ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[kitborn]

Tying keys to the construction fences? What do you mean by that, keys to what?

I'm getting worried about the lack of security around Victoria and Waterloo. It's not just once that the gates have been left open and driven through on Victoria, with cars trying to get from the Waterloo side to the Joseph side of Victoria. They also wind up in the construction area where the old Momentum Developments showroom was, not sure how much danger or safety is there. The new one was last night when I saw a car all but crossing the tracks at Waterloo, since the gates were wide, wide open there. I know it's unlikely that the fences will ever be fully secure, and GrandLinq probably doesn't care about how many people lift the fences off their pegs and walk through, but in certain areas if they can do this and make it seem like a driveable passage, it's quite dangerous to the oblivious or frustrated motorist.

This absolutely irritates me. There is no reason to make such a dangerous act to save time. I've seen way too often people driving around barriers and closed road signs. I remember a car driver driving around a barricade just after tar was put down on a street. The tar was still wet and it splashed along the bottom of his new car. The roads are closed for a reason.

[Canard]

I've seen so many pedestrians cutting and jogging through the construction zones it's ridiculous. Running along the tracks through Waterloo Park... There are going to be trains flying through here in a few months! People have no respect for safety.

[MidTowner]

I remember a car driver driving around a barricade just after tar was put down on a street. The tar was still wet and it splashed along the bottom of his new car. The roads are closed for a reason.

That made me smile... Yes, they're closed for a reason, and it's utterly silly to try to gamble what the conditions beyond a closure may be in order to save a minute or two.

I can't understand the people who actually walk or jog along the tracks, either. What's the point? On the Spur Line, some people still walk along the tracks even though there's this beautiful newly-paved path just for them to use. Yes, I get it that trains are only there overnight, but why do these people not make it their best practice to just never be on train tracks? What's the appeal?

[Canard]

I absolutely shake my head at that every time. One of these days, I'm going to take a nice picture of that and tweet it to their Twitter account. It's often that I can see the perfect shot framed up right with the sign in the foreground...

It's just baffling.

At any rate, I suppose that's more for the "Walking in Waterloo" thread...

This week's been crazy for me - I haven't been able to get out at all along the line. Missing out on all the fun.

[Viewfromthe42]

I think the reason (which I don't agree with) for people to jog not on the Spur Line Trail but on the tracks themselves is that runners often complain that asphalt/sidewalk is not comfortable to run on, whereas dirt/gravel is more comfortable, due to give.

[Canard]

Just a quickie (was out testing my new bike rack!):

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sunset at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OMSF?src=hash">#OMSF</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/Grandlinq">@Grandlinq</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rideIONrt">@rideIONrt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TramWorld">@TramWorld</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WRConnected">@WRConnected</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wrLRT?src=hash">#wrLRT</a> <a href="https://t.co/AthLbSvaN1">pic.twitter.com/AthLbSvaN1</a></p>&mdash; iain (@Canardiain) <a href="https://twitter.com/Canardiain/status/759191570293919744">July 30, 2016</a></blockquote>

A couple of notes:

• Incredible progress along Northfield and King in front of Conestoga Mall. Track is either laid out, ready for embedding or completed all the way from the Northfield Station to Conestoga terminus! Crews were out working at 9pm still tonight. Gave 'em a wave and they waved back
  
• At least one of the new dwarf signals was on tonight - at R+T park! I think they indicate which direction the Gauntlet Track switches are set to.
  
• All the lights were on on all the OMSF buildings. I'm not normally up at dusk/night, so maybe this is usual - but it sure looked great.
  
• People sure are rude driving through the Northfield/King intersection. While turning South from Northfield onto King, I should have had the right-of-way when the light was green, but cars heading West, turning South kept coming and turning left in front of me. I finally had to lay on the horn and flash my high beams to get people to stop and yeild!
  

[Waterlooer]

Thanks for the update, Canard! When is the first test vehicle expected to arrive? I forget if it's in October or December of this year.

[KevinL]

I was also out this evening! First, a couple bits from Frederick:

Not sure if this Hydro vault is still active, or will be removed. If it remains, the platform may be built over part of it...


Supplies marshalled on Benton.


Then, at Charles and Stirling, the signals are in an interesting state. Northbound and eastbound, it's still the temporary hardware on wires and wood poles...


...but westbound and southbound (not pictured), it's the new permanent metal-pole hardware up and running.

[KevinL]

But most of my exploration was on Ottawa.

From the Iron Horse trail, up towards Charles.


The Schneider Creek bridge. The high curb here is interesting - which side will the tracks be on?




Towards Courtland. In decent shape, but still lots of work to be done.


Beyond Courtland, however, is a bit more of a Wild West. No clear walking paths, just a general open central roadway for all traffic, vehicular or pedestrian. Almost a temporary woonerf.

[KevinL]

And the cap of the evening, the Mill intersection.

Looking north on Mill across the future Ottawa intersection.


The relocated freight line has its road decking nearly complete. (It still uses creosoted wood ties, for the record.)


Looking east along Ottawa, from Pattandon.


Northeast along the Mill 'kink'.


Southwest, toward Ottawa.


Looking south on Mill, at the start of the 'kink'.

[Canard]

Thanks for the update, Canard! When is the first test vehicle expected to arrive? I forget if it's in October or December of this year.

We'll get our first train here in Waterloo in December. Will be by Millhaven this weekend -but I don't think any of the 3 first trains have left Thunder Bay (for Millhaven) yet.

Thanks for the update, Kevin.

[Canard]

1/3 - Friday, July 29, 2016

   
Here are a couple of shots from the future Allen station area.  When this man saw me taking the photo, he jumped into frame and "posed".  

   
Looking South along King; that's Union in the foreground.

   
Looking back North, at the Allen station platform.  The rails now in place were the ones they pulled last Sunday morning.

   
The new tracks are now fully laid (and connected) through Erb/Caroline.

   
Another Dwarf signal - this time at University of Waterloo. These are everywhere there is a gauntlet track switch; probably to indicate the position of the switch. I'll get to those black squares between the rails in a moment.

[Canard]

2/3 - Friday, July 29

   
Looking North along the spur from Columbia. I originally thought the black squares were track detectors...

   
...but they're not. They are electrical connections - you can see the grounding connection that completes the circuit for the catenary. Those are some thick wires!

   
R&T Park station.  Look at that!  One of the new dwarf signals is illuminated.

   

   
Discovered this little outcropping/overlook of the R+T Park station.  I have a feeling when vehicle testing and burn-in begins, I'll just set up my lawn chair here.    Of note:  The pathway over to the Philip side seems to be just about complete - just not connected.  That building on the far side is a prime location!

[Canard]

3/3 - Friday, July 29

   
The former staging area just East of the tracks at Seagram is now being converted into a parking lot, to replace the one that will be removed on the other side of the tracks. They moved fast here!

[Canard]

GrandLinq brings in specialized crews from U.S. as rails gets welded in place - The Record

Love the photo!