Streetcar News

[dowlingm]

 

Fortunately, that's likely not going to happen. For all his populist ideas, he's no more than a fringe candidate. In the event he ever did get elected, he'd have no support whatsoever from council who would shun him then, as they do now as a councilor.

Agreed - he has all of Mel's bad points without his common touch. Ford is the kind of guy who will criticise TTC for allowing a guy to earn 100K as a collector due overtime, but if they hire another guy to work that time instead he's criticise them for increasing headcount.

[buschic]

Rocco Rossi scares me more than Rob Ford ever could, I live south of his (Ford's) Ward, Central Etobicoke to be exact, I've heard nothing but complaints from people that do live in his ward, he doesn't care for the disabled, he in fact does not even follow up on Audible traffic light system requests, and he wont do braille for anything, hes a nasty bugger, yes, but From what I've heard he is but a softy when compared to Rocco Rossi.

[dowlingm]

Smitherman thought we didn't need new streetcars at one point. There's no peach in this race.

[Gil]

Some news on the streetcar next vehicle displays from the Toronto Star:

TTC adds conveniences to the system

At last: next-streetcar screens and pass vending machines

Published On Thu Apr 1 2010

Tess Kalinowski

Transportation Reporter

Some of the TTC’s long-promised customer conveniences are kicking in this long weekend.

St. Clair, Main, Broadview, Dundas West and Bathurst stations will all have next-vehicle-arrival screens for streetcars by Friday, TTC chair Adam Giambrone announced on Facebook Thursday.

The program is being rolled out officially in the next two weeks, according to TTC spokesperson Brad Ross, probably at Broadview station, where the shelter uses solar power.

The screens are being phased in gradually. But by July, all streetcar stops will have a unique identification number that riders can input to their cellphones to get a text message telling them when the next car is due to arrive.

The same convenience won’t be available on buses until early next year because the buses are still being modified with new GPS units.

The TTC also announced Thursday that it has activated fare-vending machines at nine stations throughout the system. Commuters can use their debit or credit cards to buy passes at Bathurst, Bloor, Scarborough Town Centre, Union Station, Queen, Islington, St. Clair, Eglinton, Finch and Bathurst station.

Some of the machines were operating earlier, while others had been awaiting activation. More will be installed throughout the system in the coming months.

Meantime, the TTC continues the long-weekend tradition of running historic Peter Witt and PCC streetcars in the annual Beaches Easter parade.

Looks like a modern return of TimeLine with stops numbers being reintroduced to streetcar stops. However it'll be text-only instead of a dial-up service.

College station also has the fare-vending machines. It's being kept behind a barricade apparently until activation.

[Tom1122]

Does anyone know if the PCCs will be used in service on 509 on Sundays again this year or will they just be used on certain holidays (Canada Day, Simcoe day, and Labour day Monday?)

[D40-90]

Smitherman thought we didn't need new streetcars at one point. There's no peach in this race.

Does he still think that? I heard rumors about it.

[vivablue5215]

Does anyone know if the PCCs will be used in service on 509 on Sundays again this year or will they just be used on certain holidays (Canada Day, Simcoe day, and Labour day Monday?)

Yes. According to Steve Munro's website, the PCC will operate as an extra on Sundays starting May 9.

[buschic]

Smitherman thought we didn't need new streetcars at one point. There's no peach in this race.

nope, there isn't one person that stands out as a Pro-Transit candidate this time.. sad to see that..

Does anyone know if the PCCs will be used in service on 509 on Sundays again this year or will they just be used on certain holidays (Canada Day, Simcoe day, and Labour day Monday?)

I'm wondering the same, as I have been looking around, asking question to friends on the 'inside' no one seems to know a definite yes or no answer, much less details on which days, service levels.

Yes. According to Steve Munro's website, the PCC will operate as an extra on Sundays starting May 9.

as an Extra? hmm, could that mean that its not a guarantee that they are actually going to be out there, I've heard that sort of promise before from TTC,and it was never fulfilled.

[vivablue5215]

as an Extra? hmm, could that mean that its not a guarantee that they are actually going to be out there, I've heard that sort of promise before from TTC,and it was never fulfilled.

I'll quote from Steve Munro what it exactly says:

One PCC car will operate on the Harbourfront route on Sundays until September 5, 2010 between 1130 and 1930. This will run as an extra, and will be subject to availability of both a car and an operator.

[buschic]

I'll quote from Steve Munro what it exactly says:

Thanks Vivablue5215.. I haven't been on his site for a long time..

[BusFreak93]

there used to be an old photo in this thread I believe, black and white showing a UTDC Concept for our streetcars before they looked the way they do. Anyone have an idea what Im talking about?

