ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Pheidippides]

The "snake" curing tent came down from King to about Cora's restaurant.

The street lighting has been transferred from the wooden poles on the east side of king between willis and William. The wooden poles remain for now, but only a matter of time before they are gone. I am not sure I like the black bulbous fixtures on the matte grey catenary poles.

[timc]

Last time this talk came around, someone said it takes less space to build two side platforms than it does to build one centre platform with tracks on either side.

And, if the schedule has variations throughout the day, then might there be overlap during transitional times where there are two trains at the platform?

[timc]

The "snake" curing tent came down from King to about Cora's restaurant.

The street lighting has been transferred from the wooden poles on the east side of king between willis and William. The wooden poles remain for now, but only a matter of time before they are gone. I am not sure I like the black bulbous fixtures on the matte grey catenary poles.

Those lights will be replaced as part of the UpTown Streetscape project, right? I mean, it did originally begin as a project to upgrade the street lighting.

Edit: I guess that project is actually north of where you were talking about, so I guess they may or may not be replaced.

[Viewfromthe42]

Last time this talk came around, someone said it takes less space to build two side platforms than it does to build one centre platform with tracks on either side.

And, if the schedule has variations throughout the day, then might there be overlap during transitional times where there are two trains at the platform?

In our minds, we can imagine a center platform with rails on either side or a central rail pair with platforms on either side as being relatively similar in size. The issue would likely be once you get out of that area. If you have central rails, they are already at the correct spacing right outside of the platform area, and you can drop in a standard crossover. If you have central platform, then you need to travel a certain distance before the outside rails can get close enough to each other to be at the correct rail-to-rail distance. At that point you can drop a crossover down, but you have chewed up extra side space leading up to that point from the rails having to come back together, and extra length because they need to come back together before you can drop in the crossover before you can start to have the rails turn. Both the extra width and extra distance before you could have the rails turn (in this case, to S-turn over onto King Street) would likely be why we have a rails-in-center platform at this location.

[Square]

The "snake" curing tent came down from King to about Cora's restaurant.

The street lighting has been transferred from the wooden poles on the east side of king between willis and William. The wooden poles remain for now, but only a matter of time before they are gone. I am not sure I like the black bulbous fixtures on the matte grey catenary poles.

I agree about the fixtures. I think this is only done in Uptown Waterloo.  I don't even think the bulbs are LED.

[Canard]

I caught up with our first train again this evening in London, Ontario!  It's spending the night at the Quebec St. Yard.

   

   

   

(Photos taken from public property, here: https://goo.gl/maps/M2WKdqH3efJ2 )

[Rainrider22]

I caught up with our first train again this evening in London, Ontario!  It's spending the night at the Quebec St. Yard.

Wow   who saw that coming,  London !!!





(Photos taken from public property, here: https://goo.gl/maps/M2WKdqH3efJ2 )

[KevinL]

The little things that you gradually notice - like the red-ring opening buttons on the doors.

Great stuff, thanks again for your dedicated tracking work, Iain!

[Canard]

It'll be leaving London around 11am, and I think it's going next to the yard in Galt. I'd imagine it'll spend most of the day making its way up to the yard at Lancaster, or maybe by the VIA station. That's where the switch is to head up the Waterloo Spur.

[KevinL]

Might it spend time at Block Line? That's the end of the CPR run, if I read the map from earlier correctly.

[Canard]

Yes, I believe so!  The big yard there, visible from the Block Line bridge, just off of Courtland.  I think that's where CP's delivery will end, and the GEXR engine would take over:

   

(This is a screenshot from this website: https://rac.jmaponline.net/canadianrailatlas/ )

[Pheidippides]

The "snake" curing tent came down from King to about Cora's restaurant.

The street lighting has been transferred from the wooden poles on the east side of king between willis and William. The wooden poles remain for now, but only a matter of time before they are gone. I am not sure I like the black bulbous fixtures on the matte grey catenary poles.

I agree about the fixtures. I think this is only done in Uptown Waterloo.  I don't even think the bulbs are LED.

It is this style light, but in pairs, on on each side of the pole:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.4622504,-...312!8i6656

[KingandWeber]

The "snake" curing tent came down from King to about Cora's restaurant.

The street lighting has been transferred from the wooden poles on the east side of king between willis and William. The wooden poles remain for now, but only a matter of time before they are gone. I am not sure I like the black bulbous fixtures on the matte grey catenary poles.

Those lights will be replaced as part of the UpTown Streetscape project, right? I mean, it did originally begin as a project to upgrade the street lighting.

Edit: I guess that project is actually north of where you were talking about, so I guess they may or may not be replaced.

Yeah I think they're installed on Caroline as well now so I assume they're permanent. 

And Pheidippides, I agree with you and I was just thinking that the other day when I saw them. The fact they poles and lights are two different colours and styles just looks extremely awkward.

[timc]

But aren't those just the same light fixtures that were there before?

[Pheidippides]

But aren't those just the same light fixtures that were there before?

They are the same fixtures that were on the west side of King, but these were on the east side:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.4621721,-...312!8i6656

The difference is that previously they were mounted on a similarly styled and coloured pole. Now they are mounted on the smooth, grey, catenary pole.

The same fixtures appeared near the Allen stop as that stretch was completed, but I think they were mounted on the black poles like the old ones were. I'll have to check today.