St. Clair ROW

[drum118]

Overhead work at the Robina/St.Clair branch-off is ramping up again. Support wires are in place and "mounting brackets" are set up for the power wire as well. Its pretty much a web there without the actual power wire and frogs.

Also, I noticed in the past few weeks that the 512 replacement buses quite often leave the Oakwood Loop in pairs or even trios after a layover, which looks pretty bad. Just saying.

It a little of this and that for weeks for the Oakwood Loop.

Here is a

of Gunns Loop.

[63 Ossington]

The Oakwood Loop has the power wire up, but still needs to be formally set up still. There still needs to be other wires hooked up to it, brackets, insulators, frogs, etc. etc. Its brown too.

[smallspy]

Its brown too.

Not brown - raw copper.

Dan

[drum118]

Here

from the 22th and a fair amount of work has taken place this week.

[Grapejuice]

That's a neat little video. Love the drumming in it drum118. No if only they could extend that out to Jane or Scarlett.

We have no parking meters

One of MANY reasons we need SUBWAYS not Right-of-ways!

[Orion9131]

That's a neat little video. Love the drumming in it drum118. No if only they could extend that out to Jane or Scarlett.

One of MANY reasons we need SUBWAYS not Right-of-ways!

YES!!!

We need a St. Clair Subway to Big box retail!

[63 Ossington]

Could the TTC be testing cars on the Oakwood Loop right now? I've been hearing the "squeals" associated with turning streetcars every 15-20 mins from that direction for the past hour or so. And its the same sound as when the cars were actually turning back at Oakwood Loop in the past.

[rollsign29]

Could the TTC be testing cars on the Oakwood Loop right now? I've been hearing the "squeals" associated with turning streetcars every 15-20 mins from that direction for the past hour or so. And its the same sound as when the cars were actually turning back at Oakwood Loop in the past.

There's something I saw Sunday with the new wire on Oakwood Loop that leads me to believe it's not done. The hanger clips off the wire along the straight piece on Oakwood aren't hanging properly (they're to the side instead of vertically). Either there is too much slack in the line, or they haven't gone back to adjust things for final installation.

Not sure about everyone else's opinion, but I'm not much of a fan of this "new wave" of overhead wire supports. I much prefer the cleanliness and less "visually polluting" look of the "organized cobwebs" you see downtown (even the original section of the ROW from Vaughan to Yonge was hung in the "old" style). The new style would look a bit nicer too if they trimmed and cleaned up the excess wire clamped down too.

Also, drove past Gunn's today. If anyone wants one last look, there's about 100 ft of original track left through the intersection that could be gone by weeks end with the way they're moving lately. Certainly not wasting any time (about 80% of the track around the loop/on the street is done).

[Grapejuice]

Not sure about everyone else's opinion, but I'm not much of a fan of this "new wave" of overhead wire supports. I much prefer the cleanliness and less "visually polluting" look of the "organized cobwebs" you see downtown (even the original section of the ROW from Vaughan to Yonge was hung in the "old" style). The new style would look a bit nicer too if they trimmed and cleaned up the excess wire clamped down too.

Yeah, I've got mixed feelings about the new method they are using. I think it looks cleaner (duh it's NEW), yet there's something about it that still seems cluttered. I was in Edmonton back in October and there were a lot of sections of the city that still had the wires up for the extinct trolleys. Something about they way they hung them made them almost disappear, and as you know trolleys have two wires! It's probably because the wires are in the curb lane and the center of the street is wide open were as the street cars with only one wire are in the centre and don't really hide under lamp posts and other such utility poles that are there anyway. I guess that's another point to support trolleys, rather then get rid of them like so many agencies have done. I don't know what city the attached photo is from, but it reminds me of some intersections of streetcar and trolley wires where the mish mash of wires strung from every which way and looked as though it was about ready to fall and snare everyone under it like a giant net trap if you looked at it the wrong way. So despite my mixed feelings about the new way I prefer it to the spider web.

[CLRV4037]

There's something I saw Sunday with the new wire on Oakwood Loop that leads me to believe it's not done. The hanger clips off the wire along the straight piece on Oakwood aren't hanging properly (they're to the side instead of vertically). Either there is too much slack in the line, or they haven't gone back to adjust things for final installation.

Not sure about everyone else's opinion, but I'm not much of a fan of this "new wave" of overhead wire supports. I much prefer the cleanliness and less "visually polluting" look of the "organized cobwebs" you see downtown (even the original section of the ROW from Vaughan to Yonge was hung in the "old" style). The new style would look a bit nicer too if they trimmed and cleaned up the excess wire clamped down too.

Also, drove past Gunn's today. If anyone wants one last look, there's about 100 ft of original track left through the intersection that could be gone by weeks end with the way they're moving lately. Certainly not wasting any time (about 80% of the track around the loop/on the street is done).

Was talking to an overhead guy, this style of overhead can accept pantographs. When the time to convert to pantograph comes all they'll need to do is change the frogs.

[drum118]

The word is, service to Gunns Loop will or could be a week or 2 late going into service due to the overhead issues.

No idea why it taking so long to get the overhead up considering Phase IV was to be up months ago as far as Old Weston Rd.

I can see some extra time for Oakwood Loop since it a new style and learning on the job for it. It supposed to be the same system for Gunns and one hope crews learn from their Mistake with Oakwood for it to speed things up.

Art work is about to go up on the shelters.

Some type of formal/official opening of the whole ROW is to take place after it is up and running, but when is unknown.

Other than Phase I, the overhead for the other phases can be use for Pantograph when TTC decide to move to it.

