ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

I agree it's appropriate - was just noting I had never seen them before in Ontario, that I could remember. We were driving down King the other day when I first noticed them - since it was something so unusual to my mind, they instantly stood out.

[neonjoe]

There actually a Michigan Left on Homer Watson for people who have come out of the KFC. But it is painted as a left turn.

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Homer+W...80.4612759

[KevinL]

I knew that they were anticipating u-turns along here, but 1) I was not expecting dedicated lanes and 2) did not expect those markings.

[trainspotter139]

Standard markings for a Michigan Left used to be a Left Turn Arrow more recently though they have been painting them with U-Turn Arrows.

[Canard]

Where are other examples of lane-painted U-turn arrows?

[Canard]

I think I spotted another overheight detector (completed) and derailler on the Northern end of the Waterloo Spur. I have to admit, it had never occurred to me that there would be one up here, but I guess it makes sense that they'd need one!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I think this is the overheight detector on the Waterloo spur at the North end. Actually never occurred to me that would be one here. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wrLRT?src=hash">#wrLRT</a> <a href="https://t.co/0TFFBipk76">pic.twitter.com/0TFFBipk76</a></p>&mdash; Iain Hendry (@Canardiain) <a href="https://twitter.com/Canardiain/status/894565417900965888">August 7, 2017</a></blockquote>

The archway for the detector along the Spur Line trail is still just foundations, although there's a plinth for where the control box will be situated now as well.

[ijmorlan]

I think I spotted another overheight detector (completed) and derailler on the Northern end of the Waterloo Spur.  I have to admit, it had never occurred to me that there would be one up here, but I guess it makes sense that they'd need one!

I have to say this feels like overcaution to me. The track is a dead end: how could an overheight load get up there? Only by coming up through Waterloo. Nobody is going to accidentally load a large tank (say) from Chemtura on a Schnabel and bring it down through Waterloo. Still it’s cool to see the equipment going in. Do you have any idea how the detector actually works? I’m guessing it’s some sort of presence detector, rather than “an overheight load will destroy the gantry”.

[Canard]

I have to say this feels like overcaution to me. The track is a dead end: how could an overheight load get up there? Only by coming up through Waterloo. Nobody is going to accidentally load a large tank (say) from Chemtura on a Schnabel and bring it down through Waterloo.

You say that, but it could happen! And so, it must be accounted for. An overheight load would destroy the OCS, as well as pose a huge safety concern.

Still it’s cool to see the equipment going in. Do you have any idea how the detector actually works? I’m guessing it’s some sort of presence detector, rather than “an overheight load will destroy the gantry”.

I too am curious what the sensing technology is. Hanging horizontal bar with a limit switch? Through-beam photo sensor? It has to be robust and able to handle the weather.

Next time I'm driving up there I'll poke around and see if I can't figure out how to get to the existing gantry setup - or bring my 600 mm and just take the same shot from Northfield.

[trainspotter139]

I have to say this feels like overcaution to me. The track is a dead end: how could an overheight load get up there? Only by coming up through Waterloo. Nobody is going to accidentally load a large tank (say) from Chemtura on a Schnabel and bring it down through Waterloo.

You say that, but it could happen!  And so, it must be accounted for.  An overheight load would destroy the OCS, as well as pose a huge safety concern.

Still it’s cool to see the equipment going in. Do you have any idea how the detector actually works? I’m guessing it’s some sort of presence detector, rather than “an overheight load will destroy the gantry”.

I too am curious what the sensing technology is.  Hanging horizontal bar with a limit switch?  Through-beam photo sensor?  It has to be robust and able to handle the weather.

Next time I'm driving up there I'll poke around and see if I can't figure out how to get to the existing gantry setup - or bring my 600 mm and just take the same shot from Northfield.

Typically the sensors work on infrared beams. anything that breaks the beams would be a defect. they use the gantry to mount a set of vertical and horizontal sensors to detect overheight and overwidth cars. overheight would hit the OCS; overwidth won't fit in the gauntlet track clearance envelope.

[ijmorlan]

I have to say this feels like overcaution to me. The track is a dead end: how could an overheight load get up there? Only by coming up through Waterloo. Nobody is going to accidentally load a large tank (say) from Chemtura on a Schnabel and bring it down through Waterloo.

You say that, but it could happen!  And so, it must be accounted for.  An overheight load would destroy the OCS, as well as pose a huge safety concern.

I think it is far more likely that an oversize road-based load will take out some OCS than that a train from the north will do so. Actually I think an oversize road-based load is more likely than a train from the south, but even more so than a train from the north.

I too am curious what the sensing technology is.  Hanging horizontal bar with a limit switch?  Through-beam photo sensor?  It has to be robust and able to handle the weather.

Exactly the same horizontal bar that goes on some parking garage entrances, hooked up to some sort of motion sensor to detect the horizontal bar being hit by the load. I just like the idea of the same black-and-yellow striped bar getting shoved by the train.

Or build an enormously strong concrete arch exactly the size of the loading gauge. Any train can pass, but any part that doesn’t fit gets broken off or bent to fit the envelope.

[JoeKW]

You say that, but it could happen!  And so, it must be accounted for.  An overheight load would destroy the OCS, as well as pose a huge safety concern.

I think it is far more likely that an oversize road-based load will take out some OCS than that a train from the north will do so. Actually I think an oversize road-based load is more likely than a train from the south, but even more so than a train from the north.

I too am curious what the sensing technology is.  Hanging horizontal bar with a limit switch?  Through-beam photo sensor?  It has to be robust and able to handle the weather.

Exactly the same horizontal bar that goes on some parking garage entrances, hooked up to some sort of motion sensor to detect the horizontal bar being hit by the load. I just like the idea of the same black-and-yellow striped bar getting shoved by the train.

Or build an enormously strong concrete arch exactly the size of the loading gauge. Any train can pass, but any part that doesn’t fit gets broken off or bent to fit the envelope.  

That reminds me of the guards in front of the Victoria Bridge in Montreal (although not concrete):
https://goo.gl/maps/FvBvQQ7Z83w

[trainspotter139]

Where are other examples of lane-painted U-turn arrows?

US Route 17 in North Carolina has a number of U-turn locations with lane-painted U-turn arrows here are a few:

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/34%C2%B...-78.094862

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/34%C2%B...-78.247452

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/34%C2%B...-78.247452

[rangersfan]

Has anything been announced stating when track testing will commence?

[timio]

Has anything been announced stating when track testing will commence?

No, but according to Bombardier, Metrolinx LRV 2 can move under it's own power.  So there's that.

[Canard]

Exactly the same horizontal bar that goes on some parking garage entrances, hooked up to some sort of motion sensor to detect the horizontal bar being hit by the load. I just like the idea of the same black-and-yellow striped bar getting shoved by the train.

No, I guess what I'm getting at is, yeah, I could have guessed it might be like that too - but we don't know the exact type of sensor they're using. I was wondering if someone did - I don't recall ever seeing a setup like this anywhere in the world that I've ridden trains. I design automation - I know sensors.