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ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit
I'm surprised they don't build the vehicles with split axles and either differential gearing or two smaller motors per (split) axle instead of one big one.

Edit to add:. I've seen the explanation videos that show why the tapers on the wheels mean that differentials aren't needed for rail vehicles, but the noise seems to tell a different story.
...K
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I guess the tapered wheels only work to a point? The subway in Toronto is basically a conventional train design, and it makes a tonne of noise on the sharp curves into and out of Union Station.
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Correct, taper only works to a point.

Vienna has Siemens-built Ultra-low-floor LRV’s (the only ones in the world), and they do this. The motors are all servos, and the inboard and outboard ones vary their speed in curves. Vienna hates them, though, because they can’t manually tow them if the control system is off, without them derailing! Bombardier just started delivering new LRV’s to replace them... with conventional axles.

   
Photo Credit: Paul Bigland.  You can see the individual wheel + gearbox + servo arrangement mounted upright between the modules.

The reason FLEXITY Freedom has standard axles is because it lowers the cost and means they can use off-the-shelf bogie components. It’s one of the only 100% LF designs that makes use of a standard axle. Other LFLRV’s use gearboxes and additional dive shafts at a lower centre to allow the passageway above.

   

Quote:It runs on BOMBARDIER* FLEXX* Urban 3000 bogies
that were specifically developed for this 100% low-floor
vehicle, featuring conventional axles with primary and
secondary suspension elements. A hydraulic load-leveling
system that adjusts to boarding platforms completes the
design.

Quote:Bombardier was the first in the industry to combine 100%
low-floor technology with conventional wheel-set bogies.
Besides making low-floor entrances and easier passenger
access possible, this leading-edge technology gives the
FLEXITY Freedom ultra-smooth running qualities.

   
Bogie from one of Toronto's FLEXITY Outlook LRV's; this bogie is virtually identical to ours, albeit a little wider.  Photo credit: me!
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1/2 - Thursday, June 14, 2018

Dynamic Load Testing Day!  Today, LRV 505 was out, fully loaded up, going through the various curves at the system at progressively higher speeds - even higher than the design limits for each of the curves!  Super cool!

I caught up with it at William, where they went back and forth about 6 times or so while I was there, before heading back up to the OMSF.   There, they did the same thing through the wye - at up to 18 km/h (posted 10 km/h).

While in UpTown Waterloo, I saw lots of scares, and chatted a bit with the Police.  The crew triggered the Emergency Stop on the LRV once, when heading Southbound through the curve and a motorist went to turn right on red.  This wasn't entirely their fault, because the traffic signal folks had not manually activated the "NO RIGHT TURN/TRAIN" sign.  Still, police gave them a very stern warning!

Another close call was a group of cyclists who were heading Northbound on King, while the train headed South.  They decided to squeeze up past the line of cars waiting at the red on William, on the right side - right where the train was coming.  A lot of screaming and waving of arms happened, before the LRV flew past them with them leaning and hunched over cars.  This is bad.  Don't do this.

Some peekchures...

   

   

   

   

   
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2/2 - Thursday, June 14, 2018

   

   

   

   

   
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Speeding LRV! I guess this is an analogue to why being an aviation test pilot is dangerous.
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Nice shots
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Thanks!

Question: on the radio, they talk to WRPS and refer to them as “Paid-Duty Officers”. Why is that?

My guess was to discriminate between regular officers, and the ones that are specifically requested to help out with testing? ie so a bunch of regular police don’t show up to an intersection to protect it?

It’s just weird to me because... everyone is paid to do their job. I’m a “Paid-Duty Mechanical Designer” but that’s not what my business card says Smile
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Consider it like being contracted out during regular hours. The police officer still gets paid by the region, but Grandlinq has to pay the Region for the officer's time because they are removing them from their normal duties and the Region has to fill that time with someone else.
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(06-16-2018, 09:39 AM)Canard Wrote: Thanks!

Question: on the radio, they talk to WRPS and refer to them as “Paid-Duty Officers”. Why is that?

My guess was to discriminate between regular officers, and the ones that are specifically requested to help out with testing? ie so a bunch of regular police don’t show up to an intersection to protect it?

It’s just weird to me because... everyone is paid to do their job. I’m a “Paid-Duty Mechanical Designer” but that’s not what my business card says Smile

The Paid-Duty Officers are typically called in for overtime and use whatever spare cruiser they have in the garage (like the Pride cruiser).
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My question though is, like, why specifically do they call them that on the radio?

I’m paid too, and so are all GrandLinq employees. But they don’t call them “Paid LRV Operators”. So is my assumption correct it’s just to differentiate between normal police and those who are working for that day for GrandLinq?
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I've always had the impression that "paid duty" is not referring to the police officer receiving pay, but rather to the fact that the third party hiring the officer from the police service is required to pay for those services.
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(06-16-2018, 01:50 PM)Canard Wrote: My question though is, like, why specifically do they call them that on the radio?

I’m paid too, and so are all GrandLinq employees. But they don’t call them “Paid LRV Operators”. So is my assumption correct it’s just to differentiate between normal police and those who are working for that day for GrandLinq?

https://www.wrps.on.ca/en/services-repor...ficer.aspx

They're hired officers. For some reason, I doubt this is "over-time" but may fall under some other employment agreement.

I am guessing you're correct when saying that it is to differentiate between regular police services versus privately paid officers.
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At least in most cities, a "paid duty officer" is an off-duty officer (ie outside normal working hours) that is contracted out to provide some kind of private services outside normal policing duties. They probably get paid overtime rates as the hourly rates are quite high ($70 or thereabouts).
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Ok, but you get why I’m asking right? It’s just weird they don’t just say “Carl can you protect the intersection?” They always say “Paid-Duty Police Officers, please protect the Wilson Intersection”. Like it’s VERY CLEAR that they are being paid.

I fully understand that they’re paid separately or whatever, it’s just the fact that they announce it over and over that I find odd.
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