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25 minutes ago, chills_on_the_train said:

Something that's been on my mind for a while. How do the station announcements work? How are they triggered? Is it location based, operator controlled, or is there some kind of external sensor that tells the trains where they are? Why are the U2s worse at "knowing" this than other models?

I'm currently heading NB on the Red Line, aboard 2418 and the infotainment systems all say "Somerset-Bridlewood" on them, but we are just passing Sunnyside. I've been on a few S9 consists where once they reached Sunnyside the system corrected itself (it's frozen this time).

The U2s are triggered by the operators awareness and knowledge of the next approaching station. The operator simply presses a white button and the announcements electronically play. ?

All SD160s (non refurbs) are synced at the terminus station. The announcements will play judged on wheel rotation. (Number of times the trains wheels rotate between stations) 

The S200s and SD160s use GPS location and I believe a combination of wheel rotation as well.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Gsgeek540 said:

LRT, Pantograph and/or CTrainDude can correct me if i am wrong but i know i am quite close.

 

U2 is operator initiated. They push a button and ding dong. It used to be a cassette tape. Now it is a system on board. Kinda like an MP3 play list. Enter your code and boom.

 

SD160 5/6/7/8 i believe it is based on wheel revolutions. Operators program their route when leaving end terminals and i believe it is wheel revolutions that ultimately determines when they are played. Operators can override and go to automatic announcements

Series 9 is GPS based. When going through downtown, the reflection of the signal off buildings often messes everything up and often doesn’t correct itself until after the core. Operators can override and go to manual announcements

You're completely correct and you beat me by 30 seconds!

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  • 2 weeks later...

A thought kind of came to me.

 I noticed it’s quite common for peace officers to use the Emergency door release to hold the train while dealing with a situation. This is easy on everything Series 8 and below. But What about the S200 S9s? As they have a plexiglas cover but I feel like resetting now requires a key. But that’s just a suspicion. Just based on the style. 

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2 minutes ago, nsCEO said:

A thought kind of came to me.

 I noticed it’s quite common for peace officers to use the Emergency door release to hold the train while dealing with a situation. This is easy on everything Series 8 and below. But What about the S200 S9s? As they have a plexiglas cover but I feel like resetting now requires a key. But that’s just a suspicion. Just based on the style. 

They remove the plexiglass and pull the handle. An alarm goes off in the operator cab that indicates somebody pulled the emergency door release in the specific car / door. When they're done they simply reset the handle.

There is no key needed.?

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41 minutes ago, LRT said:

They remove the plexiglass and pull the handle. An alarm goes off in the operator cab that indicates somebody pulled the emergency door release in the specific car / door. When they're done they simply reset the handle.

There is no key needed.?

Ok seems simple enough. That leads me to another question the three different keyholes beside the end doors. I feel like they might have something to do with getting out when not in service. But I’m not sure.

 

what is “Door, Car and crew”?

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7 minutes ago, nsCEO said:

Ok seems simple enough. That leads me to another question the three different keyholes beside the end doors. I feel like they might have something to do with getting out when not in service. But I’m not sure.

 

what is “Door, Car and crew”?

Oh those key holes! Lol

In no particular order,

Car isolation.

Locks all the doors in that particular car in case somebody pukes in it. They can turn that car off and maintain the rest of the consist in service.

Door isolation.

In case the door malfunctions they can turn that door off. Alternatively that can also be done in the cab and the operator doesn't have to get out of the cab.

Crew access.

When the train is out of service that's how they operator gets out. Simply unlockes that door for 30 seconds

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I watched a video (dated 1995) a while back of someone recording in the cab of one of the old U2 cars (Obviously the video predates the Series 5/6/7) and operator mentions that its the DC cars. I will link it at the bottom though.

Around the 4:40 mark we start off with the statement about "Some of the drivers getting tormented by people banging on the windows." 

Which makes me think. Today, due to our societies rate of malicious intent increasing...If an operator were to even let an "outsider" set foot in the cab there would be hell to pay.

Therefore no operator DARES to let even a good friend have a good old chat with them in their "private suite" just because in 1995 less people wanted to hijack trains. Nowadays I'm pretty sure no one can be trusted. Whether they have a big VHS camcorder on their shoulder or not. ?

Only Mr. Morgan can trust thy!

And maybe Mr. Nenshi I'm sure ;)

 

 

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22 minutes ago, nsCEO said:

I watched a video (dated 1995) a while back of someone recording in the cab of one of the old U2 cars (Obviously the video predates the Series 5/6/7) and operator mentions that its the DC cars. I will link it at the bottom though.

Around the 4:40 mark we start off with the statement about "Some of the drivers getting tormented by people banging on the windows." 

