ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Canard]

Headline isn’t correct - it’s just to Conestoga today.

Pics and videos to come later tonight when I have time to edit.

[Viewfromthe42]

If it's being towed, is there a reason they can't strap cameras in each end of the train, and one pointed at the train from the tower's perspective? I would *LOVE* to see those strapped into a 3 of 4 quadrant YouTube video for the whole line.

[Canard]

What’s a 3 or 4 quadrant video?

[Pheidippides]

Launch data is slipping later in to spring...
Galloway said he is "cautiously optimistic" the trains will be in full-fare service by June. 

[timc]

Since "late spring" meant "July" for the King Street opening, June still sounds pretty early.

[danbrotherston]

Launch data is slipping later in to spring...
Galloway said he is "cautiously optimistic" the trains will be in full-fare service by June. 

Is this really 'slipping'.  I think "June" might still qualify as "Spring" by regional project completion standards.

[Pheidippides]

Of course I am hopeful that they will surprise us and keep to the early spring committment, but yes it still feels optimistic.

It was just the first time I've seen/heard a councilor/the region/grandlinq say something other than "May 1" or late spring.

[Canard]

Some video I shot this morning of the first part of the Pull-Through (couldn't stay for the whole thing):

[trainspotter139]

Some video I shot this morning of the first part of the Pull-Through (couldn't stay for the whole thing):

I like that cute little pedestrian gate 

[chutten]

My wife was heading home along Bearinger this evening and the gates were down and lights flashing. No train or personnel were in evidence. So after four minutes of waiting she pulled a U-turn and went home along Columbia.

I thought the testing was from the OMSF to Conestoga and back, so this was confusing.

I am just glad they're experiencing these bugs in the system before there are passengers aboard the LRVs.

[Bob_McBob]

Ion begins testing light rail vehicles over entire route

Anyone who's got into the habit of parking on the tracks will have to find somewhere else to park, since there's now the very real possibility that a train will be coming along those tracks. Bylaw officers will be enforcing the parking ban more strictly; vehicles parked on tracks will be towed and subject to a $40 fine.

Each of the 14 cars must log 600 hours of operation on the system before it's deemed ready for service, so more and more cars will be going up and down the tracks over the next few months, Galloway said. Bombardier is completing one new vehicle about every 15 days, he added.

[Canard]

I'm really curious if it's 600 km or 600 hours. That's a big difference!

(and I'm actually excited if it's 600 hours - because that almost guarantees lots of OT and weekend/night runs for burn-in, when I'm selfishly far more likely to be able to watch!)

[Bob_McBob]

I assume that's either a misquote or just a flub from Galloway. The project agreement is quite specific about the burn-in test parameters.

3 Burn-In Tests

3.1 Upon successful completion of the Acceptance Tests, the Vehicle shall start the Burn‐In Test to
be conducted by the Region and the Vehicle Supplier, with operational support from Project Co
utilizing the Test Track and any other available track.

3.2 The 600 Km “Burn‐In Test" will be run on each Vehicle prior to final acceptance and shall be
free of class A, B, and C failures, as generally defined below; the only permissible fault shall be
of class D:
(a) Rescue towing/pushing is required ‐ Failure Mode Category A = Severe vehicle
impairment
(b) Out‐of‐service to carhouse ‐ Failure Mode Category B = Vehicle impairment
© In service to end of the line ‐ Failure Mode Category C = Minor vehicle impairment
(d) In service to end of the day ‐ Failure Mode Category D = No vehicle impairment

3.3 The test shall simulate revenue service, to the extent reasonably possible, and include regular
cycling of doors, PA announcements, and automatic passenger announcements, PEI operation,
radio communication as well as any other feature normally encountered in revenue service. Such
simulation may include manual activation of certain features. In the event that the A, B, and C
fault‐free continuous 600 km is not achieved the “burn‐in” will be repeated until the requirement
is met.

3.4 Upon successful completion of the Burn‐In Test, the Vehicle shall be eligible for issuance of a
Vehicle Final Acceptance Certificate.

[Canard]

1/2 - Thursday, January 11, 2018:

What an awesome day - finally got to see some movement out along the line up-close!

   
Crew gathering in the yard, B-MAXI L moving away, and Trackmobile powered up... all good signs!

   
Heading South of the switch, first.

   
Speaking of the Trackmobile - it's put on some serious weight!

   
View from Northfield.

   
At Northfield, a lucky person got to jump inside and power up the LRV! It was fun to watch - the destination board briefly scrolled through IP addresses and other unintelligible text... but after a few moments, it went clear and "502" popped up in the smaller route display at the base of the windscreen!

[Canard]

2/2 - Thursday, January 11, 2018:

   
Before too long, it was finally time to head out into the real world.

   
Waterloo Regional Police Service was on hand to help manage traffic. It was interesting to see that only the Eastbound lanes of traffic were stopped with the railway arms - I can't think of any other place I've ever seen that where only half of the crossing arms come down. It makes perfect sense, but in my mind, I guess I'd just always pictured that "all" traffic would be stopped, here.

   
Heading across Northfield.

   
Best job in the world right now!

   
Approaching Colby/Conestogo.

I couldn't stick around for the rest of the afternoon (I do have a job besides getting excited about LRT, if you can imagine ), but I understand that 502 was pulled up and down twice (both NB and SB tracks) before returning to the yard later in the afternoon.