WMATAC40LF

The extension to Tampa will probably be their next move in Florida. In the long term, I could also see them extending service up the FEC Railroad main to Jacksonville. Beyond that though, any further expansions in Florida seem unlikely, as right-of-way acquisition would probably become an issue. The LA-LV project is also on the radar, but time will tell if it actually moves forward. Brightline's previous attempt to sell Private Activity Bonds to finance it failed, but they now appear to be banking on a public-private model that would rely in part on federal IIJA funds. Those funds may be awarded as soon as later this year.

I was working up that way back in the summer of 2021, and saw that bus quite a few times. Didn't bother grabbing any pictures because cutaways never interested me that much. 2020-2021 were pretty much record years for tourism in the Bruce Peninsula, but as I understand it the number of visitors started to decline last year, and has only gone down further this summer. The sole purpose of that bus was to shuttle people to the Lion's Head Provincial Park, as the park's onsite parking lot was way too small to accommodate the number of visitors they were getting at the time. The route ran between the park entrance two other lots in the town (one at the school and one at the arena). I honestly doubt that they'll bring the service back for town residents, given that the year round population up there is relatively small.

Caught 4413 on an EB CP freight this evening. I take it its headed to Quebec.

I agree with your assessment about the E6 and M4. Those two (especially the E6) rarely have that many passengers, so the current two route setup seems like a waste of money. However, as someone who has ridden the Wisconsin Avenue routes many times, I can tell you that eliminating the northwestern portions of the 30N/30S routes (without adding additional service on the 31/33 to compensate) would be a really bad idea. Maybe they could get away with it on weekends, but on weekdays (and especially during rush hour), basically every bus on Wisconsin is jam-packed.

TTC1 at St. George this afternoon (obviously because of the derailment-related issues). It left around 2 PM.

I'm not sure why WMATA is converting existing buses to sealed windows, but I can hazard a good guess as to why they're doing it with their newest buses: it's cheaper. They've been looking for ways to cut bus procurement costs for some time now. Sealed windows are less expensive to spec, and some transit agencies are apparently confident enough with the capabilities of the modern HVAC systems that they feel as though they can do without opening windows.

Yeah I saw pictures of those units-I think some were even missing their engines! They're now parked in Winnipeg, alongside a bunch of other broken down power.

TTC 6 Bay: 3726, 3729, 3731

As mentioned earlier in this thread, all 58 of the MACs (plus the two they bought from UP) will be rebuilt. Most of the 30 units for this year have now been outshopped, and the other 30 are supposedly coming later in 2020.

Thought I'd share this... The City of Owen Sound has hired Voyago to provide two daily bus roundtrips between Owen Sound and Guelph (with seven stops in between). According to the article below, the buses will seat 20-22 passengers (so they are probably cutaways). The service will start this coming January, and run until March 31st, 2023 per the contract. https://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/news/local-news/owen-sound-hires-voyago-to-provide-daily-bus-service-to-guelph

I've never found an answer to your question online (I myself have wondered about it for sometime). The Ontario Railway Map on Google Earth does not display this spur (see the screenshot below), and I've found it to be quite reliable in the past. If you look at the angle at which this track approaches the Beltline (in green on the map), it does not appear to be set up for a switch. Additionally, after looking at photos of this track, I seem to get the impression that it is built to some sort of broad gauge, which further suggests that it was never physically connected to the CN Beltline spur. That being said, it almost certainly has something to do with the nearby railway ROW. Does anyone know when the portion of the Beltline west of the Allen Road was abandoned? I suspect that this mysterious track was built to move large pieces of electrical equipment from a regular railcar to the Hydro facility across the street. And as to why the tracks do not appear to have been connected... perhaps they couldn't squeeze the required turning radius for large flatcars into the land that was available. Anyway, someone else might know more...

