drum118
Superstar
4429 has reenter service on 505 after arriving sept 16, 64 days ago
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drum118
Superstar
CAF is now the 4th manufacture to supply LRV's to Canada and may show up in Toronto One Day.
Calgary AB: City chooses Spanish firm to supply cars for the Green Line
Calgary AB: City chooses Spanish firm to supply cars for the Green Line
drum118
Superstar
4432 has been off loaded today with the fastest turn around at 76 days. 4447 has taken 4432 on the flat. It was to been off loaded yesterday, but TTC delay it a day again.
4442 that was shipped 111 days ago has been bypass by cars shipped after it and have return so far before it.
16 more cars to be ship to complete the welding program.
4440 has reenter service on 501 after arriving Oct 5, 51 days ago,
5 cars still in Quebec Plus 4447 with 3 in the Leslie Barns and 4442 will make it 4.
4442 that was shipped 111 days ago has been bypass by cars shipped after it and have return so far before it.
16 more cars to be ship to complete the welding program.
4440 has reenter service on 501 after arriving Oct 5, 51 days ago,
5 cars still in Quebec Plus 4447 with 3 in the Leslie Barns and 4442 will make it 4.
KevinT
Active Member
Lol, the picture at the top of the article looks an awful lot like a Flexity. I'm guessing it's a stock image from earlier Green Line materials produced before they'd made the vendor choice. The pic further down is different...
drum118
Superstar
4442 has finally return to Hillcrest after 117 day and off loaded today. It was drop off on Sunday and no car has taken 4442 spot on the flat yet.
Not sure if TTC will find the same problems with BBD cars like Minneapolis has with not only BBD cars, but Siemens cars as well. Rust does happen with all the salt that put on the roads during the winter months. BBD car frames were made in Mexico that had the same issues as the first 66 cars TTC got, but used rivets to fix the issue since Minneapolis lack the knowledge of TTC at the time.
This is behind a paywall
Rusty Bombers (Bombardiers)
Union unhappy that Twin Cities light-rail cars may go to Louisiana for maintenance
Work on LRT cars may be outsourced to Louisiana
By Janet Moore Star Tribune November 28, 2021 — 4:34pm
It's been 17 years since the Blue Line began service in the Twin Cities, and the system's aging light-rail trains are in need of an overhaul.
But a disagreement has surfaced between Metro Transit, which operates the Green and Blue lines, and unionized workers who say they're being denied the chance to work on the rust-plagued vehicles. The work, they contend, should stay in Minnesota.
Instead, transit officials appear poised to award a $7.7 million contract to a Florida company that will ship the cars by rail from the Twin Cities to Louisiana, where rust mitigation and other improvements will take place. The contract could total $12 million, to be funded by federal and local sources.
Metro Transit's action "has the net effect of shipping union jobs and huge sums of taxpayer monies out of state because of [management's] failures," said Ron Kammueller, who represents light-rail maintenance workers with Local 1005 of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), during a recent meeting of the Metropolitan Council's Transportation Committee.
The committee was considering a contract calling for RailCar Co., of Sarasota, Fla., to work on 16 Bombardier light-rail vehicles, used primarily on the Blue Line linking downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America.The contract was advertised a year ago, and RailCar Co. was the lone bidder.
The Met Council, which oversees Metro Transit, is expected to consider the contract at its Dec. 8 meeting.
Metro Transit officials maintain that if the contract isn't awarded soon, the cost to get the work done may increase. Asked why the contract hadn't gone before the council sooner — Metro Transit received the RailCar Co. bid in January — spokesman Howie Padilla said extra time was needed for "due diligence."
"Under ideal circumstances, we would love to do this work in-house," he said.
Rust mitigation on the cars began in 2017, with ATU workers completing the work on 11 aging vehicles. But the rust-busting program was slowed because of construction at Metro Transit's Hiawatha Maintenance Facility, which was expanded to make room for future Southwest light-rail trains. The Southwest line is about 60% complete. though it's still unclear when that service between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie will begin.
Shipping the older light-rail vehicles to Louisiana will give Metro Transit maintenance staffers a head start on rust mitigation for an additional 64 light-rail cars made by Siemens that have "far less severe" corrosion, according to the agency's proposal.
