ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

People have to have something to hate, something to bitch about, something to put others down in order to feel better about themselves. It’s pathetic, and sad.

[jeffster]

People have to have something to hate, something to bitch about, something to put others down in order to feel better about themselves. It’s pathetic, and sad.

And not helpful. I wonder why the artist doesn't have cartoons of the money being blown to have a GRT bus route going to Elmira?

[taylortbb]

People have to have something to hate, something to bitch about, something to put others down in order to feel better about themselves. It’s pathetic, and sad.

And not helpful. I wonder why the artist doesn't have cartoons of the money being blown to have a GRT bus route going to Elmira?

I think they've complained about that too. As far as I can tell they're one of those people that thinks everyone should just drive everywhere, and can't understand why anyone ever does anything else.

[Bob_McBob]

I wonder why the artist doesn't have cartoons of the money being blown to have a GRT bus route going to Elmira?

Well...



"2+2 is 4 (and double), but Woolwich residents are interested in the math that doesn’t add up when it comes to another bus route: 2 x $500,000."

[KevinT]

People have to have something to hate, something to bitch about, something to put others down in order to feel better about themselves. It’s pathetic, and sad.

I nominate Woolwich.  :-)

[timc]

I think the cartoons are funny.

[Canard]

I think only 514 is out today.

[drum118]

Dec 29
Watching out the window as we had Lunch, I said to the other haft "I wonder if they are testing cars today" as we were heading home. No sooner I said that, an LRV show up heading for Fairway Station. It was follow by another LRV some time later. As I drove to the station, another LRV was there and started to move as I near the station.

Parked the car and head to the platform with hope of another LRV showing up. 5 minutes later, 502 was to arrive at the station. Talking to the driver, he said it was the last run for the year.

One thing I noticed that I haven't seen before was a large flashing light as the crossing gates came down and became solid once the gates were down. The LRV crawl up to the road until the light became solid.

As the LRV was departing the station, the same flashing light, but stay that way as a fool driver fail to stop before the gates to the point it landed on its roof. After a few seconds, the fool driver drove cross the tracks and the flashing light became solid.

I also noticed a number of other changes from Highway 8 to Fairway Station that weren't done when I was last there.
https://youtu.be/Blj62mShDcY

[drum118]

Dec 29
Watching out the window as we had Lunch, I said to the other haft "I wonder if they are testing cars today" as we were heading home. No sooner I said that, an LRV show up heading for Fairway Station. It was follow by another LRV some time later. As I drove to the station, another LRV was there and started to move as I near the station.

Parked the car and head to the platform with hope of another LRV showing up. 5 minutes later, 502 was to arrive at the station. Talking to the driver, he said it was the last run for the year.

One thing I noticed that I haven't seen before was a large flashing light as the crossing gates came down and became solid once the gates were down. The LRV crawl up to the road until the light became solid.

As the LRV was departing the station, the same flashing light, but stay that way as a fool driver fail to stop before the gates to the point it landed on its roof. After a few seconds, the fool driver drove cross the tracks and the flashing light became solid.

I also noticed a number of other changes from Highway 8 to Fairway Station that weren't done when I was last there.
https://youtu.be/Blj62mShDcY
https://youtu.be/O3TCwpHxz9w

[Canard]

They call the white light which faces the operators a "Lunar". It flashes when the crossing system is activated, and changes to solid once the barriers are down and in place. This lets the operator know that the crossing is secure and they may proceed. This is a modern-day, more informative equivalent to the small window in the side of older railway lamps, which expose the bulb to the train driver so they can see that it is illuminated as they approach.

At some crossings, and under certain conditions, operators are requested to treat the crossings as "Island Only" - meaning there is a problem with the detection circuit, and they are to approach slowly and active the crossing via the redundant inductive loops right at the crossing itself. This is not normal practice and will be rectified before the start of service.

Your second video illustrates my first point; the operator would have seen the vehicle in place, radioed to Control that there has been an incident, and mid-conversation would have let Control know that the driver passed through. The Lunar continued to blink because the far crossing gate could not descend to the lowered position. They take a description of the vehicle and make a record of it. If the vehicle had not moved, the LRV operator would have indicated if the "Swept Path" was clear, and if it was, would have been instructed to proceed with caution using the horn and a speed limit (usually 10 km/h, I believe).