[T15111]

4197 looking all new and fresh you can still smell the new paint job. 4197 came back from Truck overhaul friday with the new LED marker/track etc lights also with brand new front/rear anti-climbers. Its is also the first car with the new driver sheilds that the cars will be getting.

This month they where going to start building the new carhouse at leslie and lakeshore but with everthing going on with money and the public meetings turning into big fights its not looking to go. I have seen the yard design for the new yard looks good more repair bays and paint shop and 2 service lines just like buses. Its all outdoor parking which is stupid should be all indoor i guess they will never learn all the problems we have because the cars get parked outside in the everyday changing wealther just because there new cars dont mean nothing.

204 new cars is the plan and they will be keeping 133 CLRVs!!!! The ALRVs will all be strap/retired!! They will be starting work at roncy to improve the carhouse for new cars and the main thing our shop 24/25 track re-wheele cars is something they want to do at roncy now!! Right now 4224 4247 are at Harvey for that and they say its a waste of man power when they could be doing more overhauls.

Something else that just happen the past 2 weeks CIS was at the Gunns building with Transit control and having more supervisors on the street running the lines instead of having a CIS nobody liked it, when shedmen had to do change offs they werent allowed to call CIS which is stupid.

Enjoy the info

Brad

[D. DeLarge]

4197 looking all new and fresh you can still smell the new paint job. 4197 came back from Truck overhaul friday with the new LED marker/track etc lights also with brand new front/rear anti-climbers. Its is also the first car with the new driver sheilds that the cars will be getting.

This month they where going to start building the new carhouse at leslie and lakeshore but with everthing going on with money and the public meetings turning into big fights its not looking to go. I have seen the yard design for the new yard looks good more repair bays and paint shop and 2 service lines just like buses. Its all outdoor parking which is stupid should be all indoor i guess they will never learn all the problems we have because the cars get parked outside in the everyday changing wealther just because there new cars dont mean nothing.

204 new cars is the plan and they will be keeping 133 CLRVs!!!! The ALRVs will all be strap/retired!! They will be starting work at roncy to improve the carhouse for new cars and the main thing our shop 24/25 track re-wheele cars is something they want to do at roncy now!! Right now 4224 4247 are at Harvey for that and they say its a waste of man power when they could be doing more overhauls.

Something else that just happen the past 2 weeks CIS was at the Gunns building with Transit control and having more supervisors on the street running the lines instead of having a CIS nobody liked it, when shedmen had to do change offs they werent allowed to call CIS which is stupid.

Enjoy the info

Brad

Thanks for your updates Brad. Fascinating info.

I'm sure they have logical reasons for the outdoor parking, but I agree with you. The cars will fair better over time with indoor storage.

[Tom1122]

If the TTC's keeping 133 CLRVs, I wonder how much they're kicking themselves for sending 4063 to scrap.

4197 looking all new and fresh you can still smell the new paint job. 4197 came back from Truck overhaul friday with the new LED marker/track etc lights also with brand new front/rear anti-climbers. Its is also the first car with the new driver sheilds that the cars will be getting.

This month they where going to start building the new carhouse at leslie and lakeshore but with everthing going on with money and the public meetings turning into big fights its not looking to go. I have seen the yard design for the new yard looks good more repair bays and paint shop and 2 service lines just like buses. Its all outdoor parking which is stupid should be all indoor i guess they will never learn all the problems we have because the cars get parked outside in the everyday changing wealther just because there new cars dont mean nothing.

204 new cars is the plan and they will be keeping 133 CLRVs!!!! The ALRVs will all be strap/retired!! They will be starting work at roncy to improve the carhouse for new cars and the main thing our shop 24/25 track re-wheele cars is something they want to do at roncy now!! Right now 4224 4247 are at Harvey for that and they say its a waste of man power when they could be doing more overhauls.

Something else that just happen the past 2 weeks CIS was at the Gunns building with Transit control and having more supervisors on the street running the lines instead of having a CIS nobody liked it, when shedmen had to do change offs they werent allowed to call CIS which is stupid.

Enjoy the info

Brad

[Orion VIII]

If the TTC's keeping 133 CLRVs, I wonder how much they're kicking themselves for sending 4063 to scrap.

Probably not at all. My understanding (and it was very visible) is that everything that could possibly have been used on any other cars was removed. As you can see, in the last photos taken of it, all that was scrapped was essentially the frame.

[Articulated]

Probably not at all. My understanding (and it was very visible) is that everything that could possibly have been used on any other cars was removed. As you can see, in the last photos taken of it, all that was scrapped was essentially the frame.

