(02-24-2020, 10:16 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:

(02-24-2020, 09:02 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Are there any electric freight in N/A? Certainly there is none in Canada. I think we're all aware that our railroad regs are terribly obsolete compared with other places, so it makes sense that those places have better regs in this context as well.

That being said, I'm not sure breaking it up would help any, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that they require both directions to be unpowered before freight proceeds.

As far as I know, you are right about electric freight in North America. I will say that I suspect there probably is some oddball system somewhere, but basically none.

(02-25-2020, 01:38 AM)taylortbb Wrote: The original system design had three tracks, with the freight one having a crash wall separating it from the LRV tracks. Basically Transport Canada wants LRVs to be safe even if a freight train derails, and they're not rated for that kind of impact. Perhaps they use the station as a pseudo crash wall, providing isolation between LRV and freight.

(02-25-2020, 09:16 AM)ijmorlan Wrote:

(02-25-2020, 01:38 AM)taylortbb Wrote: The original system design had three tracks, with the freight one having a crash wall separating it from the LRV tracks. Basically Transport Canada wants LRVs to be safe even if a freight train derails, and they're not rated for that kind of impact. Perhaps they use the station as a pseudo crash wall, providing isolation between LRV and freight.

You might be right about the pseudo crash wall. I never thought of that.

But what is certain is that this sort of paranoia is completely unnecessary for this particular line. Even if the freight were to derail, which is unlikely on the high-quality, constantly-maintained LRT tracks, at the speeds it goes on this line it would just settle down onto the ballast and sit there, not tip over or send trucks flying across the neighbourhood or into the path of an LRV.

(02-25-2020, 09:48 AM)trainspotter139 Wrote: When reverse running on the northbound track the crossover for LRVs to rejoin the southbound track is further south of the crossover used by CN freight trains. There would be an exclusive interlocking block that spans both switches and well past them in both directions that can't be occupied by an LRV if the freight train is using freight crossover or the switches won't operate. 

(02-26-2020, 01:03 AM)Bob_McBob Wrote: Tonight's run:

22:58 Control mentions the freight train will be coming through in 7 minutes.

23:10 Control tells 508 (just departing Conestoga) they will be crossing over at Northfield and reverse running to Bauer (the crossover just before Erb and Caroline).

23:13 Line services confirms derail deactivation.

23:16 512 arrives at Waterloo Public Square and asks Control to "cancel the gate" (e.g. allow them to proceed) but Control tells them CN freight will be passing through imminently and they will have to wait.

23:23 Control tells 508 (now at Laurier-Waterloo Park) "you will have aspect at Bauer 2 Sierra crossing over southbound".

23:26 512 is cleared to depart Waterloo Public Square (10:44 behind schedule), right after 508 reaches Willis Way after crossing back over.

23:26 Control warns 506 (just departing Conestoga) they will be held at Northfield.

23:30 506 is held at Northfield.

23:35 506 is simultaneously cleared to proceed southbound from Northfield (5:47 behind schedule) as 512 arrives northbound, meaning CN freight is no longer on the line.

So it would seem reverse running southbound or regular running northbound while CN freight is on the spur line isn't an issue, which explains how an LRV was able to pass it last night. Most of the delay is just waiting for CN freight to get past the derail and interchange as well as ION only having access to a single track for both directions. This can impact up to 4 LRVs if the timing is bad because of all the various holds involved.

(02-26-2020, 08:23 AM)ijmorlan Wrote: 23:16 - I wonder where 508 was when 512 asked to proceed immediately? I can’t tell for sure but it’s entirely possible 508 was already in the single-track segment, meaning somebody would have to wait because of the single track, never mind the freight crossing through Uptown.

23:35 - 506 went on the usual southbound track? I’m just wondering because if 512 had arrived northbound, 506 could have reverse-run on the northbound track.

(02-26-2020, 11:26 AM)Bob_McBob Wrote:

(02-26-2020, 08:23 AM)ijmorlan Wrote: 23:16 - I wonder where 508 was when 512 asked to proceed immediately? I can’t tell for sure but it’s entirely possible 508 was already in the single-track segment, meaning somebody would have to wait because of the single track, never mind the freight crossing through Uptown.

23:35 - 506 went on the usual southbound track? I’m just wondering because if 512 had arrived northbound, 506 could have reverse-run on the northbound track.

At 23:16, 508 was just crossing over to reverse run at Northfield, so 512 wouldn't have been able to use the regular northbound track, and I assume the other track was locked out for CN. At 23:35, 506 departed Northfield using the regular southbound track just as 512 arrived on the regular northbound track, so CN must have already switched to the third track and crossed Northfield. I've prepared a highly technical diagram for other people who want to visualize this sequence of events. It would be neat to see this kind of pass in person but it's a total crapshoot what happens every night.