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

BMO said:
I have to say, I visited Waterloo a few weeks ago to tour the iON LRT. It's a really cool project. but I do have to say when you see the line in person, the wiring for this LRT seems kind of.... ugly. I'm no stranger to LRT wiring as someone who regularly takes St. Clair but these wires seem much bulkier along with the poles. I'm sure there's some functional or maintenance and operational reason for them, but I did find that they often took away from urban beauty of the roadway in some parts.
Click to expand...

In addition to providing a 'flatter' contact wire profile via catenary suspension (think Golden Gate Bridge), the upper messenger wire also carries the full load current between substations without the need for any side of the road or underground feeder runs. In theory that makes it cheaper to build and maintain.
 
KevinT said:
In addition to providing a 'flatter' contact wire profile via catenary suspension (think Golden Gate Bridge), the upper messenger wire also carries the full load current between substations without the need for any side of the road or underground feeder runs. In theory that makes it cheaper to build and maintain.
Click to expand...

The messenger wire can be used for carrying current as well, but that is not its primary function. As it is made of stranded (and usually of steel) wire versus the single-drawn copper of the contact wire , it is primarily used for strength, with the different length droppers being used to keep the contact wire at a constant height. In fact, there has been quite a bit of catenary built of late which has used non-conductive droppers, meaning that the suspension wire may be insulated from the contact wire as well.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
smallspy said:
The messenger wire can be used for carrying current as well, but that is not its primary function. As it is made of stranded (and usually of steel) wire versus the single-drawn copper of the contact wire , it is primarily used for strength, with the different length droppers being used to keep the contact wire at a constant height. In fact, there has been quite a bit of catenary built of late which has used non-conductive droppers, meaning that the suspension wire may be insulated from the contact wire as well.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
Click to expand...
IONs messenger wire is stranded copper or copper plated wire and carries the full load current with insulated connector wire at regular intervals and non-conductive droppers.
 
BMO said:
I have to say, I visited Waterloo a few weeks ago to tour the iON LRT. It's a really cool project. but I do have to say when you see the line in person, the wiring for this LRT seems kind of.... ugly. I'm no stranger to LRT wiring as someone who regularly takes St. Clair but these wires seem much bulkier along with the poles. I'm sure there's some functional or maintenance and operational reason for them, but I did find that they often took away from urban beauty of the roadway in some parts.
Click to expand...
IDK why they wouldn't have buried the power line. This isn't a legacy system that needs to accommodate older tech and existing overhead wires.

If European cities can run LRTs without overheads, why not KW?

Tramway_Nice_Mass%C3%A9na_3559412866.jpg
 
Admiral Beez said:
IDK why they wouldn't have buried the power line. This isn't a legacy system that needs to accommodate older tech and existing overhead wires.

If European cities can run LRTs without overheads, why not KW?

Tramway_Nice_Mass%C3%A9na_3559412866.jpg
Click to expand...
$$$$. Building and maintaining an induction power system is much more expensive than an overhead contact system
 
innsertnamehere said:
Metrolinx had proposed to use that system in Brampton before council killed the downtown part of the Hurontario LRT.
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Not exactly. As I remember, it would have run on battery power from Nanwood Drive to the GO Station, with overhead power at the terminal point for charging during layovers. That was a last-ditch compromise proposal to address one of the NIMBY complaints.

It would have been similar to Detroit's QLine streetcar, which has much of its route without overhead wires.
 
Admiral Beez said:
IDK why they wouldn't have buried the power line. This isn't a legacy system that needs to accommodate older tech and existing overhead wires.

If European cities can run LRTs without overheads, why not KW?
Click to expand...

Because our system was affordable. I doubt it would ever have been approved if specified with buried feeders, batteries, the Alstom APS system, or Bombardier's inductive loops. Even the cheapest of those would probably have taken it above the $1B mark, and made the whole proposal a non-starter.
 
jordanmkasla2009 said:
IONs messenger wire is stranded copper or copper plated wire and carries the full load current with insulated connector wire at regular intervals and non-conductive droppers.
Click to expand...

I realize that. (It's copper plated, IIRC.)

But the current-carrying capability is not it's primary raison d'être in the vast, vast majority of applications.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
KevinT said:
Because our system was affordable. I doubt it would ever have been approved if specified with buried feeders, batteries, the Alstom APS system, or Bombardier's inductive loops. Even the cheapest of those would probably have taken it above the $1B mark, and made the whole proposal a non-starter.
Click to expand...

If it were an expressway, price is no object for extras. Since it is public transit, the penny-pinchers have to check each every fraction of a penny.
 
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