^8 months from January 14th, so mid September. They may try to coincide it with the fall service revisions, which is usually the Monday before Labour Day. That is unless they need that one last long weekend track closure to wrap up the heavier work there.
Last edited by frinkprof; 04-10-2013 at 03:47 PM.
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^8 months from January 14th, so mid September. They may try to coincide it with the fall service revisions, which is usually the Monday before Labour Day. That is unless they need that one last long weekend track closure to wrap up the heavier work there.
I knew it was 8 months as a rough time line, but I guess the service revisions day may make sense.
^Presuming new community/area that does not have bus service currently?
If so - implementation time is likely indeterminate. It will depend heavily on the operations budget (more specifically budgetted service hours). This can fluctuate when there is new spending or cuts coming down from City Council. The allocation of new service is based on community buildout (although it ought not to be, but that's a tangent) and other improvements that are on the table at the time.
New routes are typically introduced during seasonal changes, which are usually the Monday before Labour Day, the Monday before Christmas, the second Monday in March and the last Monday in June. In the weeks leading up to new service, there is usually lots of advertising in the community. At stops, signboards, sometimes schedules and information is mailed out.
Service to growing areas is typically ramped up over time (say a few years). The first service an area will receive is community shuttles at weekday peaktimes only. Then it progresses to weekday midday service, then Saturday service/weekday evening service and then Sunday service with more and more big buses being worked in.
The best place to get information is probably the through the area Alderman's office or the Calgary Transit hotline or twitter feed.
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Question about C Trains that is better fit in here; something I thought of when the budget discussion came up.
With the trains, do all 3 cars do the work of pulling and braking? Or does the lead car do all the pulling? (I would assume they all brake.) I ask because of the talk of the franken-car; if the middle car doesn't do much I would think there might be a way to put the older cars in the middle. However seeing that you typically only see similar vintage cars together, they might all share the work. (And the different vintage of cars use different power; right? Older run on DC and newer run on AC through an inverter?)
^On an in-service train, all 3 cars do indeed have their motors powered and running/braking. The lead car sends the commands. For around the yard, shuttling units back and forth and a few other oddball situations (getting a broken-down unit off the line or to the end of the line to be dumped) will see the lead car be in tow-mode and have only its motor running.
So far as I'm aware, not having all cars powered for in-service trains would make it so that service would be slower, too much wear is being put on the lead car, or both.
The power being put through the lines is 600DC. The 2 AC U2 units, and all SD160 units draw this and simulate AC power. As I understand it, once all the old DC U2 units are retired, full-time AC will be run through the catenary system from the traction power substations.
The only time you see "mixed" consists in revenue service is when one of the 2 AC U2 units will be run in the middle of 2 SD160s. These 2 units were originally demo units that Edmonton's system didn't elect to keep and they were sold to Calgary in the early 1990s at a discount. Had Calgary actually done any expansion in the 1990s, there would likely have been a larger order or more of these units. As it turned out, when Calgary finally started expanding again in the early 2000s, the SD160 model had been developed. These 2 units (numbered 2101 and 2102) were used only sparingly for several years (training, yard work and being run together as a 2 car consist on Sundays). CT electromechanics rewrote the command logic software such that they could be run with the SD160s in this mixed format. These 2 units are on the list to be scrapped with 18 other U2s when the next order of 50 LRVs arrives and is put into service.
Here is a video showing 2101 in a mixed consist between 2 SD160 units:
Spoiler!
The new series 8 units cannot be run with any other model in revenue service due to the differing number of pins in the coupler. The series 8 units have six (I think) extra pins for communications. They can only be mechanically coupled for towing purposes.
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I went on a tour of Anderson Garage about three weeks ago. The event was called "Backstage Pass." I took a bunch of photos.
Spoiler!
Here's a U2 model next to an SD 160 model over the bays.
On the U2 model, you can see the coupler. The lower part is the mechanical coupling and the top part is electronic with its array of pins (kind of like an old printer cable for your computer). On the newest models (Series 8), there are a few more pins which are for the video camera feed and newer features like that.
A look along the bays where CT mechanics can work on the underside of the LRVs.
A closer look at a coupling system. The middle piece is a shock absorber. You can see the coils of the spring on the underside of it.
