Streetcar News

[Articulated]

Me, vivablue5215, TTC_1700 were at the torch 'relay' today at Yonge/College.

Protesters basically went into Yonge/College intersection (which was already mostly closed) and stood there for a while. When the flame wasn't arriving as scheduled (6:35ish instead of 6:15) they marched north on Yonge and met the flame at Wellesley (according to police radios).

The streetcar ride basically never happened - the flame got convoy'd to Bay Street where it picked up at Sick Kids again.

[63 Ossington]

I was there at Yonge and College/Carlton as well. It sucked that the streetcar thing didn't happen; I was looking forward to it. I didn't know where the flame was until a bit later; by the time I caught up to it, it was already on Elizabeth, just south of College. I ran with the flame the rest of the way.

[D. DeLarge]

There are still a few. One that comes to mind that's still there is St. Helens Meat Packers.

There's Maple Leaf Meats on Ethel, and there was a New York Pork at Symes (which is now closed due to a fire).

[wil9402]

Me, vivablue5215, TTC_1700 were at the torch 'relay' today at Yonge/College.

Protesters basically went into Yonge/College intersection (which was already mostly closed) and stood there for a while. When the flame wasn't arriving as scheduled (6:35ish instead of 6:15) they marched north on Yonge and met the flame at Wellesley (according to police radios).

The streetcar ride basically never happened - the flame got convoy'd to Bay Street where it picked up at Sick Kids again.

My cousin and I were at College & Elizabeth waiting for the streetcar to come. The protesters met up next to the Queen's Park Station entrance on the north east side before 6:00pm and started moving east to Elizabeth at 6:06pm. The police confined them to the eastbound lanes and blocked them from crossing Elizabeth until some of them found a way around on the side walk which is when all of the rushed a managed to get up to Bay St where they were blocked again. I saw a couple scuffles with police as they were moving to Bay St. The police managed to push them back and made them go south on Laplante Ave. As my cousin and I waited at Bay & College we saw that the protesters managed to make it to Yonge & College some how (most likely using Laplante-Gerrard-Yonge) so we waited a bit more to see if it was going to be cleared or not and then just gave up waiting as it was pretty cold and started walking to Yonge to find a place to eat. As we were walking we heard people saying that they rerouted the torch. We were planning on beating it to Nathan Phillips Square but it reached there just as we were finishing up our food (there was a TV set to CP24 in the restaurant).

While we were at Bay & College we saw a couple eastbound 506's get turned south on Bay. One of them had to back up, with the help of another operator, as he stopped on top of the switch before he was told to turn south.

BTW, OneStop screens at about 5:30pm or so were saying to expect delays on surface routes as well as a 30 minute delay on 506 at 6pm due to the torch relay.

[vivablue5215]

As we were walking we heard people saying that they rerouted the torch. We were planning on beating it to Nathan Phillips Square but it reached there just as we were finishing up our food (there was a TV set to CP24 in the restaurant).

As I just got back now...

The rerouting turned out to be down Elizabeth to Sick Kids, then up Elizabeth to Gerrard, east on Gerrard to Yonge, south on Yonge, west on Queen, and into City Hall via the south.

Me and YRTeen managed to meet the torch just outside Sick Kids, then again at Queen and Bay, then we saw the grand finale of lighting up the cauldron, along with the fireworks.

All in all, worth my $24.37 of coming back to Toronto when I could have been studying for exams. Though I really wish the streetcar portion happened...I even saw 4034 getting ready at Carlton and Victoria. Oh well.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, there were actually two torches, as I noticed two different torch bearers at those locations. They must have split the torch at Yonge and Wellesley to evade the protesters.

[63 Ossington]

The protesters came up from south to Yonge and College/Carlton. And I saw the 506 that had to back up as well. It spent quite a bit of time there. I was there at Nathan Phillips Square for the fireworks, and it was just spectacular! Unfortunately my camera was out of power by then... as for 4034, I was waiting and waiting for it, but it never came... I didn't know it was a only block away!

[Archer]

I figured I wouldn't be the only one at Yonge/Carlton. Wanted to see the streetcar, but oh well. At least I got a good angle at Nathan Phillips on the upper level to get some very nice photos of the torch and cauldron with my telephoto lens.

[Shaun]

I figured I wouldn't be the only one at Yonge/Carlton. Wanted to see the streetcar, but oh well. At least I got a good angle at Nathan Phillips on the upper level to get some very nice photos of the torch and cauldron with my telephoto lens.

I wonder if an idea like this would be good for Toronto Tourism?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?...628&nseq=33

[soo8513]

Question: Spotted 4211 on KING service this morning. Unit has halogen track lights and a very yellow (fog?) lamp as a centre lamp.

Experimental or what?

[T15111]

Question: Spotted 4211 on KING service this morning. Unit has halogen track lights and a very yellow (fog?) lamp as a centre lamp.

Experimental or what?

4211 has the LED just like every alrv but 4211 has the same LED brake lights like an CLRV. You will notice 4213 4231 have some LED turn signal lights. They start something but then they run out of parts.

Brad

[T15111]

4221 was sent up to H/C about 3 weeks ago they still have not started work on the car. 4230 came back over the weekend looks very good and u can tell the front had work done. You will notice the front fleet numbers are lower.

Brad

[Archer]

4221 was sent up to H/C about 3 weeks ago they still have not started work on the car. 4230 came back over the weekend looks very good and u can tell the front had work done. You will notice the front fleet numbers are lower.

Brad

If 4221 was the ALRV sitting out front of Harvey Shop that you could see from Bathurst, then they've taken it in for repairs... I noticed that it's not sitting out there anymore.