Kawasaki apparently wants to exit the railcar market (at least certainly the North American market), because it isn't terribly profitable. They aren't one of three builders who are reportedly interested in the 8K contract. Regarding the 2000s and 3000s, I suspect they will hang around for a little while longer than we were initially told. Its now looking like the first 8000s will enter service in 2024 (at the earliest), so unless 200+ subway calls are placed into service that year, the Breda rehabs will probably make it into 2025 or 2026. Additionally, WMATA's decision to add certain components (such as local content requirement) to the 8K contract will probably draw out the delivery and testing timeline even more.

Yep, stuff popping out like that is never a good sign. Unsurprisingly, the interior damage is very close to where the carbody bolster connects to the center portion of the railcar. The following image tells us all we need to know about 3008... The monocoque body buckled, so its a write off. We'll see what happens to the others.

I never saw any clear notices about the Maple Leaf online, but the Amtrak website suggested the bus bridge would be happening from September 9th to November 1st. Does anyone know more details about the bridge work?

I suspect the 3Ks will linger around until at least 2025, based on the delays with the 8K procurement. As for what will be repaired, it usually comes down to how much damage was done. If its anything major, repairs probably don't make sense (and if the carbody structure has failed, repairs may not even be possible). However, if the drawbars and couplers are the only things that need replacing, some of these cars may eventually be returned to service. I think Alstom is the best option for the 8000s. Hyundai Rotem has had issues with some of their other US contracts, and there are obviously a bunch of concerns surrounding CRRC.

It could be that they put 3009 and 3207 together, if 3008 and 3206 are damaged beyond repair. Anyway, I'm glad nobody was seriously hurt, because the 3Ks aren't that solidly built. Speaking of Metro Rail, I'm wondering when we'll hear an update about the 8000 Series procurement. The bids for that contract were supposedly submitted a few months ago. I know one complicating factor is the federal opposition to CRRC bidding on US contracts (although currently, none of the proposed legislation on this subject has been signed into law).

I can't find any info about it online. I'd say there's a good likelihood that what's left of it has already been (or will soon be scrapped). The UP ES44AC involved (5359) was apparently written off a couple of months ago.

4570 is at Lambton Yard.

Flexity without a front number at Hillcrest.

9041 has been rebuilt.

Charm City Circulator will be receiving additional Novas over the next few years, which will allow them to replace the Orion VII NGs. https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2019/07/18/updating-charm-city-circulator-buses-will-take-six.html

Lol the LFAs are like diesel pickup trucks modified to "roll coal". They've been smoking for years, and while I don't know the exact cause, here's my two cents... Diesel Particulate soot (Black Carbon) is caused by the incomplete combustion of diesel fuel. All of WMATA's LFA buses were built to the EPA 2007 emission standard. Now I'm no engine expert, but I understand that many engines built to this standard use an EGR system to control NOx. The downside of this, however, is that EGR decreases the efficiency of the combustion cycle. While these buses are equipped with Diesel Particulate Filters, an EGR valve that isn't working properly is enough to produce more soot than the filter can handle (and thus, an outburst of particulates can occur). Older buses don't have such substantial EGR systems (because NOx limits weren't as strict before 2007), while EPA 2010+ buses use more efficient SCR systems to meet stricter NOx limits.

Spotted the following TTC buses at Hillcrest: 1087, 1301, 1338, 1526, 8127, 8385, 8495, 8499, and what's left of 8573.

The C40LFs and many of the older VIIs were retired right before their CNG tanks expired. However, the tanks on the NABI artics still have some time left in them. And as for the XN60 order, while nothing has been confirmed, I wouldn't be surprised if Metro converted the it to diesel. The cost savings of CNG are apparently not as significant as Metro had originally thought.

There are still a small number of 2000 Orion Vs around. The new XD40s aren't supposed to enter service until late summer or early fall (these will probably spell the end of the Vs). There are still some 2006 Orion VII CNGs around, just not too many. The 2005 DE40LF and 2006 DE40LFRs shouldn't be replaced till next year at the earliest.