C-Train Rant Thread

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Wasn't that suppose to be the underground train system until it was canned in the 80s?

I think they should start thinking about the Underground train system now... with traffic the way they are... it wouldn't be a bad idea... but it'd take a while to get everything up and running though... If they do start now, it might take probably at least 5 years to before the system can be used.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Barnes

<snip>

There is also a space under bankers hall.

In addition to the photos (more can be found at website below)...
From the following link: http://www.barp.ca/bus/lrt/calgary/anderson.html


"Originally, Calgary Transit had planned on building the C-Train system in a subway format where the trains would run underground underneath 8th Avenue SW/SE instead of above ground on 7th Avenue. In 1980, the new City Hall municipal building was voted by Calgarians to be built on already existing government owned land instead of leasing office space from private businesses. Design of the new 14-storey municipal building included a parkade to be built underground, including at the time, a subway for the LRT system to be constructed. Unfortunately because the LRT system was already $23.3-million over budget, underground LRT in Calgary was put to a halt and all that was ever built was the shell of the tunnel. The view in the third photo on the second row above shows the split in the tunnels at the east end of the tunnel. Beyond the ends of the splits in the tunnel is the tunnel that leads north and south along the Anderson LRT line. The tunnel on the left of that photo would lead to the future Whitehorn line and the tunnel on the right would lead to the existing Anderson line. From the tunnel that connects downtown to the Stampede station, you can see the one side of the tunnel curve to meet this tunnel that was suppose to be built. Not many people knew about this tunnel even existing until it aired on CFCN News/CTV Calgary back in 1998 with John Jensen of Calgary Transit that answered questions during the interview. The only way to access this tunnel is through an access door inside of the Municipal parkade and down a ladder. Special thanks goes to CFCN News/CTV for allowing us to use these images.

After speaking with someone at City Hall back in 2003, I was told that this tunnel may be finally used with the future LRT line that is being researched to bring a leg of the LRT from downtown to MacKenzie Towne in the far SE of Calgary. However, if it is still not used at that point, at least it is still there for future consideration if the city ever does decide to revisit the idea of underground LRT in Calgary. It was rumored that in the basement of the Banker's Hall building, there was also the shell of a possible LRT Station, although it turns out that there never was as there is already an auditorium built down there. If Calgary Transit really did build LRT underground in Calgary, than there would be less accidents along the C-Train line as most of the accidents that you hear about on the news these days happen on 7th Avenue, including at least 3 or 4 derailments and several vehicle and pedestrian accidents. Having the LRT underground also reduces the amount of stations required for loading and unloading as well."

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

"Having the LRT underground also reduces the amount of stations required for loading and unloading as well."

Meaning less stops but longer walks and more reliance on buses.

[gottabekd]

Maybe they mean an underground station can serve both directions, instead of a single platform for one direction.

Thanks for the photos! Very different from the ones I've seen before.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by gottabekd

Maybe they mean an underground station can serve both directions, instead of a single platform for one direction.

Thanks for the photos! Very different from the ones I've seen before.

Nah, had they been built back in the day they would only serve one direction and there would be one entrance/exit with an escalator that never worked and the ticket machine would be on the opposite end of a 3 foot wide platform that was built to only handle two and a half cars. It would of course have heat only in the summer and be constently under construction during rush hour due to massive flooding. It would also be painted purple, blue and magenta.

[Swayze11]

I knew there was a thread on this.
So I was taking the bus home from downtown, rush hour, its busy, nothing new. The bus is just about to pull away when this 35+ year old women runs after it to catch it, so the bus driver stops lets her in. I'm sitting in one of the front seats, she comes walking back and all of a sudden has a limp when 5 seconds ago she was running no problem. She comes up to me and says "umm excuse me that sign says "For persons with limited mobility". Now im in the seat that can fit 3 decent sized people and of course since its rush hour all of the seats are taken. The fact that out of everyone she picked, she picked me kinda made me a little upset (Maybe because im in my 20s). I was so close to saying, "Yea It does say For persons with limited mobility and you had a ton of mobility to run and catch the bus", but I didn't :S

Anyways I had to say that because it just bugged the crap out of me the whole bus ride.

[RW99]

What about the rumours of the underground moving walkway for Chinook Centre? Given the condition of the underground walkway at Macleod & Glenmore, I don't think much.

[HelloHockeyFans]

nm

[NuclearFart]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

It was rumored that in the basement of the Banker's Hall building, there was also the shell of a possible LRT Station, although it turns out that there never was as there is already an auditorium built down there.

