ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Pheidippides]

I have trouble believing the February 15 date, wouldn't have had to have left the factory already to arrive by that date?

I think someone on here said it would take about 2 weeks to arrive from Thunder Bay.

[Canard]

Why hard to believe? That's how the Toronto LRV's get delivered. Leave TB on a Sunday night, show up in Toronto Monday or Tuesday.

They don't take 2 weeks.

[Viewfromthe42]

If we have two pantographs, I'm sure they'll arc backwards towards the power lines. Otherwise, they'll use one. One is cheaper to make, identifies the orientation of the train immediately, but when traveling in one direction, the friction of contact pulls the pantograph up into the contact wire, whereas the other direction friction releases pressure from the pantograph. Running in both configurations might prematurely wear out the pantograph and/or wire. Were they to always run Fairview to Conestoga in one orientation, and Conestoga to Fairview in the other, the one in which friction pulled the pantograph into the contact wire would likely see the contact wire wear out sooner than in the other direction of travel.

[Pheidippides]

I found the reference, it was myself after talking with Kim Moser at the OMSF open house. She told me it would take two weeks from the time the first LRV was finished to the time it was in to the OMSF partly because it has to switch to the GEXR line.
http://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/s...2#pid29642

The other reason to think the 15th is unlikely is the @rideIONrt said themselves that it would be late February (I guess technically the 15th is in the later half of February but I think most would consider that mid-February).

[Canard]

So you're saying it takes 1-2 days to get from Thunder Bay to Toronto (as proven by every FLEXITY Outlook delivery) and then 12 days to get from Toronto to here?

I don't buy it. If the 15th turns out to be true, thats a Wednesday. All signs point to it departing on Sunday the 12th, arriving in Toronto on the 13th or 14th, getting here on the 14th and spending a night in the yard before moving up the Spur on the 15th.

[Canard]

Also: so much misinformation on that thread on UT my head hurts. I remember now why I deleted my account there. Train 1 is coming from Thunder Bay. Trains 2-14 are being built in Millhaven.

[timio]

This community is much smaller than ut and more focussed.  If it were larger, I would expect the same amount of misinformation here too.

It's a community of armchair experts who don't always see the latest news.  Take the info with a grain of salt.

[Coke6pk]

So I noticed when they were testing some crossing gates a while back, there was a white flashing light facing the tracks (picture of non-operating crossing below).  

I am assuming it is a safety feature to warn LRT operators of a crossing, but I've never seen this on a typical railway crossing.  Any ideas?

   

Coke

[Canard]

It's exactly that! It confirms that the signals are working for the operator. I spoke with some of the crews this summer at University when I noticed the same thing. Another first for Ontario. I haven't noticed them on any US systems but there are at least a few in Europe that have this. I think it's a great idea.

[jordan2423]

So how long are our LRT trains going to be? 3 or 5 carts?

[KevinL]

We will have 5-segment trains, as will Toronto's Eglinton line. Edmonton's Valley line will actually have 7-segment trains.

The 3-segment configuration has been advertised by Bombardier but I don't know of anywhere they actually are intended to be used.

[nms]

If you look at some of the existing heavy rail signals, you'll notice a teeny, tiny (relative to the size of the box) white light that flashes when the lights and bells are ringing.  This light points down the track so the engineer knows that the signals are working from a distance.  If the lights are not working, then it is up to the engineer to reduce their speed accordingly and to take the necessary precautions to make sure that they are able to safely cross the tracks.  In the worst case, the train would stop, the conductor would dismount the train and stop traffic before the engineer began to move the train through the crossing.  I'm not sure what the protocol would be if the signals stopped working while the LRT was in service.  Would the LRV have to wait for a police officer or some other GrandLinq official to stop the road traffic before proceeding?

[Canard]

The little white light you're talking about - it's like a "window" into the side of the two red lamps, right?



This happened recently and is really rare - signal failure... but the results are nevertheless catastrophic.

[nms]

The little white light you're talking about - it's like a "window" into the side of the two red lamps, right?



This happened recently and is really rare - signal failure... but the results are nevertheless catastrophic.

Yes. From my time driving, depending on the daylight or other weather conditions it was often difficult to see whether the lights were working.  Presumably with the arms going down it should be better, and the big light will make it easier.

[KevinL]

  I'm not sure what the protocol would be if the signals stopped working while the LRT was in service.  Would the LRV have to wait for a police officer or some other GrandLinq official to stop the road traffic before proceeding?

I imagine it would depend on the traffic conditions and the actions of the drivers on the cross-street. If it's obvious the signals are out (power failure, etc) and the drivers are proceeding cautiously, the LRV driver may just need to sound a horn, etc. and proceed with caution themselves. If not, then yes, they may need assistance like you describe.