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

[TheTigerMaster]

Hey, that's pretty cool. Could this same 3D printer make a model Flexity LRV? Not with moving parts or anything, but like a solid shape. Or is something like that too complex for a 3D printer?

No reason why it couldn't: http://luckywabbit.com/train/

 

[Duck]

Shh, it was supposed to be a surprise.

 

[Duck]

Some more photos from over the weekend, when this site was down:

Main hall is now structurally complete at the OMSF.

First "real" section of track is down, waiting to be aligned.

Overview of the OMSF.

New structure for the car wash - this went up in 1 week!

Construction at the Columbia St. crossing, right near BlackBerry.

A reminder of what the OMSF's layout will be.

 

[Duck]

The Fixed Plant Material and Wayside Maintenance building has gone up in a week, as well - so that means the steel for all 3 buildings are now up. They are really flying.

The tower crane is now gone from the site, as well.

 

[P0per]

July 5

Old rails removed, Maintenance Facility has lots of structural steel up.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

Level crossing at Columbia now complete.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

Laurel Creek being diverted - riverbed is drying, work should start soon on new bridge.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

King street is really wide at Grand River Hospital - Road + Tracks + Station using the full ROW.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

King Street completely closed at Guelph Sub now to allow for work on Transit Hub and grade separation.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr


More photos from this weekend here (Flickr).

 

[innsertnamehere]

The transit hub is unfunded is it not?

 

[GtwoK]

What is it they're doing at the Schneider Creek crossing by Hayward? That bridge they built, it's significantly shifted compared to the tracks. Are they doing a complete realignment of the tracks? Does that mean the tunnel under Hwy 8 is going to need to get rebuilt? Whether the tracks are going to be shifted or not, the tunnel only looks wide enough for one set of tracks.

 

[P0per]

What is it they're doing at the Schneider Creek crossing by Hayward? That bridge they built, it's significantly shifted compared to the tracks. Are they doing a complete realignment of the tracks? Does that mean the tunnel under Hwy 8 is going to need to get rebuilt? Whether the tracks are going to be shifted or not, the tunnel only looks wide enough for one set of tracks.

I'm not 100% certain, but my bet is that they'll work as follows (based on this set of drawings):

• Shift Huon Park Spur to the new west bridge
• Remove existing structure
• Build second east bridge for LRT

As for the Highway 7 overpass, a second tunnel was built during the recent widening of that section. So Huron Park can continue to run through the western tunnel, LRT through the new eastern tunnel.
PANO_20140927_150818 by ION Construction, on Flickr

 

[Markster]

The transit hub is unfunded is it not?

Correct. The Transit Hub is still in design, and the City/Region is courting private partners. The plan is to have everything ready to begin construction within about a year of ION opening.

 

[P0per]

Views from July 26.

Exterior of Rail Maintenance Facility going up.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr


Second track in place at future UW Station.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

If you could only smell the creosote... (anyone know what these ties are for? is the Guelph Sub being shifted for the grade separation construction?)
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr


Borden St. about to be re-paved, with room for the LRT on the north side.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

New culvert at Laurel Creek (see "before" photo here) .
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr


Rest of day's album here on Flickr.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Hey Bombardier!! Will a, or any, Flexity Freedom light rail vehicle be ready for testing, say by 2016?

 

[Markster]

Don't anyone get their hopes up about that UW Station photo, neither of those are the final track.
The track on the right is the old existing track. The track on the left is temporary track that they will eventually be shifting the traffic to, so they can finally tear out the old track and replace with concrete ties. Then they tear out the left track and replace that with concrete ties. It would go a lot faster if that chemical plant in Elmira could be cut off for a few months...

As for the creosote, that picture is at the King St grade separation. Yes, they're starting work on doing some realignment at Park St very soon, and they likely need new ties on hand.

 

[GtwoK]

As always P0oper, thanks for the photos! Every time I think "I should walk the Ion path today, you always go and upload the photos so I don't have to!

The section of Borden where the tracks will connect — are they really that far ahead already? Didn't think we'd be seeing actual track laid along road this early on in the project. Unless of course, they are just going to pave the road and leave space for the track to add it in the future.

Edit: Hold on a minute, I'm analyzing the ROW profiles here (scroll down a few pages), and it seems like the tracks are in a separate little "basin" created by the curb of the road. I guess this means they could add the track after paving the road.

BUT, the surface of those track "basins" seem to be loose gravel. Are they not going to be using the same cement that they've been using for the road crossings? It's seriously going to be just loose gravel like the CN spur lines that they've been realigning the tracks to? That's kind of gross looking for the middle of the city.

 

[drum118]

I got some shots a week ago Friday, but the rain kill the rest of the shots I wanted to take.

The new bridge south of Hwy 7 is higher and longer than the old one and it will be sometime before they shift the existing line to it. They were back filling and grading up to the creek on the east side of the existing track.

I guess they going to have to rebuild the yard to get the 2 mainline pass it as the new bridge lines up where the cars are store.

I hope there is someone from the Region is in Thunder Bay doing inspection on their cars. They may have hire TTC to do it for them since they are more experience at it. If not, expect a lot of flaws and problems once the first few arrive in 2016.

From what was said at Metrolinx June meeting, TTC management had a look at them and that report was going to be given behind close doors or over the phone.

 

[smallspy]

I hope there is someone from the Region is in Thunder Bay doing inspection on their cars. They may have hire TTC to do it for them since they are more experience at it. If not, expect a lot of flaws and problems once the first few arrive in 2016.

Metrolinx has retained the same company to oversee production that TTC has been using for many years.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.