Waterloo Region Transit Developments (ION LRT, new terminal, GRT buses)

[KevinT]

That video is the first time I had noticed the black markings on the floor of the platform, indicating where the doors of the car will come to a stop. Does the operator have to align manually, or is that precision in stopping an automatic function?

I asked them about that when they were stopped for a vehicle walk through at UofW a few weeks back. At that time they were hitting their marks manually (they didn't provide details, but said there were visual cues) but that it would be automated once the systems integration testing was complete.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Getting back on topic, ION did its first night testing this evening with both 505 and 507 lapping between Conestoga Station and the Cameron crossover south of the Kitchener Market station. I managed to catch 505:

Would be nice if they ran it during Halloween night. With undead passengers, of course.

 

[jordanmkasla2009]

That video is the first time I had noticed the black markings on the floor of the platform, indicating where the doors of the car will come to a stop. Does the operator have to align manually, or is that precision in stopping an automatic function?

- Paul

It's manual. The drivers are all trained to look for landmarks on the platform to stop at.

 

[Streety McCarface]

Just saw an LRV go past E5 at what looked like top speed (~50-70 km/h), gates were only down for about 15 seconds before the train passed (which is super low given the fact that there have usually been 2+ minute waits for a train). Could this spell out the fact that parts of the line are near completion?

 

[Streety McCarface]

Update: The train is 511, and here are some videos:

 

[jordanmkasla2009]

Just saw an LRV go past E5 at what looked like top speed (~50-70 km/h), gates were only down for about 15 seconds before the train passed (which is super low given the fact that there have usually been 2+ minute waits for a train). Could this spell out the fact that parts of the line are near completion?

511 is currently the only vehicle authorized to travel at maximum operational speed due to the presence of Automatic Train Protection (ATP) equipment on board. They have been using this vehicle to debug the operating software integrations with the ATP equipment as it enters and exits ATP sections as well as how the on-board communications equipment alerts the wayside bungalows of its position and real-time speed so the crossings can be accurately timed for activation and so the ATP moving protection buffers accurately move with the train.

EDIT: They are doing all this debugging now before they start adding more trains with the equipment on the line so there aren't any severe bugs that could disable the vehicles during testing

 

[kevhu]

Just saw an LRV go past E5 at what looked like top speed (~50-70 km/h)

I'm pretty sure the speed limit on that stretch in front of E5 is 40km/h, but its great to see them moving much faster than before

 

[W. K. Lis]

Update: The train is 511, and here are some videos:

Sounds like there is "wheel flat". See link.

 

[Streety McCarface]

Sounds like there is "wheel flat". See link.

I always thought those were just the sounds of the wheels hitting pieces of protruding rubber from the grade crossings and such. It seems really early to be dealing with wheel flat issues at this stage.

I'm pretty sure the speed limit on that stretch in front of E5 is 40km/h, but its great to see them moving much faster than before

I should have checked the signs (but I was too preoccupied with CAD). I believe it might be 40 directly after the station, and it increases to either 50 or 60 directly afterward. I hope these aren't final speeds, given that the line definitely looks like it was built to handle speeds of up to 70 km/h (I haven't looked at drawings, this is just a guess based on the crossing types and the ROW turning radii).

 

[KevinT]

Sounds like there is "wheel flat". See link.

Agreed. Listening in on the radio during my drives to work and on lunch break, I've definitely heard them call in a few e-brake applications due to cars dodging gates, turning across the train's path (despite the bright No Right/Left Train signs), or pedestrians darting into the on-street rights of way. It would only take a few of these to create a flat spot, and the OMSF has both on-vehicle wheel profilers and bogie swap-out jacks similar to those at the Leslie Barns for just such an emergency. With 511 being the mule for the systems integration testing though, perhaps they don't want to take it out of service for the length of time it would require to deal with it. Although it's a bit noisy I'm assuming that it's still within spec, and there will be time once the initial SI tests are done and they roll out the rest of the vehicles with their integration equipment installed.

 

[jordanmkasla2009]

Agreed. Listening in on the radio during my drives to work and on lunch break, I've definitely heard them call in a few e-brake applications due to cars dodging gates, turning across the train's path (despite the bright No Right/Left Train signs), or pedestrians darting into the on-street rights of way. It would only take a few of these to create a flat spot, and the OMSF has both on-vehicle wheel profilers and bogie swap-out jacks similar to the Leslie Barns for just such an emergency. With 511 being the mule for the systems integration testing though, perhaps they don't want to take it out of service for the length of time it would require to deal with it. Although it's a bit noisy I'm assuming that it's still within spec, and there will be time once the initial SI tests are done and they roll out the rest of the vehicles with their integration equipment installed.

Not to mention the reality that there might be random E-brake applications as they debug the ATP system.

 

[KevinT]

Unwelcome, but not totally unexpected:

Kitchener Today: LRT delayed until spring 2019

The full report to the region is at:

https://calendar.regionofwaterloo.ca/Council/Detail/2018-11-06-1030-Planning-and-Works-Committee/Late Starter - November 6, 2018.pdf

Edit to add: It's maddening that Bombardier gets the full blame again, as they only received the first pieces of the region's Specialized / Free Issue Equipment for installation at the beginning of the summer. How is it their fault that The Region / GrandLinq / Metrolinx didn't have the sourcing for this stuff figured out in time for it to be designed in and installed as they were building the trains?

 

[Allandale25]

^ Bombardier's been pretty silent on this particular aspect from what I've observed. I wonder if this reference will make them come out with a statement to tell their version.

 

[KevinT]

^ Bombardier's been pretty silent on this particular aspect from what I've observed. I wonder if this reference will make them come out with a statement to tell their version.

Probably not, defending yourself is almost always a bad PR move. The customer is always right, even when they're vindictively raking you over the coals due to their own mistakes.

 

[rbt]

Probably not, defending yourself is almost always a bad PR move. The customer is always right, even when they're vindictively raking you over the coals due to their own mistakes.

That's 50% of the reason senior management likes to outsource (in tech at least). It gives them someplace to point that isn't themselves or staff they oversee directly.