ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Square]

I think Kitchener Hydro is rebuilding the vaults, last time I walked by. Must be a big job, not reopening till May 26th.

[Canard]

Correct, it's Kitchener Hydro work.  Closed about a month ago:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/RadagastWiz">@RadagastWiz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Canardiain">@Canardiain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CTVKitchener">@CTVKitchener</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WR_Record">@WR_Record</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/570NEWS">@570NEWS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/570traffic">@570traffic</a> Yes. The work will support ION. <a href="https://t.co/O5hu1Cl0FA">https://t.co/O5hu1Cl0FA</a></p>&mdash; KWHydro (@KWHydro) <a href="https://twitter.com/KWHydro/status/830473677967880193">February 11, 2017</a></blockquote>

1/3 - Saturday, March 4, 2017

   
The track on the Southbound alignment seems to be connected under the long hoarding tent; rails on the Northbound alignment are getting ready to go.

   
The contact wire for the run Charles/Borden Southbound has been strung.

   
Platform speakers at Northfield.  The platforms for the Waterloo Spur stations need to be completed before LRV's can use the test track, so there's currently a big push to get them wrapped up.

   
Cameras, platform speakers...

   
Does anyone have any ideas what these could be for?

[Canard]

2/3 - Saturday, March 4, 2017

   
Northfield platform details, continued.

   

   
King Street Grade Separation, from the North Side.

   

   
Looking back North, toward Wellington.

[Canard]

3/3 - Saturday, March 4, 2017

Just for the sake of discussion... one of the areas where the Aspect Signals are very close to the line-of-sight of a pedestrian heading South on Charles.

   

   

[danbrotherston]

Does anyone know why they appear to have transit signals on both the near and far side of intersections?

[KevinT]

Department of Redundancy Dept.

[timc]

2/2 - Monday, February 27, 2017


[i]I think this photo shows best the articulation configuration of the train - Modules A, B and C are rigid in Roll and Pitch, and only articulate in Yaw. Same between D and E. The interface between module C and D is articulated in both Yaw and Pitch. (There is no roll axis between any of the modules - which is why the entire line is configured without superelevation/banking on any of the curves.)

I'm sure it shows it well, but I don't know which modules are which. So... which one is A, B, C, D, and E?

[Canard]

A is the first, E is the last - just count from one end. You can't really tell which one is A or E until the train goes over a vertical curve.

Then if you see a lump of 3 cars, then a kink, then 2 cars... the front of the lump of 3 is "A".

Another way to think of it: the 5-module LRV is really a 3-module LRV with a "trailer".

[isUsername]

Does anyone know why they appear to have transit signals on both the near and far side of intersections?

The far side signal can be blocked by cross traffic, so a near side signal is needed, but the near side signal is probably perpendicular to the driver and can't be seen once stopped at the intersection. It's the same reason why all LRT road crossings have three traffic lights instead of the normal two.

[timc]

A is the first, E is the last - just count from one end. You can't really tell which one is A or E until the train goes over a vertical curve.

Then if you see a lump of 3 cars, then a kink, then 2 cars... the front of the lump of 3 is "A".

Another way to think of it: the 5-module LRV is really a 3-module LRV with a "trailer".

So, in the picture you posted, "A" is at the left end, and "E" is at the right end?

Is the seven-module configuration set up as 3-2-2 or 2-3-2?

[Canard]

In the photo I posted, A would be furthest away, and E closest, yes:

   

So, to recap:

A-B: Yaw
B-C: Yaw
C-D: Yaw & Pitch
D-E: Yaw

7-module is 3-2-2; you can see the pitch articulations here pretty clearly, between C-D and E-F:

   

I feel like on the 7-module one, there must be a Roll axis in there somewhere - it's too long of a sausage to be totally rigid that way (frame stresses and all).  I'll have to watch some more videos to see if I can spot any movement.

(The nomenclature for the modules might vary from operator to operator.  I read through some of the maintenance manuals at the Leslie Barns open house for the TTC's new FLEXITY Outlook LRV's, and that's what it was in the manuals from Bombardier.)

[KevinL]

I feel like I've had my understanding shattered - I honestly believed these trains would be perfectly symmetrical (with no defined 'front' or 'back').

It makes sense, though, to only have one such joint in this sort of vehicle, so I suppose I'll just have to lump it.

[Canard]

Sorry Kevin! It has to be this way, though, because the bogies in modules A, C and E can pitch relative to the module itself. If there was a pitch axis between modules B and C, module C would be undefined, and it would just flop forward or backward. The configuration they are in makes for a fully-defined kinematic system.

...20 years as a roller coaster enthusiast has taught me a lot about segmented vehicle articulation.

[Viewfromthe42]

Now I'm curious how the travel speeds would have been affected had we had roll, and been able to even gently bank corners. Then again, the "smooth ride" selling point might have been moot if any noticeable banking took place. I'm always just a bit shocked and saddened at the quantity of really low speeds on the route, feel like I never see anything outside of 10-30kph.

[Coke6pk]

How will the tracks crossing the roadway before/after underpass be controlled for vehicle traffic? Similar crossovers elsewhere are in intersections, and controlled by the lights... I really hope there are not gate arms here......

Coke