Something tells me that if 133 CLRVs are being kept, the remaining 62 that are being scrapped will have the same treatment as 4063 - cannabalized for parts to keep those 133 running.

[Downsview 108]

As long as they stick around. This is great news (except for the ALRV's)

[IRT_BMT_IND]

204 new cars is the plan and they will be keeping 133 CLRVs!!!! The ALRVs will all be strap/retired!! They will be starting work at roncy to improve the carhouse for new cars and the main thing our shop 24/25 track re-wheele cars is something they want to do at roncy now!! Right now 4224 4247 are at Harvey for that and they say its a waste of man power when they could be doing more overhauls.

Brad

Nice! I guess that addresses the concerns that the 204 new cars alone would not be enough to properly operate the system.

[smallspy]

Nice! I guess that addresses the concerns that the 204 new cars alone would not be enough to properly operate the system.

Except that by a capacity standpoint, the 204 cars would easily handle the existing system.

Whether that fleet could handle any increases in the future is another question.

Dan

[T15111]

Something tells me that if 133 CLRVs are being kept, the remaining 62 that are being scrapped will have the same treatment as 4063 - cannabalized for parts to keep those 133 running.

There been already a number of CLRV with the truck overhaul those are the cars they will be keeping around, so far its been some 4000's and some 4100's. The remaining cars not everything will be kept for parts the reason the 62 cars are being retired is because they are in really bad shape and not all the parts are good. The TTC engineers have done fleet checks where all the cars where brought inside on a few weekends and the cars where looked at all over. They also looked at the cars HISTORY everytime a car comes in for a problem it goes into the computer and into the cars history. The reason they looked into that is to see the number of problems the car has gone threw and see how many time sertain parts have been changed and that is how the 133 cars where picked and how the rest will be retired and the good parts will be saved.

Brad

[drum118]

Except that by a capacity standpoint, the 204 cars would easily handle the existing system.

Whether that fleet could handle any increases in the future is another question.

Dan

According to TTC own numbers per 2005 presentation to TTC Commissioners, TTC will be short 95 CLRV's come 2018.

Doing the 3/2, that another 32 cars that needs to be added to the current 204.

Letting the bean counters at the numbers, headway would increase as much as 50% from existing service. This is for the current new fleet.

This was before TC surface.

All we are doing is moving from one cattle car to another one by not having more than 204 cars to deal with the existing service.

Until something is done with traffic, we are throwing resources out the window to maintain a schedule/headway that exist today.

[TDE]

According to TTC own numbers per 2005 presentation to TTC Commissioners, TTC will be short 95 CLRV's come 2018.

Doing the 3/2, that another 32 cars that needs to be added to the current 204.

Letting the bean counters at the numbers, headway would increase as much as 50% from existing service. This is for the current new fleet.

This was before TC surface.

All we are doing is moving from one cattle car to another one by not having more than 204 cars to deal with the existing service.

Until something is done with traffic, we are throwing resources out the window to maintain a schedule/headway that exist today.

Then kids, let's sound it out!

Don't scrap the ALRV's! However I suppose they're in rough shape becuase of the demand and loads they endure nearly every day.

[smallspy]

According to TTC own numbers per 2005 presentation to TTC Commissioners, TTC will be short 95 CLRV's come 2018.

Doing the 3/2, that another 32 cars that needs to be added to the current 204.

Letting the bean counters at the numbers, headway would increase as much as 50% from existing service. This is for the current new fleet.

This was before TC surface.

All we are doing is moving from one cattle car to another one by not having more than 204 cars to deal with the existing service.

Until something is done with traffic, we are throwing resources out the window to maintain a schedule/headway that exist today.

A couple of things missing from your numbers Dave....

The new cars are replacing the CLRVs on an almost 2:1 basis for capacity purposes. The Commission claimed that they would be short the capacity of 95 CLRVs, but that was working under the assumption that they would continue to have the current fleet numbers. 195 CLRVs plus 52 ALRVs which equal 78 CLRVs, which when you add them up equal 273 50-foot-equivalent units. 204 new cars are the equivalent of about 400 50-foot-equivalent units.

And Transit City had nothing to do with those cars or those capacity numbers anyways - they are an entirely different fleet that isn't interchangeable. The cars required for the West Waterfront LRT are built into that budget and have no bearing on the rest of the system.

I know you've been going to more meetings than I have, so how come you don't have the numbers if they are in the TTC's own reports?

Dan

[Tom1122]

I'm sure an ALRV will find its way to HCRR. I assume they'd wait until the TTC retires the 133 CLRVs they plan to retain before they pick up a CLRV.

[BusFreak93]

I know the Transit City vehicles with have the pantographs but the "replacements" won't right?