"If we don't do this to catch up, then the cars won't last 30 years or so," Padilla said. Metro Transit officials said last week they hope each vehicle will last up to 40 years with proper maintenance.
Minnesota's harsh weather and the prolific use of road salt to combat ice and snow has led to rust on some light-rail vehicles — degradation that can be hard to spot unless the car is dismantled.
"The issue that we are facing is to get to that rust before it progresses to an advanced stage," said Jay Wesley, project manager for Metro Transit, at the Transportation Committee meeting.
Kammueller said it's doubtful RailCar Co. will employ union labor in Louisiana, a right-to-work state. It's also unclear whether some of the work will be done by subcontractors.
A man answering the phone at RailCar Co. last week declined to comment on the contract or identify himself. Metro Transit contends the firm has done similar work for TriMet, the transit provider in Portland, Ore.; officials with TriMet were not available for comment.
Metro Transit claims that a dearth of maintenance workers in Minnesota also is contributing to the decision to outsource jobs. Though there were 41 openings for maintenance workers through August, Metro Transit was only able to hire two people.
Kammueller contended that Metro Transit has bungled an in-house apprentice program designed to attract workers.
url: https://www.startribune.com/union-unhappy-that-twin-cities-light-rail-cars-may-go-to-louisiana-for-maintenance/600121668/?refresh=true
Not sure if TTC will find the same problems with BBD cars like Minneapolis has with not only BBD cars, but Siemens cars as well. Rust does happen with all the salt that put on the roads during the winter months. BBD car frames were made in Mexico that had the same issues as the first 66 cars TTC got, but used rivets to fix the issue since Minneapolis lack the knowledge of TTC at the time.
This is behind a paywall
Rusty Bombers (Bombardiers)
Union unhappy that Twin Cities light-rail cars may go to Louisiana for maintenance
Work on LRT cars may be outsourced to Louisiana
By Janet Moore Star Tribune November 28, 2021 — 4:34pm
It's been 17 years since the Blue Line began service in the Twin Cities, and the system's aging light-rail trains are in need of an overhaul.
But a disagreement has surfaced between Metro Transit, which operates the Green and Blue lines, and unionized workers who say they're being denied the chance to work on the rust-plagued vehicles. The work, they contend, should stay in Minnesota.
Instead, transit officials appear poised to award a $7.7 million contract to a Florida company that will ship the cars by rail from the Twin Cities to Louisiana, where rust mitigation and other improvements will take place. The contract could total $12 million, to be funded by federal and local sources.
Metro Transit's action "has the net effect of shipping union jobs and huge sums of taxpayer monies out of state because of [management's] failures," said Ron Kammueller, who represents light-rail maintenance workers with Local 1005 of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), during a recent meeting of the Metropolitan Council's Transportation Committee.
The committee was considering a contract calling for RailCar Co., of Sarasota, Fla., to work on 16 Bombardier light-rail vehicles, used primarily on the Blue Line linking downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America.The contract was advertised a year ago, and RailCar Co. was the lone bidder.
The Met Council, which oversees Metro Transit, is expected to consider the contract at its Dec. 8 meeting.
Metro Transit officials maintain that if the contract isn't awarded soon, the cost to get the work done may increase. Asked why the contract hadn't gone before the council sooner — Metro Transit received the RailCar Co. bid in January — spokesman Howie Padilla said extra time was needed for "due diligence."
"Under ideal circumstances, we would love to do this work in-house," he said.
Rust mitigation on the cars began in 2017, with ATU workers completing the work on 11 aging vehicles. But the rust-busting program was slowed because of construction at Metro Transit's Hiawatha Maintenance Facility, which was expanded to make room for future Southwest light-rail trains. The Southwest line is about 60% complete. though it's still unclear when that service between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie will begin.
Shipping the older light-rail vehicles to Louisiana will give Metro Transit maintenance staffers a head start on rust mitigation for an additional 64 light-rail cars made by Siemens that have "far less severe" corrosion, according to the agency's proposal.
