81-717

I don't particularly like raccoons anymore than squirrels, for similar reasons, but many animals are actually smarter than you think. Pretty ironic that squirrels don't know better than to jump right in the path of a giant behemoth rapidly approaching, yet also figured out how to make a comfortable nest under the hood of said behemoth. A dog or a cat is generally smart enough not to jaywalk right in front of a moving vehicle (and yes, I am biased in the sense that a cat or dog being hit would make me more upset than a squirrel/raccoon). And don't forget, an animal or even a human playing chicken with a moving vehicle affects the driver of the vehicle as well (whether the vehicle is a bike, car, train, or anything in between), whose reflexes get triggered forcing them to swerve (if possible) or slam on the brakes. As urban infrastructure evolved, so did certain forms of life. Life always finds a way to adapt to its environment. Squirrels, raccoons, pigeons, etc are all urban wildlife.

Interestingly, I found this article from 1.5 years ago which mentions the squirrel problem becoming significantly more pervasive throughout the GTA as a side effect of the lockdowns (I do remember it becoming an issue in our house right around the beginning of 2020, even though that was before lockdowns even started). It also specifically mentions: Not saying that running them over is the solution, but damn, something needs to be done about this problem...

Just a little something that would have the internet inflamed: pineapple pizza washed down with a mix of Coke & Pepsi

Same thing routinely happens when a common word/phrase/term gets used as the name of a company/product. The word/expression eventually loses its original meaning. To the point...

I've actually come to quite like the proposed new design, especially with the red paint, to the point where I'd be disappointed if it ends up being anything other than. @smallspy I'm also curious as to how a sloped, but flat (non-curved) front end (like on the proposed OL rolling stock design) would compare aerodynamically to the TR-style front end (which is both sloped and curved) as well as the boxy design like the T1? Does the fact that the T1 end caps have sideways-sloping sides (non-perpendicular to the long side of the car) also make any noticeable difference than if the end caps were completely flat?

It's also possible that some of those bots advertising drugs, counterfeit products, or "other illegal material" could be undercover sting operations to see if anyone falls for it. In the meantime, here's another bot (already reported): https://cptdb.ca/profile/40162-ashelyco19/

If North American subways are overbuilt compared to European ones, they should be able to withstand mainline rail operation better than their European counterparts, no? Too bad that instead of 1 "toy operation" (the SRT), we're going to have 3 more (line 5/6 and apparently the OL as well). Incompatible couplers are a solvable issue (just use an adapter), and having the same track gauge would be a prerequisite. Well, considering that the REM cars are just over 60' long and almost 3m wide, that makes them about the same size & capacity as New York's B-division cars (and quite a bit bigger than the A-division cars), both of which are unambiguously heavy rail. Maybe the reason it's considered a light metro is because the anticipated ridership requires trains only 2–4 cars long. If I remember correctly, that was the theoretical minimum headway with ATC. Of course, that's only on paper, in reality is a different story.

Well, out of those 3, the SRT is the most obvious example of a light metro (more obvious than the other 2). How much higher can the frequencies get though? With ATC, the frequency of heavy rail subways is expected to be increased to once every 90 seconds. 4-car trains on the OL would need to run with headways of less than 60 seconds to match the capacity of 6-car trains on lines 1/2 running with headways of 90 seconds. Yes I know, but I expected the standards to which any given type of vehicle is built to be fairly consistent worldwide. Did the State-of-the-Art Car delivery by rail prove that the practice was not a good idea, or were those particular cars just built differently to allow it?

So the line will be built to light metro standards, instead of heavy rail? If the trains are going to be similar to the REM, that should qualify as heavy rail (not sure why the REM is classified as a light metro let alone light rail, because the rolling stock design looks very much like heavy rail). Weren't all subway cars up to the T1s delivered on flatcars as well? I can see why a tram/LRV can't be towed in a mainline consist, but I thought that a subway car (much like a commuter railcar) should be able to handle it without issue (since they do it in Europe all the time). Is the mainline track connection going to be built regardless of whether the cars get shipped by rail or by truck?

No I am not. That's what I was wondering – a connection to the mainline can allow the cars to be transported directly by rail (as in, coupling them to a freight consist), although this is far more common practice in Europe than in North America. Will they be in standard married pairs like Montreal's REM, full-length sets like the TR, or unconventional married pairs like the future T1 replacements?

To be fair, squirrels are among the most erratic when it comes to approaching vehicles, always running back & forth towards/away from the road, only to then jump right under the wheels of the vehicle at the very last second. I call it "play stupid games, win stupid prizes". Squirrels are honestly the worst all around, from infesting your attic keeping you up at night, to messing up your lawn, to messing with traffic like that.

Will the Ontario line have any track connections to the mainline rail network (i.e. at Exhibition or along the Lakeshore East portion)?

Why is water boiling in a kettle so damn loud. I swear the whole damn neighborhood can hear you trying to sneak an extra cup of coffee for yourself

Speaking of which, the other day I saw a group of pigeons who obviously had a death wish.

586X is also wrapped for Paramount.