[wil9402]

Is 4134 the only CLRV with LED headlights? I rode it this past week on 510, it was the first time I've seen a CLRV with them that I can remember.

[T15111]

Is 4134 the only CLRV with LED headlights? I rode it this past week on 510, it was the first time I've seen a CLRV with them that I can remember.

4019 4034 are another 2 cars with LEDs and thats the Track lights with the LED on 4134. Only 4240 has a LED Head light.

Brad

[Tramguy]

TTC gives up idea of dividing the Queen Streetcar line. Toronto Star, Tuesday January 19th, 2010.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc/articl...ide-queen-route

[D40-90]

Good. That would've been stupid. At least the put some effort and listen to the riders

[Archer]

At least the put some effort and listen to the riders

They are... that's exactly why they were trying that proposal. People keep complaining about the service on Queen.

Sometimes the more hair-brained ideas are the ones that actual work the best; you have to give them all a chance.

[Downsview 108]

Why don't they bring back the Long Branch 507?

[DJ Orion]

TTC gives up attempt to divide Queen Streetcar. Toronto Star Tuesday January 19th, 2010.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc/articl...ide-queen-route

Here's the solution

301 Queen Blue Night would run between Long Branch and Neville

501 Queen would run between Humber and Neville

507 Long Branch would replace the 501 between Humber and Long Branch but with an extention to Dundas West Stn via Queensway and Roncy. This extention would give riders more choices to pick instead of just the 501 at Humber. Riders can go to Queen and Roncy on a 507 then transfer to a 504 to Downtown or if they want North Downtown area then 507 to Roncy and Howard Park to connect with the 506 or stay on the 507 to the Subway. THERE YA GO!!! More options for the riders instead of relying solely on the 501 Queen.

[63 Ossington]

Here's the solution

301 Queen Blue Night would run between Long Branch and Neville

501 Queen would run between Humber and Neville

507 Long Branch would replace the 501 between Humber and Long Branch but with an extention to Dundas West Stn via Queensway and Roncy. This extention would give riders more choices to pick instead of just the 501 at Humber. Riders can go to Queen and Roncy on a 507 then transfer to a 504 to Downtown or if they want North Downtown area then 507 to Roncy and Howard Park to connect with the 506 or stay on the 507 to the Subway. THERE YA GO!!! More options for the riders instead of relying solely on the 501 Queen.

Yes, I agree with this.

[6688]

Here's the solution

301 Queen Blue Night would run between Long Branch and Neville

501 Queen would run between Humber and Neville

507 Long Branch would replace the 501 between Humber and Long Branch but with an extention to Dundas West Stn via Queensway and Roncy. This extention would give riders more choices to pick instead of just the 501 at Humber. Riders can go to Queen and Roncy on a 507 then transfer to a 504 to Downtown or if they want North Downtown area then 507 to Roncy and Howard Park to connect with the 506 or stay on the 507 to the Subway. THERE YA GO!!! More options for the riders instead of relying solely on the 501 Queen.

I would've liked to have seen this tried, and very much have a tiny belief that the routing "could" work. I guess we will never find that out, unfortunately. With the construction currently tying up Roncesvalles as an option, it just gives the TTC an excuse to never try it. If I'm not mistaken, Steve Munro has also suggested a similar arrangement.

[wil9402]

507 Long Branch would replace the 501 between Humber and Long Branch but with an extention to Dundas West Stn via Queensway and Roncy. This extention would give riders more choices to pick instead of just the 501 at Humber. Riders can go to Queen and Roncy on a 507 then transfer to a 504 to Downtown or if they want North Downtown area then 507 to Roncy and Howard Park to connect with the 506 or stay on the 507 to the Subway. THERE YA GO!!! More options for the riders instead of relying solely on the 501 Queen.

I would've liked to have seen this tried, and very much have a tiny belief that the routing "could" work. I guess we will never find that out, unfortunately. With the construction currently tying up Roncesvalles as an option, it just gives the TTC an excuse to never try it. If I'm not mistaken, Steve Munro has also suggested a similar arrangement.

If this was ever done I'm assuming that 507 would use the 504 platform at Dundas West Station since they'd both provide service on Roncesvalles. In this case, would it not start creating the problems that 504 and 505 had with sharing a platform before they made the new second platforms at Dundas West & Broadview or would 507's lower frequency reduce the chance of them blocking 504s?

[GM artic 5001]

If they did do this they would have to turn every other wb 504 car back @ Queen/Roncy so there would not be too much congestion at DWS. The 507 would use the 504 platform so Roncy-bound passengers are all on one platform. With this change, they would have to increase the 507 service to every 8-10 throughout the day and every 10-15 min throughout the evening to better gel in with schedules with 501 and 504. BTW , there would still be 501"Humber" service, but every other car would be turned back @ Sunnyside loop as there would now be 507 travelling across Queensway. U can't remove the 501 service completely from the Queensway due to the Hospital and all the new townhouses/condos near Ellis/Windemere who rely on that direct to/from downtown service. This arrangement would require 2-3 more car but that would be augmented by the revised 501/504.

Mr. Chamberlain seem pretty genuinely concerned about the whole Queen thing so Im preety optimistic that they will give the 507 plan a try when Roncy is all done.

[D40-90]

Most people go Downtown. so they should just run 508, and don't even bother with 507. Run 508 outside of Rush hour and/or more frequent.

[Gil]

Most people go Downtown. so they should just run 508, and don't even bother with 507. Run 508 outside of Rush hour and/or more frequent.

I believe Steve Munro's proposal would have the 507 run into downtown during the rush hours and up to Dundas West in off-peak hours. It would essentially eliminate the 508 or run it on Queen instead. I'm not sure of the details off hand, but perhaps the 507 would use the 508 routing on King with the turnback at Parliament.