"If we don't do this to catch up, then the cars won't last 30 years or so," Padilla said. Metro Transit officials said last week they hope each vehicle will last up to 40 years with proper maintenance.
Minnesota's harsh weather and the prolific use of road salt to combat ice and snow has led to rust on some light-rail vehicles — degradation that can be hard to spot unless the car is dismantled.
"The issue that we are facing is to get to that rust before it progresses to an advanced stage," said Jay Wesley, project manager for Metro Transit, at the Transportation Committee meeting.
Kammueller said it's doubtful RailCar Co. will employ union labor in Louisiana, a right-to-work state. It's also unclear whether some of the work will be done by subcontractors.
A man answering the phone at RailCar Co. last week declined to comment on the contract or identify himself. Metro Transit contends the firm has done similar work for TriMet, the transit provider in Portland, Ore.; officials with TriMet were not available for comment.
Metro Transit claims that a dearth of maintenance workers in Minnesota also is contributing to the decision to outsource jobs. Though there were 41 openings for maintenance workers through August, Metro Transit was only able to hire two people.
Kammueller contended that Metro Transit has bungled an in-house apprentice program designed to attract workers.
url: https://www.startribune.com/union-unhappy-that-twin-cities-light-rail-cars-may-go-to-louisiana-for-maintenance/600121668/?refresh=true
EastYorkTTCFan
Senior Member
I think the TTC had stainless steel frames for them which is one of the reasons for the poor welding from the Mexico plants. Welding stainless steel requires a very sp[ecific technique called a full penetration weld and what was happening in Mexico was that as soon as someone learned how to do it they went somewhere else to do it so they kept having to teach new people how to do it. The TTC has had steel frames on everything since they had buses with aluminum frames rust prematurely.
trtcttc
Active Member
Except the pic further down looks like a Siemens S200 that’s currently in use on the Ctrain. The CAF Urbos looks like a rounder version of the Citadis. Rode the Urbos in Budapest and Kaohsiung, Taiwan; remember feeling they felt wider than the TTC Flexitys. The Kaohsiung one also operates on tracks covered with grass and catenary-free, basically everything I wish we had in Toronto.
drum118
Superstar
4446 was not loaded yesterday enough the tracker show it was, but is now on the flat that 4436 was off loaded from today from after 71 days turn around. 4436 now hold the fastest turn around and it was shipped a week after 4438. CP removed the flat last night that 4442 came on and place 4436 in its place.
4446 has reenter service after 28 days on 504. 4446 return November 4
4446 has reenter service after 28 days on 504. 4446 return November 4
Bordercollie
Senior Member
Considering that only Thunder bay has TTC track gauge and GO transit BI levels are built there it would be safe to assume that facility would stay.
nfitz
Superstar
The cost to change track gauge is minimal compared to the contract size. Besides, they built and tested some of the TTC Flexitys in Kingston already. That implies that there is TTC gauge there.
With GO's new rolling stock contracts coming soon, whose to say that Bombardier/Alstom would even win? Sure, if they win the next GO rolling stock contract and the next TTC subway contract, they are probably good through the 2030s.
But can Thunder Bay even handle an EMU, if that's what they go with? I suppose they could built the power cars in La Pocatière or something.
Though given Metrolinx's failure to learn from other peoples' mistakes, they'll probably have them built by Alstom in Mexico.
DSC
Superstar
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From previous posts, to build cars with varying track gauges is not a problem and the far better reason to assume that the facility will remain in TB is that it provides good local jobs and will thus get more than its 'fair share' of orders from 'governmental organizations' and, one hopes, others.
smallspy
Senior Member
A streetcar or subway car is just as complex as any EMU. And they've built those at Thunder Bay.
Dan
nfitz
Superstar
Good to hear! I wasn't sure how easily it would scale up.
drum118
Superstar
4450 that arrived Nov 9 (30 Days) has reenter service on 511
crs1026
Senior Member
A poster on FB reported a TTC tram passing eastwards thru Sudbury on CP last night.
I have lost track - were any TTC cars other than the two “sewer rats” still at Thunder Bay? Might this be one of those?
- Paul
I have lost track - were any TTC cars other than the two “sewer rats” still at Thunder Bay? Might this be one of those?
- Paul