Vancouver Trolleybus Discussion

[Express691]

Reminds me:

Once upon a time, there was a dashcam video of a 19 that missed the turn into Metrotown Station. Wires came off as the bus was trying to perform a 3-point turn and ended up stuck in the middle of the road.

Not sure if it's taken down though.

Also, don't be this guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWiRu4flgAE

 

[captaintrolley]

7 hours ago, Express691 said:

Wires came off as the bus was trying to perform a 3-point turn and ended up stuck in the middle of the road.

Wires coming down is never a good thing. It is very dangerous to everyone in the area until the power company can shut off the power.

[Electric]

23 hours ago, madog222 said:

Not to mention it is illegal to perform a u-turn…

What I meant was u-turns at non-traffic-light intersections, like how the 2 MACDONALD-16TH turns around using a u-turn on 16th Avenue. But now, it doesn’t appear feasible or beneficial to install new wires to let trolleys turn around anywhere in the middle of the road.

 

23 hours ago, Express691 said:

-spends money on u-turn wires
-still require buses to de-wire to turn around

??????????

 

[Express691]

Delete

[TranslinkKid]

The only place where trolleys kinda make a U turn today are UBC Loop and Marine Dr Stn. There were U-turn wires before at Cambie & 29th, 49th, and 64th.

[Electric]

20 hours ago, TranslinkKid said:

The only place where trolleys kinda make a U turn today are UBC Loop and Marine Dr Stn. There were U-turn wires before at Cambie & 29th, 49th, and 64th.

For the 15 when it was a trolley route.

[Michael Marriott]

Some major modifications to the overhead has occurred due to construction on the Granville Bridge.  The NB Granville wire has been removed from 5th Ave to Drake St, leaving only the Seymour wire.  All NB service is being routed via the Seymour off ramp, then jogging back to Granville via Davie St.  In addition, the switch just north of 5th Ave has been modified so that the straight/coast direction which previously went to the Granville wire now connects to the Seymour wire, while the right turn/power direction that used to lead to Seymour is now a dead end.  It is quite odd to see only a single set of wires NB on the Granville Bridge.

[Michael Marriott]

SB detours on the Granville Bridge began today, with all service jogging over on Davie to Howe, then heading south to the bridge.  The SB wire on Granville has been removed from Drake to where the Howe St on ramp merges onto the bridge.  

The wire setup is interesting; the SB Howe wire has been routed onto the Granville/inner wire where the on ramp merges onto the main bridge.  The remaining SB Howe/outer wire is tied off at this point, then proceeds normally over the bridge to the merge at the south end.  This may change soon; when I was on the bridge the overhead crews had just arrived, and may be removing the inaccessible SB wire off, leaving only a single wire just as they did NB.

[SeanNelson]

On 2/22/2024 at 7:36 PM, Electric said:

About the wires in Vancouver: besides wires on main trolley routes, there are some that exist on minor streets and where trolleys won’t normally travel. (Such as, Frederick Street, Slocan St, Beatrice St, 34th Avenue).

Many of those wired routes are there because of past operations.  For example the wires on 22nd Ave, Slocan Street and on 34th Ave exist because of the former 11/24 Stanley Park /Nanaimo route - it used to run to Kingsway and Slocan and turn around using 34th Ave until the Skytrain opened and the route was truncated.  A similar situation exists with the wires running along Earles Street to Kingsway.

[martin607]

Most if not all of the seemingly unused sections of wiring are in fact in use either for garage runs (both NIS and sometimes in service) or for diversions or special situations. TL and its predecessors' policy seems to be "it might come in useful sometime".

When the Expo line openend and trolleybus service was truncated to Nanaimo station, the previous in service wires on E. 22nd Ave and Slocan Street were (and are) still needed for deadhead runs from/to VTC.

Even more intersting is that the wires for the 16 on Earles are not just deadhead wires, some of the garage runs from VTC actually enter public service at Earles and Kingsway. the M-F times are 04.53; 05.10; 05.27; 05.44; 06.01; 06.25; 07.20. Equally there are two homebound 16s that conitinue in service beyond 29th Ave Station the Earles at Kingsway at 01.18 and 01,49.

[Express691]

FWIW NYCMTA has purchased 5 Solaris URBINO buses for demonstration purposes.

On a more local note, there will be detours April 13 for the 3/8 trolley runs in the 49th avenue area due to Vaisakhi Parade.

[buizelbus]

On 4/5/2024 at 11:10 PM, Express691 said:

FWIW NYCMTA has purchased 5 Solaris URBINO buses for demonstration purposes.

To further comment these test units are being shipped in from Europe, being purchased with municipal funds to avoid US content requirements. Press release states that their NA factory will be up and running in the next few years, producing exclusively battery electric and trolleybuses. They state their intention to bid on the Vancouver trolley contract. I wonder if we might see Solaris bidding on Vancouver BEV contracts around the same time, too.

[hallmich]

11 hours ago, buizelbus said:

To further comment these test units are being shipped in from Europe, being purchased with municipal funds to avoid US content requirements. Press release states that their NA factory will be up and running in the next few years, producing exclusively battery electric and trolleybuses. They state their intention to bid on the Vancouver trolley contract. I wonder if we might see Solaris bidding on Vancouver BEV contracts around the same time, too.

Do you have a link to that press release?

[madog222]

A development permit has been submitted to the city to build a new Oakridge Rectifier Station as part of redevelopment of the Oakridge Transit Centre site.  It will be relocated to the west side of the site just north of the gas station at the Oak & 41st intersection.