The changes to Fairway Station are for a future bus terminal and (very small) Park-and-Ride lot; it was done as a separate Regional project. The only changes still to come to Fairway are the installation of a giant art installation, consisting of two, very plump, birbs.

Happy for you that you had a positive visit to Waterloo Region this time!

[ijmorlan]

At some crossings, and under certain conditions, operators are requested to treat the crossings as "Island Only" - meaning there is a problem with the detection circuit, and they are to approach slowly and active the crossing via the redundant inductive loops right at the crossing itself.  This is not normal practice and will be rectified before the start of service.

I’m curious why it is called “Island Only”. And just to be clear, do I understand correctly that this refers to a situation in which the only train detection is right at the crossing, meaning the train has to creep up near the crossing, activate it, and then wait for it to be activated before proceeding, rather than the usual situation where the crossing is activated in time for the train to continue through at speed?

Also it seems weird that the road crossing has gates, while the next crossing, right near the station platforms, seems to have only flashing lights.

[panamaniac]

They call the white light which faces the operators a "Lunar".  It flashes when the crossing system is activated, and changes to solid once the barriers are down and in place.  This lets the operator know that the crossing is secure and they may proceed.  This is a modern-day, more informative equivalent to the small window in the side of older railway lamps, which expose the bulb to the train driver so they can see that it is illuminated as they approach.

At some crossings, and under certain conditions, operators are requested to treat the crossings as "Island Only" - meaning there is a problem with the detection circuit, and they are to approach slowly and active the crossing via the redundant inductive loops right at the crossing itself.  This is not normal practice and will be rectified before the start of service.

Your second video illustrates my first point; the operator would have seen the vehicle in place, radioed to Control that there has been an incident, and mid-conversation would have let Control know that the driver passed through.  The Lunar continued to blink because the far crossing gate could not descend to the lowered position.  They take a description of the vehicle and make a record of it.  If the vehicle had not moved, the LRV operator would have indicated if the "Swept Path" was clear, and if it was, would have been instructed to proceed with caution using the horn and a speed limit (usually 10 km/h, I believe).

The changes to Fairway Station are for a future bus terminal and (very small) Park-and-Ride lot; it was done as a separate Regional project.  The only changes still to come to Fairway are the installation of a giant art installation, consisting of two, very plump, birbs.

Happy for you that you had a positive visit to Waterloo Region this time!

The other art project at Fairway, the ceramic "textile" panels that are now to be installed on the drivers' shed, is also still pending, although I don't know if that drivers' building is part of Ion or part of the bus terminal.  I understand that  the artists have been ready and waiting to install for some time, but the delay is on the other side.

[trainspotter139]

They call the white light which faces the operators a "Lunar".  It flashes when the crossing system is activated, and changes to solid once the barriers are down and in place.  This lets the operator know that the crossing is secure and they may proceed.  This is a modern-day, more informative equivalent to the small window in the side of older railway lamps, which expose the bulb to the train driver so they can see that it is illuminated as they approach.

At some crossings, and under certain conditions, operators are requested to treat the crossings as "Island Only" - meaning there is a problem with the detection circuit, and they are to approach slowly and active the crossing via the redundant inductive loops right at the crossing itself.  This is not normal practice and will be rectified before the start of service.

Your second video illustrates my first point; the operator would have seen the vehicle in place, radioed to Control that there has been an incident, and mid-conversation would have let Control know that the driver passed through.  The Lunar continued to blink because the far crossing gate could not descend to the lowered position.  They take a description of the vehicle and make a record of it.  If the vehicle had not moved, the LRV operator would have indicated if the "Swept Path" was clear, and if it was, would have been instructed to proceed with caution using the horn and a speed limit (usually 10 km/h, I believe).

The changes to Fairway Station are for a future bus terminal and (very small) Park-and-Ride lot; it was done as a separate Regional project.  The only changes still to come to Fairway are the installation of a giant art installation, consisting of two, very plump, birbs.

Happy for you that you had a positive visit to Waterloo Region this time!

The other art project at Fairway, the ceramic "textile" panels that are now to be installed on the drivers' shed, is also still pending, although I don't know if that drivers' building is part of Ion or part of the bus terminal.  I understand that  the artists have been ready and waiting to install for some time, but the delay is on the other side.

it's part of the bus terminal

[kitborn]

Spotted a train in front of the former St. Jerome's College. 

   

[urbd]

Spotted a train in front of the former St. Jerome's College. 

The past and the future - what a great photo, thanks for sharing!