ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[jeffster]

The artists had Block Line in mind, the art committee decided to put it at Kitchener Market.

The artist is smart. She knows very well that her artwork will be destroyed within a week of installation. Nothing special should be done with Market.

[Canard]

...or maybe they realized there’s already a mural there, and the art would be better served somewhere else. 

I can’t believe how harsh and judgemental people are of that area. We all share this little ball of dirt we call home.

[Canard]

A pair of LRV’s is at Central Station, for some testing on the hill between Wellington and Victoria!

Two more are cycling on the more Northern part of the alignment.

So much activity!

[tomh009]

The artists had Block Line in mind, the art committee decided to put it at Kitchener Market.

The artist is smart. She knows very well that her artwork will be destroyed within a week of installation. Nothing special should be done with Market.

The mural on Charles has not been destroyed ...

[Spokes]

A pair of LRV’s is at Central Station, for some testing on the hill between Wellington and Victoria!

Two more are cycling on the more Northern part of the alignment.

So much activity!

Two LRVs together at the same time.  That's a sight that I'm guessing we won't see often.

[KevinT]

A pair of LRV’s is at Central Station, for some testing on the hill between Wellington and Victoria!

Two more are cycling on the more Northern part of the alignment.

So much activity!

Heard that on the radio and did a quick pit stop at Sixo on my drive in to work to catch 509 dragging 508 up the hill, then as I carried on I was lucky enough to pass 506 transiting the Green (KCI) crossover with 507 waiting its turn another half a block up the road.  I really ought to get me a dashcam...

[KevinL]

Only the lead LRV was powered, it was a tow test on the hill.

[Spokes]

Are there scenarios where they'd have to tow each other?

[jason897]

Are there scenarios where they'd have to tow each other?

In the event of a breakdown

https://twitter.com/mrjasonli/status/104...8284741633

[jeffster]

A pair of LRV’s is at Central Station, for some testing on the hill between Wellington and Victoria!

Two more are cycling on the more Northern part of the alignment.

So much activity!

Two LRVs together at the same time.  That's a sight that I'm guessing we won't see often.

Yep..today was the first time I saw the Ion, and they had two of them together, so it was a pretty unique site. I would have snapped a photo but being the police cars around, plus I was driving...

[Canard]

You've seen ION for years; yesterday was just the first time you saw an LRV. 

1/2 - Friday, September 28, 2018

   

   

   

   

   

[Canard]

2/2 - Friday, September 28, 2018

   

   

   

   

   

[Spokes]

Great shots Canard!

LOVE that picture in front of the Google office

[Pheidippides]

Yes, great pictures.

So in normal paired service both pantographs would be up, but because it was a towing test only one was up?

I forgot to mention that my son noticed that a number of the ticket vending machines are powered up (and displaying an error message that we couldn't read while driving by).

[Canard]

So in normal paired service both pantographs would be up, but because it was a towing test only one was up?

That's what we're thinking. In normal service, the pantograph is designed so that it can supply enough current for one LRV's worth of motors + accessories. The only signals going back and forth in the electric portion of the Scharfenburg coupler (the bits on the sides) are digital control signals. Those signals are what are used to synchronize the control system for the motors for both vehicles, for example, so they're operating exactly in unison. The loads on the coupler are thus minimized.

The testing on the hill was acceleration and deceleration testing for Bombardier qualifications and it is believed one vehicle was inert. Lowering the pantograph may have been done to "guarantee" there was no faking it out.

I forgot to mention that my son noticed that a number of the ticket vending machines are powered up (and displaying an error message that we couldn't read while driving by).

That's a great observation!