Which makes me think. Today, due to our societies rate of malicious intent increasing...If an operator were to even let an "outsider" set foot in the cab there would be hell to pay.

Therefore no operator DARES to let even a good friend have a good old chat with them in their "private suite" just because in 1995 less people wanted to hijack trains. Nowadays I'm pretty sure no one can be trusted. Whether they have a big VHS camcorder on their shoulder or not. ?

Only Mr. Morgan can trust thy!

And maybe Mr. Nenshi I'm sure ;)

 

 

Ha! Seen this video before... And that "operator" is still around!

Looks like the cab door was just opened up.. I can hear it rattling in the background.. lol

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Phase 2 of the Airport Transit Study is in progress and will have a pair of Open Houses next week.

https://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TI/Pages/Transit-projects/Green-Line-to-Blue-Line-Connector.aspx?redirect=/airporttransitstudy

Info cards from the Open Houses:

https://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TI/Documents/Transit-projects/RPR-COC-ATS-boards.pdf

Notable points:

More esoteric options such as monorails, unmanned wheeled rapid transit vehicles etc. are definitively ruled out. Options remaining on the table (page 9 of the above PDF)are:

  1. An APM rail service
  2. Conventional high- or low-floor LRT
  3. BRT bus service

The APM is the currently favored recommended option. Whether the APM or LRT is eventually selected though, service will be independent of the Green and Blue lines, for a number of reasons (page 12 of the above PDF):

Cost Effective:

  • Service planning and operations are flexible and scalable to meet demands
  • Allows for stations to be sized to meet Airport Transit Connection demands. A spur forces the Airport Transit Connection station platforms to accommodate 4-car-trains

Customer Experience:

  • The frequency of service is maintained for the communities north of Airport Trail on both Green Line and Blue Line
  • The frequency of service for the Airport Transit Connection is not limited to mainline service
  • The system is easy-to-understand as it reduces customer confusion about which train to take at the mainline stations

I have to say I'm disappointed that we won't be able to take a simple spur of the Blue Line right from downtown to the airport, but I do understand their reasons for going in this direction.

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I'm a fan of the APM option personally, although i'd be fine with an LRT as well. If they're planning to keep it separate from the green or blue lines, I think the APM makes more sense.

In any case, i'm hoping they do well with integrating the airport stations with the blue and green line stations to allow for seamless transfers.

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1 hour ago, chills_on_the_train said:

Phase 2 of the Airport Transit Study is in progress and will have a pair of Open Houses next week.

...

Cost Effective:

  • Service planning and operations are flexible and scalable to meet demands
  • Allows for stations to be sized to meet Airport Transit Connection demands. A spur forces the Airport Transit Connection station platforms to accommodate 4-car-trains

Customer Experience:

  • The frequency of service is maintained for the communities north of Airport Trail on both Green Line and Blue Line
  • The frequency of service for the Airport Transit Connection is not limited to mainline service
  • The system is easy-to-understand as it reduces customer confusion about which train to take at the mainline stations

I have to say I'm disappointed that we won't be able to take a simple spur of the Blue Line right from downtown to the airport, but I do understand their reasons for going in this direction.

- "Limited to mainline service" I don't see how much frequency an Airport line would need, if there's even less transit use than Vancouvers... even Winnipegs airport is fine with 15-30 minute bus service. Same with Edmontons. If its an LRV going back and forth, would it not be just fine as it is, with a 15-20 minute frequency with one or two LRV's at most? How much capacity does the Calgary airport need?! Unless Calgary Transit is planning to use it as a Crosstown route, as opposed to just an airport shuttle service.

- "Easy to Understand" If its that much of an issue that somehow no one could figure out that a train to the Airport wouldn't say "Airport" all over it, then why not just interline every second Blue train that comes through, layover at 88 for 2 minutes, and then continue to the Airport, layover for 8 more, and then go right back down to Downtown? For one, it would spare millions needed in automated trains, and ATU objections (automating jobs). But secondly, have the train stations in the NE and West specifically announce "This train: Airport via Northeast" or display: "AIRPORT, VIA NORTHEAST" - if that isn't enough, driver announcements at Saddletowne (first warning) and 88 Ave (final warning)? Plus also, if high-speed rail ever does come to fruition, why not use it as an Alberta form of GO Transit for Airdrie, providing them with train service which will also consequently lessen the burden on the NE LRT and Calgary Transit in the future? Granted I've posted before about Airdrie and Calgary... but there's alot of unanswered questions about the Airport line, and its impact in the future, particularly with sprawl gone wild in the far NE/the Airdrie area. If the Airport line is going to be built, maybe there should be considerations of having it run as an express line to Crossiron Mills/whatever Stoney Trail stations are planned in the future, while keeping the Blue Line from being too overstretched. That way, it can serve as a fast route for thousands of workers and travellers, boost inter-regional transit as well and potentially reduce overcrowding on the LRT, in the long run. 

