GO Transit

[Canard]

Pics pics pics!!!!!!

[KevinL]

Pics pics pics!!!!!!

A bit late, but finally got this from a friend online:

[Viewfromthe42]

The driver was probably trying to avoid turning right onto Gaukel, and right onto Charles (Charles was closed), but got too clever in trying to avoid going onto Joseph from Gaukel.

[panamaniac]

The driver was probably trying to avoid turning right onto Gaukel, and right onto Charles (Charles was closed), but got too clever in trying to avoid going onto Joseph from Gaukel.

The former driver, surely.  

[danbrotherston]

The driver was probably trying to avoid turning right onto Gaukel, and right onto Charles (Charles was closed), but got too clever in trying to avoid going onto Joseph from Gaukel.

The former driver, surely.  

While this may very well be the case, I do feel badly for the driver, I have no doubt this is their worst fear, and no doubt is an impact on their livelihood.

I've seen my fair share of what I consider bad transit drivers, the vast majority are quite good, and turning down the wrong aisle is no guarantee of them being the former, if anything given that the bus isn't wedged half way through suggests they weren't traveling too fast which is my top complaint about GO Transit drivers.

[Markster]

Ah, of course. Charles was closed. That would explain why the bus did something unexpected. They had to improvise something, and picked poorly.

[ijmorlan]

Ah, of course. Charles was closed.  That would explain why the bus did something unexpected.  They had to improvise something, and picked poorly.

Just to be clear, I’m not ragging on the driver here. I’m wondering, however, how it came to be that they were improvising? They go to extreme lengths to avoid those buses going on un-vetted routes, to the point that I thought I heard they have a GPS-connected disabling feature — they literally can’t be driven except on approved routes (presumably through the wrong lane of the terminal is too close for it to identify).

My point is, the whole organization should know they can’t improvise. Did they just not know about the Charles closure, or was there some other communication breakdown that led the driver to try to find their own route?

[plam]

Ah, of course. Charles was closed.  That would explain why the bus did something unexpected.  They had to improvise something, and picked poorly.

Just to be clear, I’m not ragging on the driver here. I’m wondering, however, how it came to be that they were improvising? They go to extreme lengths to avoid those buses going on un-vetted routes, to the point that I thought I heard they have a GPS-connected disabling feature — they literally can’t be driven except on approved routes (presumably through the wrong lane of the terminal is too close for it to identify).

My point is, the whole organization should know they can’t improvise. Did they just not know about the Charles closure, or was there some other communication breakdown that led the driver to try to find their own route?

I've definitely been on GO buses that have improvised. Was taking an early-morning 25 being driven by a relief driver and he didn't quite know the way to one of the stops. (Unfortunately I gave him bad directions).

[taylortbb]

The original GO double deckers were well over standard truck height and had the GPS disabling features, but I don't think we've ever seen any in Waterloo. They were restricted to a small number of routes. That looks like one of the ultra low double deckers, which are standard truck height and much less restricted. I'm guessing they don't have the GPS features, or generally as careful planning.

[KevinL]

Upgrades to the Stouffville line (goes through Scarborough and Markham) are now sufficient that all-day service was announced to start June 26. https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2017/06/a...-line.html

[DHLawrence]

Glad to see more all day service coming, especially on weekends. As someone who's stood on a crowded platform on home game days for the Jays, Leafs, and Raptors, anything that disperses the crowd a bit is a smart move.

[Elmira Guy]

Province eyes hydrogen fuel cells for electrified GO trains

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/mobile/provi...-1.3460735

[danbrotherston]

Province eyes hydrogen fuel cells for electrified GO trains

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/mobile/provi...-1.3460735

Lol, hydrogen powered trains would be no more electrically powered trains than diesel trains already are, which is to say, diesel trains are electric trains.

The issue with hydrogen is where to get it.  Electrolysis with water isn't particularly efficient, and extracting it from hydrocarbons kinda defeats the clean energy purpose.

I guess it has the potential to reduce point source emissions....but really, expensive as it is, electric catenary powered trains work just fine the world over.

[Canard]

Province eyes hydrogen fuel cells for electrified GO trains

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/mobile/provi...-1.3460735

Very interesting!

I think the thing most of the Debbie Downers miss about this is that using Hydrogen is simply a different kind of battery for energy storage. If they go with Alstom, it's an entire system. Alstom provides the electrolysis facilities at the OMSF, which simply convert electricity to hydrogen (albeit a little more inefficiently than direct-contact OCS transfer). The train converts the hydrogen back to electricity. It's just a battery that gives you a much larger range than other types.

[jamincan]

Does anyone know what sort of efficiency loss there is using hydrogen fuel cells?