[63 Ossington]

The Oakwood Loop is now OPEN to streetcar traffic! 4158 used it today to head back to St.Clair Station at around 3:20 PM.

EDIT: The entire St.Clair ROW is expected to open July 5th.

[drum118]

Wires are up for Gunns Loop as well Phase IV

My comments on Youtube

If it wasn't for the mistakes, could be open this months as plan.

[wil9402]

Wires are up for Gunns Loop as well Phase IV

My comments on Youtube

If it wasn't for the mistakes, could be open this months as plan.

According to the service summary, streetcars will serve the whole route starting June 20th. They have just over a week to finish it, if not then some temporary shuttles will have to be planned.

[drum118]

According to the service summary, streetcars will serve the whole route starting June 20th. They have just over a week to finish it, if not then some temporary shuttles will have to be planned.

TTC has already plan for the worse if the loop is not ready for the 20th. Buses will still run like they do today until it open.

Lots of extra streetcars short turning at Oakwood let alone going to Lansdowne starting the 20th.

TTC is on record saying it will open by July 5 and could open the week of the 20th.

I asked at TTC last meeting about the 20th and was told still a week or 2 delay.

Lots of work to be done for it to be open on the 20th.

Depending on the mistakes as to what they are and how long they take to fix is going to drive the opening day. In couple of the photos, you can see the marking removed for the curb and where the curb has already been cut.

The loop maybe open to the streetcars, but you have to grab the 71 like you do today until the busbay is ready.

[drum118]

There will be no Streetcar service to Gunns Loop as plan for June 20 and maybe not for July 5, the backup date.

They finally decided about the hydro vault that was in the way as you left the loop and it has to move 2 feet from where it is now. I forgot about this and it has taken 6 weeks to come up with this move that I knew would happen from Day One. Manhole cover was under one of the rail on the curve.

TTC decided that the curb for the bus bay was in the wrong position and in the way for buses making a right hand turn out of the loop. Therefore the curb is been relocated to TTC requirement at extra cost to the contractor as well delay. It also means moving some of the existing sidewalk within the bus bay as well the street sidewalk. Who was sleeping at TTC when this plan was design and approve??

Now, based on where the new curb is going, there is a street pole in the way and are they going to leave it or move it?? If they have to move it, forget July service. Overhead support will have to be redone all over again for this area let alone moving that pole and footing.

Because of the G20, no pay duty officers can be had at this time to deal with the paving of Keele Intersection until July. The ROW is been used for Westbound traffic from Old Weston Rd to Gunns Rd today so the lanes can be pave. Eastbound is to take place on Friday and Sat. I never checked Old Weston Rd Intersection to see if it was paved on Tuesday.

There is still a lot of landscaping to done yet as well adding the sidewalk light poles.

No shelter work has taken place yet and they have to be in place before service starts.

The contractor is making extra $$ profit with these change orders, delays and is laughing all the way to the bank. What is an extra few $10,000+ change orders to this project considering it over budget now!

[Archer]

TTC decided that the curb for the bus bay was in the wrong position and in the way for buses making a right hand turn out of the loop. Therefore the curb is been relocated to TTC requirement at extra cost to the contractor as well delay. It also means moving some of the existing sidewalk within the bus bay as well the street sidewalk. Who was sleeping at TTC when this plan was design and approve??

Whose to say that the contractor didn't screw this one up? When I worked construction, many times things were not laid out properly according to the plans, and that easily could have occurred here.

[Tramguy]

I never checked Old Weston Rd Intersection to see if it was paved on Tuesday.

It was paved on Tuesday afternoon as I was heading east on St Clair, forced to go north at Keele and when I got back to Weston Road and St Clair, the intersection was being paved. I could only turn right or west. I was heading to a memorial service at Timothy Eaton at Yonge and St Clair. Gave up and went home, the delay was horrendous!

[Orion9131]

The PCC will be running on St. Clair this Sunday during the "St. Clair on the Street" festival: 9am to 8pm.

[rollsign29]

Just got a TTC Alert email stating that the full ROW will be open as of the beginning of service on Wednesday.

[wil9402]

Just got a TTC Alert email stating that the full ROW will be open as of the beginning of service on Wednesday.

I'm surprised they would do this as the shelters at Old Weston, Keele as well as Gunns Loop, among other things at the loop, are not complete yet.

[skyward]

so this implies the end of time based transfers as a result of the completion of the row? how did ttc evaluate on the transfer trial?

[wil9402]

I just got off 4144 at Gunns loop. Streetcars are running the full route. Although some of the shelters are not complete along with the loop. They are currently putting in the grass.

[wil9402]

The shelters at Old Weston, Keele, Gunns/Old Stock Yard (new eastbound stop) as well as Gunns loop need to be completed. Also, the pole at the bus exit still needs to be moved. No bus can enter the loop by coming southbound on Gunns because there is a pole that prevents them from being able to do a right turn, as was attempted by a Mount Dennis driver yesterday. Hopefully they also put in a shelter on the bus side of the loop as well. Other than that stuff the ROW is pretty much completed and running well, the only problem area where streetcars have to move cautiously is at the railway underpass between Keele and Old Weston. Since there is nothing dividing the streetcars from traffic. We got stuck next to an NG on 41 because the driver's mirror was to close to the streetcar. One smart thing they did there though is they put in those yellow plastic barriers, similar to the white ones at Dundas West Station, to prevent drivers from doing u-turns at the underpass.

[Transit pizza]

so this implies the end of time based transfers as a result of the completion of the row? how did ttc evaluate on the transfer trial?

Not happening.

Apparently time based transfers are being kept to encourage riders to shop on St. Clair.