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(12-02-2017, 06:40 PM)Canard Wrote: (12-02-2017, 05:15 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: I was at UW the other night and the flashers at the gates on campus were going for a while with no train in sight and the gates not lowered. The signs say they are non-functional, are they testing or was it just an error?
I was waiting at Erb/Caroline, and this thing went through (making an illegal left) - and the lights and bells went off! I have no idea how that's possible unless it was just a total random fluke. I laughed, though.
What’s the definition of “bus”, as in “buses excepted” on the no-left-turn sign at that intersection? 
I agree, I don’t see how that could set off any railway protection equipment. Even the “no turn, train” signs I would expect to need more metal than would be present in a little cart like that.
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12-02-2017, 07:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-02-2017, 07:38 PM by Canard.)
Someone on twitter wondered if perhaps it was the horses’ shoes, conducting between both rails through their bodies? Seems like a bit of a stretch, but if only a little bit of current is required...
(Hey, I’m mechanical, not electrical!)
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(12-02-2017, 07:38 PM)Canard Wrote: Someone on twitter wondered if perhaps it was the horses’ shoes, conducting between both rails through their bodies? Seems like a bit of a stretch, but if only a little bit of current is required...
(Hey, I’m mechanical, not electrical!)
I can’t imagine much current is needed. Certainly the two rails can’t possibly be at a significant voltage difference to each other.
Did they activate fully and for a noticeable period of time, or just blink briefly? Of course I also don’t know how the activation actually connects to the devices — I wonder what happens if the track circuit is completed briefly? I can imagine that maybe the arms would start to drop and then immediately rise up again, essentially just jerking a bit; or maybe the way it works is that it always activates fully when the circuit is completed, then after a timeout deactivates. I’ve never experimented with a 5' length of wire and a low-traffic crossing.
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Activation was about 7-10 seconds - the arms didn't come down. I had just pushed record on my phone but they stopped, otherwise I would have had a video of it.
I would not recommend performing your proposed experiment.
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(12-02-2017, 10:00 PM)Canard Wrote: Activation was about 7-10 seconds - the arms didn't come down. I had just pushed record on my phone but they stopped, otherwise I would have had a video of it.
I would not recommend performing your proposed experiment.
No, I’m not planning to mess around with railway infrastructure in that fashion. If I did, I would pick some out-of-the-way spur that definitely does not have train controls signals where there would be no traffic, rail or road, to confuse, and probably no control room that might wonder where the ghost train is appearing from. For example, the Waterloo Spur before the LRT construction began.
Do you happen to know if the arms come down for the freight when it goes through? I’m interested that it was several seconds. I can’t see how the horse theory could give several seconds of contact unless they stopped on the tracks standing just so.
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They did stop, ahead of the stop bar, waiting to turn left. Who knows, something else might have blipped it at just the same time, or there might have been some chain hanging down.
Yes, the arms go down when freight goes through - you can see it on Mark's video from our bike chase when 502 arrived.
There is some non-zero delay from when the lights and bells go off to the arms going down.
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12-03-2017, 01:42 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-03-2017, 01:43 PM by Canard.)
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John Gazzola wrote in the Kitchener Citizen about a 2nd meeting to discuss the Traynor-Fairway LRT Crossing happened yesterday. Did anyone know about it?, if so, any new things to report? Thank you.
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(12-03-2017, 10:22 PM)Square Wrote: John Gazzola wrote in the Kitchener Citizen about a 2nd meeting to discuss the Traynor-Fairway LRT Crossing happened yesterday. Did anyone know about it?, if so, any new things to report? Thank you.
Sam Kamminga has posted some updates on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/samuel.kamminga...1256972517
It's a really good location they've proposed. I hope they can make it happen soon.
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Behind Part Source! Definitely ideal, that's right across Fairway from Food Basics.
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(12-03-2017, 11:10 PM)KevinL Wrote: Behind Part Source! Definitely ideal, that's right across Fairway from Food Basics.
Looks like a good choice. I still say there should also be one between Michael’s and Swiss Chalet also. That would divide the stretch approximately equally into 3, and that location would also link to a traffic light on Fairway. The fact that it doesn’t have as direct a connection to roads on the north side is irrelevant; people can find their way onto the path via their own routes, and then use the official crossing to cross the tracks.
And a path on the south side of the tracks would improve the situation even more, because properties on Fairway Rd. could have back entrances onto that path. I’m not sure if there is enough space however.
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Yeah, there should totally be a MUT on both sides of Fairway.
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(12-04-2017, 08:13 AM)Canard Wrote: Yeah, there should totally be a MUT on both sides of Fairway.
Do you mean both sides of the LRT?
Both sides of Fairway would also be nice, but I was talking about the LRT.
Paths on both sides would increase the impact of even a small (even just 1) crossing of the tracks. Most trips across the tracks probably go along the tracks as well. As long as there is a crossing somewhere along the portion of the route that goes parallel to the tracks, there is no (significant) extra distance imposed by the tracks.
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