Waterloo Region Transit Developments (ION LRT, new terminal, GRT buses)

[Duck]

Before anyone asks, the old wooden tied track will be removed and replaced in the next little while.

 

[BMO]

Any visible work being done for stations at DC and Waterloo Park?

 

[Duck]

I don't know what DC is but the tracks end right now about 50m North of the Waterloo Park ("Seagram") station. The area is now all graded for the platforms. There is a lot of detail track work at this one for the gauntlet because it happens before the crossing, so there will be 6 rails (not 4) cutting through the crossing.

The Research & Technology platform is starting to take shape and the gauntlet track switches (but not the rails) are in place. The platforms at Gauckel have forms up and may be poured by now.

DC - do you mean Davis Centre aka the University of Waterloo stop?

 

[Markster]

I don't know what DC is [...]

DC - do you mean Davis Centre aka the University of Waterloo stop?

That is indeed what DC means in Waterloo.

So far this summer, there's been a lot of earthworks for the two stations, and their rough elevations are in place. They're still using temporary track to maintain functionality of the spur, and as Duck has said, some complicated trackwork has just started construction recently. Once the gauntlet tracks are built for each of the stations, the second track will go in rather quickly, as it will be much simpler.
The station platforms themselves are yet to be worked on.

 

[BMO]

I don't know what DC is but the tracks end right now about 50m North of the Waterloo Park ("Seagram") station. The area is now all graded for the platforms. There is a lot of detail track work at this one for the gauntlet because it happens before the crossing, so there will be 6 rails (not 4) cutting through the crossing.

The Research & Technology platform is starting to take shape and the gauntlet track switches (but not the rails) are in place. The platforms at Gauckel have forms up and may be poured by now.

DC - do you mean Davis Centre aka the University of Waterloo stop?

That is indeed what DC means in Waterloo.

So far this summer, there's been a lot of earthworks for the two stations, and their rough elevations are in place. They're still using temporary track to maintain functionality of the spur, and as Duck has said, some complicated trackwork has just started construction recently. Once the gauntlet tracks are built for each of the stations, the second track will go in rather quickly, as it will be much simpler.
The station platforms themselves are yet to be worked on.

Cheers thanks guys.

 

[Duck]

Lived in KW for 15 years and that's the first time I've ever heard it called "DC"

 

[nfitz]

Lived in KW for 15 years and that's the first time I've ever heard it called "DC"

Lived in KW for near 20 years, and often called it the Davis Centre DC. That's what it's shown as on the UW maps. And the library homepage - http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/index.php

 

[BMO]

Lived in KW for near 20 years, and often called it the Davis Centre DC. That's what it's shown as on the UW maps. And the library homepage - http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/index.php

Yup called it DC because of Davis Centre

 

[P0per]

Any visible work being done for stations at DC and Waterloo Park?

This is from a week and a half ago, but Waterloo park station area has been filled and graded.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr


Still lots of work to go for UW station as well, but things are picking up now the east retaining wall is in place.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

Another view of the UW station area construction (from about a month ago)
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

 

[timio]

Recent (30 minutes ago) view of University of Waterloo station. DC (Davis Centre) is on the left.

 

[P0per]

Oct 18

New track, including work for Gauntlet track bypass of station, going in at UW
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

Any visible work being done for stations at DC and Waterloo Park?

New track going in at Waterloo Park
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr


King St. by Grand River Hospital looking clean, new utility poles up on East side. Will we be seeing rails laid here shortly?
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr


Piles and Excavation for King St. Grade Separation at Guelph Sub
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr


Very cool - trackwork at Charles and Benton, where the downtown one-way routes merge.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

BUT, the surface of those track "basins" seem to be loose gravel. Are they not going to be using the same cement that they've been using for the road crossings? It's seriously going to be just loose gravel like the CN spur lines that they've been realigning the tracks to? That's kind of gross looking for the middle of the city.

I think that's just a factor of poor labeling. It's pretty much assured that any in-road sections are going to be paved with concrete, to allow emergency services access.

Not to suggest it wasn't clear, but we know for sure now! Rails set in concrete for the first on-street portion on Borden, West of Courtland.
Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

Rest of album on Flickr.

 

[Markster]

The construction method was decidedly different from what we've seen elsewhere on this forum for TTC streetcar tracks.
I recall seeing that for the TTC, there's a concrete later poured first, then the foundation of the tracks is embedded in a second layer, and then a final layer to bury the rails.
Here, there was a single concrete pour, encompassing a rebar-grid, above which are the rails on some light foundations. One big thick concrete layer.

 

[P0per]

The construction method was decidedly different from what we've seen elsewhere on this forum for TTC streetcar tracks.
I recall seeing that for the TTC, there's a concrete later poured first, then the foundation of the tracks is embedded in a second layer, and then a final layer to bury the rails.
Here, there was a single concrete pour, encompassing a rebar-grid, above which are the rails on some light foundations. One big thick concrete layer.

To illustrate - here's the poured section adjacent to about-to-be-poured:

Untitled by ION Construction, on Flickr

The beams supporting the rails prior to pouring are just anchored in the roadbed.

 

[drum118]

The ION track construction is similar to most systems around the world and one of the easy ones.

Detroit has the worse of the lot.

Not sure if TTC method will work over time, especially the 25-75 years life cycle since most of us will never see it happen. Seen rails already removed less than 5 years old on straight section.

 

[Duck]

Detroit has the worse of the lot.

Here is a photo of Detroit's construction; at a first glance, it looks like a similar if not identical technique to what we're seeing in Waterloo Region. Can you elaborate?