Some wheel lathe information. Sorry for the blur. I thought I had taken pictures of the actual lathe but I somehow missed that. Anyway, it's where the LRV wheels are serviced. The wheels will wear so that their profile no longer matches the track and are "flat" and make for a bumpy and eventually dangerous ride. The wheels themselves are actually two halves that are clamped together.
Storage lanes
Banged-up U2 unit 2057, or at least half of it. The other half now forms part of the "new" car 2090.
Another U2 car that is undergoing heavy work. The various components were taken out and put on display for the tour.
Pantograph (the part of the train that connects to the overhead catenary wire to draw power). Sorry for the blur.
Tools used by diesel bus mechanics.
Old diesel engine.
Refurbished unit. Same as above. They are rebuilt every 300 000 km.
Old 2 stroke Detroit Diesel
Allison transmission
Various other components
Transit Teddy's golf cart "bus"
Lots of LRVs are undergoing refurbishment now. Here is some information on that.
Paint/window shop. Here is an SD160 unit having its windows replaced.
Doing some body work on the door and other areas of the train.
Steps for driver (and when passengers need to be offloaded in an emergency). This unit did not come with the train and was fabricated by Calgary Transit workers because the units that came from the manufacturer had problems. They did this with all trains and eventually the manufacturer adopted CT's design and uses it on their new trains.
Bus service lane. All buses must pass through here after going off shift to have tires checked, be refueled and have some other quick checks done.
Compressed Natural Gas bus. One of three purchased by CT as a pilot. These currently run on the 72/73 route. This allows the buses to be tested in a variety of environments, conditions, tight turns, etc. There had been some natural gas buses demonstrated a few years ago but the technology just wasn't there and they struggled in the harsh winter environment. This is no longer a problem with these newer models. Sounds like there are going to be a lot more of these ordered.
Inside the cab of an SD160 LRV. We were taken through the wash and a brief tour of the yard.
Another look at the diesel shop with some bus units undergoing mechanical work.
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Can anyone tell me, why on northbound crowchild, just as you go down the hill towards 17th ave, AFTER the bust stop, why all of a sudden there is a dotted lane for the bus lane?
I think people think the transit lane ends and you can start merging onto 17th.
It really bothers me that CT employees have been allowed to slap Stampeders stickers on their mid-range CTrains without repercussion or remedy for removal.
It really bothers me that CT employees have been allowed to slap Stampeders stickers on their mid-range CTrains without repercussion or remedy for removal.
Looks unprofessional and tacky.
/hatersgonnahate
Merry Christmas!
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A couple LRT Disruptions this coming weekend to know about:
The 201 will not be running between 8th Street W and Heritage Stations. Heritage to Somerset will be running, as will 8th Street to Crowfoot.
The 202 will be running between Marlborough and 69th Street, as well as Whitehorn to Saddletowne. The new platform is being installed at Rundle station. This work will also close southbound 36th Street beside Rundle station to all traffic.
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MYK - Supports Arizona to democtratically pass laws for the state of Arizona
Rudy was the only hope in 08
2011 Election: Cons 40% - Nanos 38% Ekos 34%
“All of these, in my opinion, are wrong. They should never happen,” said Southwood resident Ron Champagne after looking over four development proposals for a 20-acre parcel of city-owned land during an open house hosted at Southcentre Mall.
After living in the area for about 50 years, Champagne said he would move away if the city goes ahead with any of the proposals, as they stand, which he figured would introduce too many people into too small of an area.
“You’re going to have a bunch of bad stuff in there,” he said.
I always love it when people who will most likely be retired in Arizona, or dead, by the time these types of plans are fully realized, make these kinds of statements about what should or should not happen to a neighborhood.
Looking at the PDF, those renderings are quite wishful in terms of how lively that area would be, but these types of higher density buildings should definitely be the goal around all these transit hubs.
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It does strike me as being a little low on the housing side. Wouldn't it do better with more condos and apartments? Every other multi-family development that is close to a C-Train is still a solid 5-10 minute walk away.
Looking at the PDF, those renderings are quite wishful in terms of how lively that area would be, but these types of higher density buildings should definitely be the goal around all these transit hubs.
Calgary really needs to take a page from the euro handbook and build buildings that are 6 stories, with retail at street level, professional on the 2nd floor, and then condos on the top four floors. Like the one they built in Marda Loop at 20th and 33rd.
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