you pointed out, simply doing sewer and road upgrade could kill off a business, and that sort of stuff isn't a luxury as it needs to be done.

That said, I wonder if they should consider some sort of tax relief for these people, assuming they lost business.

Here is a side point; imagine opening up a cafe or restaurant in a certain *government* district because it is under serviced. It's all find and dandy then the government decides that they need to relocate to a better location that would enable them to have a larger building. Now your cafe is losing most of their customers. You don't have any right to sue. It is, what it is.

(The above I am actually thinking about the Tim Hortons on Frederick and Lancaster, that saw a lot of business from the court house, which is now moved far down the street...they spent a crap load of money renovating the place, and now their customers are gone...)

[ijmorlan]

It doesn't surprise me either that some businesses are exploring legal action, and I'm even less surprised that a certain phylum of lawyer is scuttling to represent them.

But as danbrotherston said, I'm not interested in supporting a business who is seeking to take money from the local government/taxpayers simply because said government is doing their job by improving and expanding necessary infrastructure.

I sympathise with the plight of businesses who have been sincerely impacted by all the construction (not those who claim that the LRT is the cause of their demise even when it clearly is not), but that does not mean they warrant monies for said troubles. Sure strikes me as a worrisome precedent.

Another related question: are these businesses going to pay back a share of their future increased income resulting from increased traffic due to the LRT system? They didn’t build that…