Already an auditorium down there? WTF? Some old theater beneath the city that wasnt removed when they built bankers hall? Anyone know more about this? Sounds like the place where the phantom of the opera lives.

Unless its just poor english saying that a tunnel couldnt exist today because bankers hall has built an auditorium in that spot.

[krazycanuck]

What I've heard is when they were building bankers hall they built a basic shell of a station there, but since there were no plans for the subway anytime soon, they converted the space into an auditorium on a temporary basis, but it could return to it's intended use should the need arise.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Swayze11

I knew there was a thread on this.
So I was taking the bus home from downtown, rush hour, its busy, nothing new. The bus is just about to pull away when this 35+ year old women runs after it to catch it, so the bus driver stops lets her in. I'm sitting in one of the front seats, she comes walking back and all of a sudden has a limp when 5 seconds ago she was running no problem. She comes up to me and says "umm excuse me that sign says "For persons with limited mobility". Now im in the seat that can fit 3 decent sized people and of course since its rush hour all of the seats are taken. The fact that out of everyone she picked, she picked me kinda made me a little upset (Maybe because im in my 20s). I was so close to saying, "Yea It does say For persons with limited mobility and you had a ton of mobility to run and catch the bus", but I didn't :S

Anyways I had to say that because it just bugged the crap out of me the whole bus ride.

To me it doesn't matter, if there are no seats and a woman or a old person or a kid gets on the bus I stand up and let them have the seat.

Call me old fashion that way.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

To me it doesn't matter, if there are no seats and a woman or a old person or a kid gets on the bus I stand up and let them have the seat.

Call me old fashion that way.

but if i a 25 year old guy suddenly asked for the seat because i was supposedly injured even though i just sprinted to catch the bus would you not be a little perturbed?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Dan02

but if i a 25 year old guy suddenly asked for the seat because i was supposedly injured even though i just sprinted to catch the bus would you not be a little perturbed?

Not really, I make no real exceptions to the rules on this. I figure I'm strong enough to stand. However I would get perturb if an actual person that needs those seats gets on and nobody moves.

[J pold]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

To me it doesn't matter, if there are no seats and a woman or a old person or a kid gets on the bus I stand up and let them have the seat.

Call me old fashion that way.

Agree with Captain, I take the C-train everyday too and from work

I got on at the 8th street station so I can normally get a seat but the train fills up quickly

If I see an old lady/man/pregnant women or anyone that deserves the seat more than (which is quite often) I will always give it up

It makes their ride home a little bit easier

[Rhettzky]

I agree with you two about the seats. However, I always find that there is someone that needs the seat so in rush hour I don't even bother getting one anymore, it's all about getting a good place to stand.

[gottabekd]

I just avoid sitting whenever possible. Then, I don't have to have the radar going ,evaluating every grey haired person who steps on the train to decide if they are old enough to offer my seat.

[J pold]

Since we are on the topic here is a rant for you

I’m taking the train home from work around 4:30 last week and as per usual the train is ass to ankles full and we still have two more stops left in down town. I think it was City Hall station that a couple of people manage to squeeze in, now at this point I’m standing as I had given my seat to an elderly Chinese women. I turn and see that one of the people who got on is a woman who must be 8th months pregnant she has one hand on holding up her belly the other grasping the hand rail. She is standing in front of those 3 man seats that run parallel with the side of the train and face each other. Of course there are already three people sitting there two old people having a conversation and one long haired emo kid who is drawing picture of dragons on his notebook. The women looks down at him and smiles doesn’t even ask just assumes that he will have the decency to let her take his seat. The kid looks up at her smiling scowls turns up his head phones that are already blaring and resumes drawing. The poor women looked crushed. Now I saw this all from a distance but I should have or at least someone should have said something, seriously just recalling this occurrence makes he want to punch him in the face.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by Shnabdabber

Riding the c-train is a good time to go to your own "happy place"

Book + MP3 player = happy place. Find a stretch of wall, and zone the F out. Only way to ride the loser cruiser (pubic transport).

In any city.

[Rhettzky]

Ha, the homeless man I saw at 7:00am on the train who seemed to forgot his pants somewhere and was masturbating was definitely at some kind of happy place. They even closed the whole car he was in down so he could be alone all the way until heritage where the transit cops took him to a different happy place.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

Ha, the homeless man I saw at 7:00am on the train who seemed to forgot his pants somewhere and was masturbating was definitely at some kind of happy place. They even closed the whole car he was in down so he could be alone all the way until heritage where the transit cops took him to a different happy place.

All of a sudden gas at 1.25/litre doesn't seem all that bad.