It goes back into what I said in General Routes the other week - why complicate things with all of this other stuff, when they can just run branches and keep mainline frequencies just the same? It would save so much headaches... especially because, really, how hard could it be to add announcements, advertisements and stuff to an Airport spur line? Or even just running a straight Express train to Downtown, and building a third platform somewhere for it? If they really wanted to, just open up the tunnel spurs under City Hall, and use the NE tunnel spur... boom, instant express train to the airport, completely shielded from the elements, +15 access and everything.

Theres just a TON of unanswered questions with this, and utilizing existing infrastructure... just my two cents, though.

EDIT: also, if City Hall underground option exists, Calgary Transit/YYC Airport Authority can keep the higher fares, or even dare increase them to $10/trip. Revenue would offset construction significantly sooner, and City Hall underground could be made a secure-entrance station, with turnstiles and attendants/ticket machines for the Airport - or just base it off the honor system, but double the fare fines. It isn't a bad alternative idea.

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3 minutes ago, GrandeWest_B35G said:

Ding ding!

---

What were the 'transit history' things at Anderson and Chinook stations? Are/were there ones anywhere else besides Southland, Heritage, and Erlton/Stampede?

20190622_131707.jpg

Anderson from what I remember was the LRT, one slide of 7th Ave being ripped up, another of one of the first U2's at Anderson being pieced together.

Chinook? I wish I knew... last time I was in the station building was 2010/2011, before it got demolished. But assuming in between 1910s (Erlton) and Heritage (WW2), it might have been covered as Calgary expanding in the interwar years.

I really wish they would at least try to post more history about Transit in the city - especially since Victoria Park is about to get demolished, and the simple Arial font, primary color stations are all being remodelled, or plastered with Times New Roman... plus renovations and all, it would be nice to keep certain stations historically accurate and at the least, post historical interest around the stations themselves. Like before and afters, first day of service photos, 1988 Olympics, etc etc.

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9 hours ago, chills_on_the_train said:

Phase 2 of the Airport Transit Study is in progress and will have a pair of Open Houses next week.

[truncated]

I have to say I'm disappointed that we won't be able to take a simple spur of the Blue Line right from downtown to the airport, but I do understand their reasons for going in this direction.

And for many users, it'll add an extra transfer, which is quite inconvenient when you have luggage. For example, my quickest route to the airport from near the UoC is the 20 to 78th Ave Terminal and then the 300. The 300 portion takes around 20 minutes. The new connection would require transferring onto the Green Line and then again onto the airport connection (unless they extend the 20 all the way to the airport connection) - all of which will require waiting time in addition to the physical inconvenience of hauling luggage. It might get to the point where the time savings are nullified for existing 300 users. 

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1 hour ago, TimmyC62 said:

And for many users, it'll add an extra transfer, which is quite inconvenient when you have luggage. For example, my quickest route to the airport from near the UoC is the 20 to 78th Ave Terminal and then the 300. The 300 portion takes around 20 minutes. The new connection would require transferring onto the Green Line and then again onto the airport connection (unless they extend the 20 all the way to the airport connection) - all of which will require waiting time in addition to the physical inconvenience of hauling luggage. It might get to the point where the time savings are nullified for existing 300 users. 

Transfers, transfers, transfers. The city knows the data on transfers and the huge ridership drop after the second transfer. If people are gonna have to haul their luggage around waiting for transit, they most likely would rather just get a friend or an uber/cab. Less convenience = Less ridership

Edited by green_line_26
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18 minutes ago, nsCEO said:

So usually the best thing for technology is power cycling. 

During a technical difficulty (doors seem to be common) how does the operator completely kill power to the train? 

The operator can drop the pantographs, but I don't know if that's the only way

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8 minutes ago, GrandeWest_B35G said:

The operator can drop the pantographs, but I don't know if that's the only way

It's a really good idea to drop the pantagraphs then turn the batteries off for about 30 seconds to a minute on the SDs

S200s turning the auxiliary power off then on

U2s battery is off and on for like 10 seconds

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On 6/29/2019 at 10:39 PM, Nick B said:

A series of new tunnel lights around mid-height of the walls have been installed in the portals of the cemetery hill tunnel.

That's a temporary string of construction lights until the portal transition lights get fixed.

Well, looks like the long anticipated 15 minute headway on the 201 & 202 on weekends and late nights is finally coming, starting with the September sign-up.

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