TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[Jonny5]

The Rogers streetcar loaded in the loop so it never passed that stop. Nobody would have come south on a Rogers streetcar down to the loop to take the Ossington trolley bus back north again, one would simply have transferred at Rogers & Oakwood to go north

Perhaps I don't understand the design of the route. I assumed a Rogers car westbound on St. Clair would turn north on Oakwood and stop there, as opposed to stopping on St. Clair itself. Did it instead go up Robina into the loop and stop there (maybe because the west to north curve didn't exist)?

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Perhaps I don't understand the design of the route. I assumed a Rogers car westbound on St. Clair would turn north on Oakwood and stop there, as opposed to stopping on St. Clair itself. Did it instead go up Robina into the loop and stop there (maybe because the west to north curve didn't exist)?

Rogers service to/from the subway only ran at rush hours and I'm not sure if it operated through the loop or made the west to north turn from St. Clair to Oakwood. If they made the turn at the intersection they likely stopped at the same stop as the regular St. Clair and Earlscourt cars at the intersection.

I'm looking forward to seeing a Flexity pull out of the Oakwood Loop just to see it take up the entire section of track between the loop and St. Clair Ave.

 

[W. K. Lis]

According the Metrolinx meeting held on June 27, 2014 (see the agenda at this link), there was a PRESTO report (see this link).

TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION (TTC)

• PRESTO continues to work collaboratively with the TTC to ensure a successful and timely rollout, and meet jointly agreed business objectives.
• A detailed integrated project plan has been developed by the TTC and PRESTO.
• As the TTC new streetcars arrive in fall 2013, they will be PRESTO-enabled and ready for introduction into revenue service for April 1, 2014.

That report tells me that the new low-floor streetcars should be rolling on 510 Spadina and 511 Bathurst with a target date of April 1, 2014. Likely, they could change that date to avoid references to being an April Fool's joke.

 

[Forgotten]

TTC is planning on buying another 60 car in 2016 with delivery for 2019.

This will max TTC yards out 100%.

TTC will look at spending $7m to keep the ALRV's around for another 3 year as well $59m for CLRV's that could get another 15 years of service.

There is still talk that some of the existing fleet will be still on hand as well. This will be on TTC July meeting list as well headway's.

If that maxes out space 100% where would refurbished vehicles go?

 

[nfitz]

If that maxes out space 100% where would refurbished vehicles go?

I'd assume that the refurbished vehicles would be retired then. Surely we'll be slipping into 2020 by then ... and all non-accessible vehicles need to be retired by 2023 I believe.

Still, if they need storage space, also by then, Harvey Shops at the Hillcrest complex will have no function left by then, with maintenance transferred to Leslie Barns. Seems to me you can store a lot of streetcars inside that building!

 

[W. K. Lis]

If that maxes out space 100% where would refurbished vehicles go?

The CNE siding would take some of the refurbished streetcars in the interim, like they will be taking some of the new streetcars until the Leslie Barns are ready. More likely, Hillcrest could continue to be used for servicing the old refurbished streetcars while Leslie will service the new streetcars. Hillcrest could also be pressed into service as barns for the any other overflow.

 

[the lemur]

My understanding is that the new LRVs could not be accommodated at the existing carhouses, so maybe it means the new ones will take up all the capacity at the Leslie barns?

 

[Jonny5]

My understanding is that the new LRVs could not be accommodated at the existing carhouses, so maybe it means the new ones will take up all the capacity at the Leslie barns?

IIRC the old carhouses limitation is only for the maintenance of the new LRVs, which will have to be done at Leslie. Some out of service and spare LRVs will still be parked at the old carhouses and just driven to Leslie when necessary.

 

[Forgotten]

I'd assume that the refurbished vehicles would be retired then. Surely we'll be slipping into 2020 by then ... and all non-accessible vehicles need to be retired by 2023 I believe.

Still, if they need storage space, also by then, Harvey Shops at the Hillcrest complex will have no function left by then, with maintenance transferred to Leslie Barns. Seems to me you can store a lot of streetcars inside that building!

Refurbish for 15 years, junk them after 10! Sounds like a plan.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Refurbish for 15 years, junk them after 10! Sounds like a plan.

They most likely will not junk each and every one. They should keep a few, like they kept a PCC and a Peter Witt. The question should be how many of the CLRV's should they keep? Should they keep a couple of the ALRV's as well? If so, will those historical streetcars would then be maintained at Hillcrest or at Leslie?

 

[smallspy]

Refurbish for 15 years, junk them after 10! Sounds like a plan.

The work being done on them now will barely allow them to last 5, never mind 10.

They are not touching the control systems, which are where a lot of the current long-term headaches reside. All they are doing is bodywork, replacing the floors, and overhauling the trucks. To do anything more substantial would increase the cost by a large margin.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[drum118]

They most likely will not junk each and every one. They should keep a few, like they kept a PCC and a Peter Witt. The question should be how many of the CLRV's should they keep? Should they keep a couple of the ALRV's as well? If so, will those historical streetcars would then be maintained at Hillcrest or at Leslie?

4200 & 4252 as first and last cars

4000 & 4005 first built oversea, 4010 & 4196 first and last cars made here.

Could keep a few others as tourist runs like the PCC as well spare parts.

They would be store & maintain at Hillcrest.

2018 was the year the fleets was to be 100% accessible even though 2025 is the official year.

 

[dowlingm]

They most likely will not junk each and every one. They should keep a few, like they kept a PCC and a Peter Witt. The question should be how many of the CLRV's should they keep? Should they keep a couple of the ALRV's as well? If so, will those historical streetcars would then be maintained at Hillcrest or at Leslie?

Hillcrest if it's anywhere given that LF bays won't be able to fully service HF cars.

There are days though when I think (warning - imminent heresy) that retaining the HF models post 2024 even as charter vehicles will inhibit Hillcrest from becoming a full-blown LF division (for 512/511/509 say) which would add substantial resiliency to the network not to mention chop a nice amount of deadheading out of the schedules. We're already seeing a possible mess at Wilson on the subway side where post Spadina Extension they simply won't be able to get cars into/out of Wilson fast enough that service hours don't narrow. In the unlikely event Byford gets his add-on LFLRV order the pressure on the existing yard exit points will increase accordingly.

 

[junctionist]

We definitely should keep a couple of CLRVs and at least one ALRV for historic reasons. Those streetcars have a great and iconic design. They're representative of Toronto's decision to keep and modernize the streetcar network at a time when streetcars seemed to be a thing of the past in North America.

 

[the lemur]

Media test run to Bathurst happening right now:

https://twitter.com/StreetcarTO

https://twitter.com/TessKalinowski/status/359684169103728640/photo/1