ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[KevinL]

Speaking of odd sightings on a cold day like today, I spotted the Harsco tamper just off Wilson Ave behind the Shoppers Drug Mart. The lights were on and engine was running.

[chutten]

Out of all the photos I've captured over the last couple of years of construction, I think this is my favourite.

Looks like an enemy from a post-apocalyptic video game. I mean, look, his backpack even highlights the weak spot!

[Pheidippides]

Kitchener glass was on site this morning at Allen station and was working around the anchor wall. I'll try to stop by later today to see if they made any progress.

[Canard]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hi <a href="https://twitter.com/Canardiain">@Canardiain</a>, got this from my brother working at BBD, seems like your cool Waterloo prototype tram in their Kingston shop. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/railfan?src=hash">#railfan</a> <a href="https://t.co/lsM0xV3b5h">pic.twitter.com/lsM0xV3b5h</a></p>&mdash; JacquesLandry (@Jacques_Landry7) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jacques_Landry7/status/811082950708174848">December 20, 2016</a></blockquote>

[jeremyroman]

They've installed the TPSS on Waterloo St. now. It seems like they had some trouble getting it across the tracks at Duke, but it's now been lifted into place.

Photos: https://goo.gl/photos/EFPgzgyBC5HKMK8RA

[drum118]

The first car is to show up in Feb or March, but until the testing is done on it, hard to say when the others will roll in, other late this year. It will be over a 3-4 month time frame when they start rolling.

Look for a public viewing of the car after it arrives. What Place would be a good location for the viewing of the car??

[KevinT]

They've installed the TPSS on Waterloo St. now. It seems like they had some trouble getting it across the tracks at Duke, but it's now been lifted into place.

Photos: https://goo.gl/photos/EFPgzgyBC5HKMK8RA

It took me a while to figure out where this was, street view to the rescue!

I'm guessing this block of Waterloo Street is to become pedestrian access only to the new transport hub?  On satellite view it doesn't appear that there's nearly enough space between the private garage (green) and the curb (let alone the sidewalk!) to squeeze in a TPSS with all the required access clearances.

Thanks for sharing!

[jeremyroman]

I'm guessing this block of Waterloo Street is to become pedestrian access only to the new transport hub?  On satellite view it doesn't appear that there's nearly enough space between the private garage (green) and the curb (let alone the sidewalk!) to squeeze in a TPSS with all the required access clearances.

I believe they purchased some of the private property, but since it closed at the railway tracks (you already cannot go through to Victoria), it wasn't useful as a thoroughfare anyhow. I believe they intend to maintain access to Google's loading dock, and possibly add a pedestrian walkway to the transit hub, but if you're in a car it already doesn't lead to much else.

http://mhbpna.blogspot.ca/2016/03/waterl...pdate.html has a diagram, though I believe the final configuration may depend on what they decide about pedestrian access to the transit hub.

[Canard]

Yeah, the last public consultation was all over the place here about what they were going to end up doing. Bridges, tunnels, etc. - it was all on the table, but depends on what ends up happening with the Transit Hub.

[Canard]

I won't dignify it with a link, but CTV Kitchener's annual top-10 countdown thing they do each year has LRT Construction as No. 10 - with nothing but bitching about the dome, OMSF fire, and Corduroy Road. Then they go on to say the trains are "delayed until 2018". Morons...

[ert86]

I won't dignify it with a link, but CTV Kitchener's annual top-10 countdown thing they do each year has LRT Construction as No. 10 - with nothing but bitching about the dome, OMSF fire, and Corduroy Road.  Then they go on to say the trains are "delayed until 2018".  Morons...

The guy said he has done all kinds of concrete pours in the winder, but he failed to mention if he has done a major pour like that.  Also, this is K-W so a top 10 list can be hard to make, maybe a top 5 would be better.

[KevinL]

Speaking of domed-over winter concrete pours, looks like the embedded curve at Mill and Ottawa has started going in. Quite an impressive tent over it.

Oh, and the southbound track is now fully exposed and I believe I saw deck plates going in.

[Canard]

Kevin, are you part of the Facebook group? Shel lives right at the corner there and has some great shots of the tent at Mill/Ottawa.

[ijmorlan]

The first car is to show up in Feb or March, but until the testing is done on it, hard to say when the others will roll in, other late this year. It will be over a 3-4 month time frame when they start rolling.

Look for a public viewing of the car after it arrives. What Place would be a good location for the viewing of the car??

They could include it in an OMSF tour, or they could park it in the station at Waterloo Town Square. I think that would be cool because it would be almost exactly where the mockup parked when it was in Waterloo. I remember being there the morning it left and as the truck pulled it out into King St. they stopped traffic for a couple of minutes. I joked to the Regional staffer that “LRT is snarling traffic already”. I’m pretty sure they understood I was joking…

[Canard]

As per staff at the OMSF Open House, whatever trains are here by the time they do the next Open House (sometime in 2017), will be on display.

I wish they'd somehow be able to have a "test ride weekend" with boarding at one of the stops along the spur, but probably can't do that for red tape reasons. Vancouver did this with SkyTrain.