GO Transit Fleet Equipment and other

[Milaisacat]

LOL old guy bragging rights - once upon a time, TTC/GCL augmented local school boards' bus fleets with chartered end-of-life coaches fitted with School Bus signs. Summer Parks and Rec programs, also.

My Grade 5-6 diet included Cancars, Twins, GM Old Looks, and (once) a PD-4104.

Uphill, both ways.

- Paul

Semi-related senior millennial bragging rights - in Vancouver, when the 99 B-Line express bus service was first launched in the late 90s, Translink, which was brand new, didn't really have enough buses to cover the new service. So they leased/bought a bunch of ancient buses from transit agencies in the Seattle region. For several months, I rode old GM fishbowl buses with a Seattle Metro Transit livery before Translink's first order of New Flyer 60' DLF buses began rolling out in a special 99 B-line Translink livery.

 

[APTA-2048]

Certainly I remember some open compartments on some vehicles, but from what I remember (at least in Greyhound's case) some of those vehicles were newer American coaches that were transferred to Greyhound Canada.

I'm not sure where/when the legislation was in place, but i'm 90% sure there was something in place in the past (if it still isnt in place today).

The MCIs from the 1970s and early 1980s definitely had open racks. The MCIs from the late 1980s and 1990s probably had enclosed racks (I’d have to check the photo I took). The 2006 MCIs Greyhound Canada bought new in 2006 definitely had open racks. I rode them a lot to Cambridge and Kitchener when they were new.

 

[drum118]

I'm talking about the overhead inner baggage compartment, not the luggage compartment on the underside of coaches.

Thanks... I cannot recall when I last rode an GO MCI bus or recall the overhead compartment. Never been on Greyhound or other intercity buses to know what they look like inside..

 

[Bordercollie]

The MCIs from the 1970s and early 1980s definitely had open racks. The MCIs from the late 1980s and 1990s probably had enclosed racks (I’d have to check the photo I took). The 2006 MCIs Greyhound Canada bought new in 2006 definitely had open racks. I rode them a lot to Cambridge and Kitchener when they were new.

The MCI 9's had compartments. 102A's I think just had open compartments.

The used US buses were random. I never got to ride all of them.

 

[RU479]

A few days ago I seemingly saw cab car 206 being prepared to be sent back to ONR?

It was in the area at Willowbrook yard where coaches either being sent for refurbishment or just delivered from refurbishment usually are stored, and it had "DO NOT HUMP" stickers on the doors, and it was slotted between 2 cars that were likely going to be sent to ONR.

 

[just east of the creek]

In other parts of the world ….(and i travel to this area and this would be a big step forward in travel time / service)

Milestone reached in urban rail

A new intelligent commuter train is poised to transform connectivity between Beijing and Xiong'an, Hebei province, slashing travel times to just 30 minutes to Beijing Daxing International Airport. Beyond improving mobility, the train is expected to inject fresh momentum into the integration of...

www.chinadaily.com.cn

 

[urbancog]

In other parts of the world ….(and i travel to this area and this would be a big step forward in travel time / service)

Milestone reached in urban rail

A new intelligent commuter train is poised to transform connectivity between Beijing and Xiong'an, Hebei province, slashing travel times to just 30 minutes to Beijing Daxing International Airport. Beyond improving mobility, the train is expected to inject fresh momentum into the integration of...

www.chinadaily.com.cn

"the train employs self-learning control systems, reducing failure rates by over 95 percent"

So there's a 1 in 20 failure rate using self-learning control systems? Very reassuring.

 

[RU479]

I remember back in 2023, there was restrictions put in place against doubleheading trains with 2 locomotives, due to concerns that they were weakening the concrete at Union Station (iirc)

Recently though, there have 3 instances of doubleheaded trains in the span of under 2 months, 649/629, 674/639, and 674/632

Has this restriction been lifted / loosened in any way?

 

[smallspy]

I remember back in 2023, there was restrictions put in place against doubleheading trains with 2 locomotives, due to concerns that they were weakening the concrete at Union Station (iirc)

Recently though, there have 3 instances of doubleheaded trains in the span of under 2 months, 649/629, 674/639, and 674/632

Has this restriction been lifted / loosened in any way?

They may have loosened it slightly. They are allowing VIA to doublehead trains, but if there are three units one needs to be cut off.

There may now be specific tracks where two GO locos are allowed.

Dan

 

[KevinT]

"the train employs self-learning control systems, reducing failure rates by over 95 percent"

So there's a 1 in 20 failure rate using self-learning control systems? Very reassuring.

Reducing by 95 percent is not the same as reducing to 95 percent. (In fact 95 percent failures would be a 19 in 20 failure rate...)

 

[crs1026]

I wonder how they define "failure". Equipment out of service? Adverse operating events? Defects identified by routine inspection ? Component failure sooner than predicted ?

There are plenty of functions that would benefit from automated oversight. A little googling didn't give me much information on these.

- Paul

 

[RU479]

So it appears 206 has been sent back to ONR for some reason, was seen in transit on a CN Train.

 

[dowlingm]

So it appears 206 has been sent back to ONR for some reason, was seen in transit on a CN Train.

I wonder if it would be feasible for a Northlander set to drag a GO car on the tail to and from North Bay for extra revenue? The locomotive would certainly have enough power. I know Amtrak Ventures on the BNSF use Surfliner cabs but they presumably use the legacy control system and in any case the cabs lead in one direction.

 

[lenaitch]

I wonder if it would be feasible for a Northlander set to drag a GO car on the tail to and from North Bay for extra revenue? The locomotive would certainly have enough power. I know Amtrak Ventures on the BNSF use Surfliner cabs but they presumably use the legacy control system and in any case the cabs lead in one direction.

I think considering adding seats on a train that hasn't even started revenue service is a bit premature.

I know there has been discussion on here about couplers and communications on Venture sets vs non-Venture sets but I don't recall the specifics.

Marshalling a car on-and-off at North Bay would mess up the schedule and have added staffing costs (especially at the proposed train times of 0545 s/b and 2330 n/b).

 

[dowlingm]

I think considering adding seats on a train that hasn't even started revenue service is a bit premature.

I know there has been discussion on here about couplers and communications on Venture sets vs non-Venture sets but I don't recall the specifics.

Marshalling a car on-and-off at North Bay would mess up the schedule and have added staffing costs (especially at the proposed train times of 0545 s/b and 2330 n/b).

Should have been clearer - I was not intending the bilevels to be in passenger service, merely that Northlander could deliver GO rail cars to/from refurb for Metrolinx, and be compensated, rather than have MLX pay CN to do it. But the marshalling point is fair.