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Toronto Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | Arcadis

Snow has only problems at the track switches. Light rail vehicles and streetcars can go through 20cm of snow.

For streetcars, if it wasn't for the cars (especially the ones without snow tires), they could travel the streets vey easily. Their "cowcatchers" will plow the tracks if they run all night.

The real problem are the motor vehicles double-parking onto the streetcar tracks on the shared roads.
 
W. K. Lis said:
Snow has only problems at the track switches. Streetcars can go through 20cm of snow, if it wasn't for the cars (especially the ones without snow tires). Their "cowcatchers" will plow the tracks if they run all night. The real problem are the motor vehicles double-parking onto the streetcar tracks.
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Years ago my fathers friend was driving streetcars along Gerrard Street when people were parked on the road alongside snowbanks blocking tracks. After a lengthy wait and a caravan of streetcars forming TPS and TTC Inspectors suggested they proceed. The end result was a myriad of car mirrors taken off and sideswiped vehicles. The thinking at the time was that they knowingly parked where they did, TTC Service was severely impacted and there was not enough trucks available to tow the cars in a reasonable amount of time.

Not something that would be done now but it worked. He was driving the lead car and by proceeding through he not only cleared the snow from the tracks but pushed the cars safely out of the way.
 
W. K. Lis said:
Snow has only problems at the track switches. Light rail vehicles and streetcars can go through 20cm of snow.

For streetcars, if it wasn't for the cars (especially the ones without snow tires), they could travel the streets vey easily. Their "cowcatchers" will plow the tracks if they run all night.

The real problem are the motor vehicles double-parking onto the streetcar tracks on the shared roads.
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I'm thinking of intersections. I'm going to be optimistic and assume Line 5 gets proper signal priority, but it will definitely all fall apart in a decent snowfall as traffic starts blocking intersections

Did they plan anyplace to short turn trains at the end of the tunnel, so that surface delays don't severely affect the most heavily used sections in the tunnel?
 
Yes they have a storage track just east of Laird Station and west of the Brentcliffe (Glassworks) portal which is the end of the tunneled section. So short turns are entirely possible. In fact the plan is to short turn every second train there all the time as the headways will be so much lower in the tunnel than for the at-grade section.
 
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Kyle Campbell said:
Actually a snow storm will be a very interesting challenge in how they deal with it. Especially if partially greened, then you can't use a plow. If you don't run the trains through the night you'll end up with a situation like the Confederation Line where trains for stuck during testing last year. Given the independent right of way City road clearing might actually impede the crosstown. Outside of the tunneled section it might be a real mess
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It'll be in the same boat as all the exposed rails on the subway, SRT and GO rail. Same goes for the elevated guideway at the MSF plus yard tracks. You guys are overthinking this. If a snowstorm is that bad, there won't be any service on almost the entire system as Line 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 all have yards outdoors that can't be plowed. Nevermind the ROW.

Queensway used to have tracks on ballasts. Are streetcars constantly getting stuck there?

Ozman said:
Yes they have a storage track just east of Laird Station and west of the Brentcliffe (Glassworks) portal which is the end of the tunneled section. So short turns are entirely possible. In fact the plan is to short turn every second train there all the time as the headways will be so much higher in the tunnel than for the at-grade section.
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They are suppose to have a crossover west of Laird which would be easier to use than a storage track east of the platform. They could use both depending on what is the most suited at that time.

I actually never understand why some people refer to the Brentcliffe portal as the Glassworks portal. Unless you're a local, no one would know there's a street named Glassworks Dr. without consulting a map. Heck that less than 100m street doesn't even connect to Eglinton. ML doesn't use it. It's just adds to the confusion cause someone wants to be technically exact and IMO it's a million times worse than the awful names ML came up for some of the stations.
 
Steve X said:
They are suppose to have a crossover west of Laird which would be easier to use than a storage track east of the platform. They could use both depending on what is the most suited at that time.
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True. If the line was totally shut down east of Laird, then the crossovers west of Laird would probably be best as the station could operate as a normal terminal.

For short turns of some trains only, taking the eastbound train out of service at Laird, moving it into the storage track east of the station and then moving it empty into the westbound platform would probably be best. This would interfere less with the trains continuing to and ones coming from the east.


Steve X said:
I actually never understand why some people refer to the Brentcliffe portal as the Glassworks portal. Unless you're a local, no one would know there's a street named Glassworks Dr. without consulting a map. Heck that less than 100m street doesn't even connect to Eglinton. ML doesn't use it. It's just adds to the confusion cause someone wants to be technically exact and IMO it's a million times worse than the awful names ML came up for some of the stations.
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Fair point about "Glassworks portal" I actually hadn't heard anyone other than myself refer to the portal by that name and admittedly I was being a little jocular. Glassworks Drive WILL connect to Eglinton immediately west of the portal but this construction will only happen once all of Eglinton is restored from Crosstown construction. This is why I've referred to it as Glassworks portal and I've mused whether Metrolinx or the TTC will change the name once that (signalized) intersection is completed in a couple of years. I know they called it Brentcliffe portal since the original excavation for Launch Shaft 3 had Brentcliffe as the closest cross-street.

Ironically, the portal,which is quite a bit east of the original excavated hole (trapezoid), is actually closer to Leslie than to Brentcliffe. Given that you can clearly see the portal from Leslie St. (and it's not visible from Brentcliffe as it's down the hill) and its proximity, maybe it should be called Leslie Portal! (Or West Don portal).

Ok, ok. I admit this is getting silly. Brentcliffe portal it is. (Until Metrolinx in its great and unmatched wisdom, decides to "trump" all reason and name it something else) :cool:
 
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Here's a rather dumb question. Will there be dual elevators in the underground stations? Just in case one of the elevator goes out of service, there would be another one available. Nothing would be frustrating to get to an "accessible" station, and find out it is not.
 
W. K. Lis said:
Here's a rather dumb question. Will there be dual elevators in the underground stations? Just in case one of the elevator goes out of service, there would be another one available. Nothing would be frustrating to get to an "accessible" station, and find out it is not.
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Kennedy will be getting dual elevators but im not sure about the rest.
 
View into the pit infront of Eglinton West Station from Saturday night. Subway tunnel running on the left.
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W. K. Lis said:
Here's a rather dumb question. Will there be dual elevators in the underground stations? Just in case one of the elevator goes out of service, there would be another one available. Nothing would be frustrating to get to an "accessible" station, and find out it is not.
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I think is considered a requirement ever since Elevator Access laws came in effect in 2017. I don't think that the Confederation line has redundant elevators out of the goodness of beurocratic hearts. The TTC is also attempting to add redundant elevators whenever possible.
 
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