ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[GtwoK]

To be completely honest, I'm kind of glad it's not happening. I like the idea of a train proximity indicator on the station, but a pulsating logo is the tackiest thing I could imagine.

[Square]

The BRT in Cambridge was suppose to have this feature also. Don't think those stations/shelters have it working either.

[Square]

More LRT news : https://www.kitchenerpost.ca/news-story/...tion-woes/
$5 million dollars? Wow! Valumart?

[Viewfromthe42]

I know where I'll be trying to buy my next bike from!

[trainspotter139]

That's not even close to the reason why it's not happening.  Your technical explanation of why it's hard doesn't hold water.  Just have a trigger point ~30 seconds upstream and program into the Anchor Wall's PLC (yes, there's one at the base)  to ramp a PWM profile for the light up, or down, on a timer.  It might reach full brightness 3 seconds early - who cares.

As I have said before the reason why it is not happening is not technical in nature.

But it is technical in nature. Trigger points are only accurate enough when a train is expected to travel uninterrupted. Therefore, the trigger points would only be accurate enough on sections of ballasted track. Because the embedded sections have bar tram signals that don't have 100% guaranteed priority, one train could trip a trigger point only to be stopped at the next tram signal and be stopped for a period of time, while another could trip that same trigger point and have vertical aspect signals all the way to the station. For this reason, the solution that is much more suitable for our system is Digital Addressable Lighting Interface, where the lights can be accurately controlled from a central location like the OMSF using accurate train location information. If the system were 100% grade separated then the old school PLC methods would be adequate. Grandlinq already considered their options for this feature and based on the reasoning given, they seem to have settled on the type of system that I myself would use for this purpose. The controllers for such a system are much more expensive than a simple PLC and the programming for such a system is much more complex however the results are much more accurate and much more suitable for a modern transit system in a high-tech area. This feature could have been implemented already but due to vehicle delays testing and implementation of the feature would run past the construction deadline.

[Canard]

I guess it's just impossible. You've figured it out! Cancel the project.

[ijmorlan]

That's not even close to the reason why it's not happening.  Your technical explanation of why it's hard doesn't hold water.  Just have a trigger point ~30 seconds upstream and program into the Anchor Wall's PLC (yes, there's one at the base)  to ramp a PWM profile for the light up, or down, on a timer.  It might reach full brightness 3 seconds early - who cares.

As I have said before the reason why it is not happening is not technical in nature.

But it is technical in nature. Trigger points are only accurate enough when a train is expected to travel uninterrupted. Therefore, the trigger points would only be accurate enough on sections of ballasted track. Because the embedded sections have bar tram signals that don't have 100% guaranteed priority, one train could trip a trigger point only to be stopped at the next tram signal and be stopped for a period of time, while another could trip that same trigger point and have vertical aspect signals all the way to the station. For this reason, the solution that is much more suitable for our system is Digital Addressable Lighting Interface, where the lights can be accurately controlled from a central location like the OMSF using accurate train location information. If the system were 100% grade separated then the old school PLC methods would be adequate. Grandlinq already considered their options for this feature and based on the reasoning given, they seem to have settled on the type of system that I myself would use for this purpose. The controllers for such a system are much more expensive than a simple PLC and the programming for such a system is much more complex however the results are much more accurate and much more suitable for a modern transit system in a high-tech area. This feature could have been implemented already but due to vehicle delays testing and implementation of the feature would run past the construction deadline.

Anything related to construction schedule makes no sense as a reason not to do it. The system clearly could open without the pulsating logos and the feature could be added later. One person said something about how long to develop the control software. That doesn’t make sense either. Again, the system could open without the feature and then it could be switched on once the software is ready. Use one or two stops for testing the partially complete software.

But apparently the actual reason is some sort of state secret which however is permitted to be known by certain posters, so who knows what’s really going on.

[trainspotter139]

The latest edition of Region News features these little informational and safety tidbits. http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/region...ow-res.pdf

   

   

[tomh009]

The Victoria Park station anchor wall is starting to look like its immediate surroundings: indistinguishable and without life. Depending on what happens at that corner, this will be one heck of a gateway to Carl Zehr Square and Victoria Park.

Does brown mean it's indistinguishable and without life?  Looking at the under-construction anchor wall, I think it will actually look quite good when it's done.  But then I do appreciate nice grained stone, like they are using here.

   

[darts]

More LRT news : https://www.kitchenerpost.ca/news-story/...tion-woes/
$5 million dollars?  Wow! Valumart?

From the article:

“Filing for compensation would be like suing myself with my own tax dollars. It’s not the answer.”

Well put! In addition,  I have, and will continue to patronize that Bike shop.

Because they aren't suing? They said they weren't just because they didn't think it would go anywhere.

[trainspotter139]

The open house featuring the Ion LRT train is on April 8 from 1 to 5 p.m. at 518 Dutton Dr. in Waterloo.
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/7180...n-april-8/

[Pheidippides]

Does anyone know why exactly there needed to be full closures along King in Uptown this week? In four days I have seen very little work that would warrant a full closure. The most extensive work I have seen is what seems to be the installation of the GRT bus shelter pads. The businesses must be so frustrated to see it closed and apparently so little work being done. Same with the GRT detour to Father David Bauer instead going straight up Caroline; little work to-date that would warrant such a big detour.

[Square]

^^ Agree.

[ijmorlan]

Does anyone know why exactly there needed to be full closures along King in Uptown this week? In four days I have seen very little work that would warrant a full closure. The most extensive work I have seen is what seems to be the installation of the GRT bus shelter pads. The businesses must be so frustrated to see it closed and apparently so little work being done. Same with the GRT detour to Father David Bauer instead going straight up Caroline; little work to-date that would warrant such a big detour.

I agree that it doesn’t seem much is happening. I did notice a narrow strip dug out all the way across the road just north of the spur line tracks on King St. But that could have been handled by closing half of the road at a time and using steel plates to cover the open part. The actual underground work might have needed a closure all at once across the width of the road. I have mixed feelings — on the one hand, I can see the merit in just closing fully and doing all the work without messing around with closing one half then the other and using plates and carefully scheduling all the work, on the other hand I question whether the closure needed to be as many days as it has been.

I’m more interested in just what it was they need to do. Did they make mistakes, or do certain things need to be done later for some reason?

[timc]

It looked to me like they had work that didn't get done because there was a hurry to get King Street open last year. But I haven't seen anything that required a full closure for two weeks.