01-03-2020, 08:13 AM
I just remembered I wanted to post an observation. I have noticed in recent weeks that southbound LRTs slow to a crawl roughly in front of the Perimeter Institute. Not just slowing a bit ahead of the Erb/Caroline intersection, but slowing down to probably a slow jogging pace way back from the intersection. Anyway, I was on the LRT yesterday, and it seems the slowing is ahead of the facing-points freight crossover. We actually sped up slightly once past the switch before arriving at the Erb/Caroline intersection.
Now I need to watch to see if northbound trains slow ahead of the switch, although I don’t recall seeing that. Has anybody else observed crawling ahead of facing-points switches elsewhere? I believe the only other locations with facing-points switches would be the double crossovers at the ends of the line and a couple near the OMSF.
I hope this is a temporary condition related to some issue with that particular switch. That being said, it seems weird — the switch only moves for freight traffic, so it shouldn’t be moving at all between the freight train leaving in the early morning and the next one coming late in the evening. So they ought to be able to verify that it is positioned properly and then lock it in that position for the day.
Now I need to watch to see if northbound trains slow ahead of the switch, although I don’t recall seeing that. Has anybody else observed crawling ahead of facing-points switches elsewhere? I believe the only other locations with facing-points switches would be the double crossovers at the ends of the line and a couple near the OMSF.
I hope this is a temporary condition related to some issue with that particular switch. That being said, it seems weird — the switch only moves for freight traffic, so it shouldn’t be moving at all between the freight train leaving in the early morning and the next one coming late in the evening. So they ought to be able to verify that it is positioned properly and then lock it in that position for the day.