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Metrolinx: Other Items (catch all)

It's apparently a thing. There's currently a tire fire that also involves railway ties in Chatham.
A82A74D2-D9E5-406E-B08D-D8D1F6188818.jpeg
 
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PinkLucy said:
It's apparently a thing. There's currently a tire fire that also involves railway ties in Chatham. View attachment 240824
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Setting them on fire as a trend.............certainly a worrisome problem.......

Though not quite the same as stealing them.........I don't think............unless your planning to use them as fuel to arson another building............
 
I remember when we were in Kansas City Decades ago, we got to watch a 5 alarm fire for ties that took 24 hours to bring it under control in a rail yard. It really lite up the night when it was at its highest point.

It common to see and hear about ties fire, but not much today as in the past. The ties are used for all kinds of thing from flower beds, retaining wall, fence post and etc. I bought some ties for the flower beds I had around the yard.

Over the years, seen ties taken away illegally.

The best old ties get sold off while the rest are scrap.
 
Northern Light said:
Is there a black-market in railway ties of which I was unaware?

Where exactly does one fence these?

LOL
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Obviously they aren't going to another railway. I'm sure there's value in used wood if they are still sturdy. For landscaping or fireplace perhaps?
 
Steve X said:
Obviously they aren't going to another railway. I'm sure there's value in used wood if they are still sturdy. For landscaping or fireplace perhaps?
Click to expand...

They're generally not advised for landscaping as the chemicals which keep the wood sturdy will contaminate the soil.
 
Northern Light said:
Is there a black-market in railway ties of which I was unaware?

Where exactly does one fence these?

LOL
Click to expand...

A common usage is for gardens and residential landscaping - it is a very common thing to use them for retaining walls and as a decorative element, as the creosote preservative will allow them to last for far, far longer than untreated wood. They are usually sourced from expired/removed ties however - the last I heard the railways gave them away for free as it was a cost-avoidance maneuver (there is usually a disposal fee attached to scrapping ties). That these were used ties would lead me to lean in this direction, in this case.

Another possibility - as silly as it seems - there are a number of small companies that provide maintenance and operation services to rail-served industries, and for a lower rate than either the Class 1 railways (CN and CP) or the secondary tier of operators (such as Cando and OSR). New wooden ties aren't expensive in the grand scheme of things, but they aren't cheap, either - and if they can get ties for free by scoffing a couple from a huge, faceless organization rather than paying for them to improve their bottom line, some of them may certainly try.

Dan
 
urbanyimby said:
Right on cue:

PT-2019-RCDV-955 - PT-2019-RCDV-955: Expansion of CCTV Sites in the Railway Corridors
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This is a very positive development. It's amazing how long it took the railways to start putting cameras along their infrastructure, although recently they seem to be popping up everywhere. The benefits may be a) deterring trespassing, especially spotting and more quickly responding where individuals may be considering suicide and b) potentially speeding investigations after pedestrian-train incidents, thus reducing service delays.

In this day and age, it's no more acceptable for humans to intrude on a GO right of way than it is for people to walk down subway tracks. That's a huge cultural and public perception shift - walking down a railway line in this country, especially in the hinterland, is widely practiced. This will help change things.

- Paul
 
smallspy said:
A common usage is for gardens and residential landscaping - it is a very common thing to use them for retaining walls and as a decorative element, as the creosote preservative will allow them to last for far, far longer than untreated wood. They are usually sourced from expired/removed ties however - the last I heard the railways gave them away for free as it was a cost-avoidance maneuver (there is usually a disposal fee attached to scrapping ties). That these were used ties would lead me to lean in this direction, in this case.

Another possibility - as silly as it seems - there are a number of small companies that provide maintenance and operation services to rail-served industries, and for a lower rate than either the Class 1 railways (CN and CP) or the secondary tier of operators (such as Cando and OSR). New wooden ties aren't expensive in the grand scheme of things, but they aren't cheap, either - and if they can get ties for free by scoffing a couple from a huge, faceless organization rather than paying for them to improve their bottom line, some of them may certainly try.

Dan
Click to expand...

I remember one small town I lived in when they pulled up a branch line (or siding - can't remember) and suddenly many houses added ties to their landscaping. Since the former track was under-maintained, many of the ties were garbage. There is a farm near hear that must have grabbed ties when the local line was pulled up many, many years ago and used them as fence post. Still solid as a rock.

I used to live in a town that had a CN creosote plant. Not pleasant when the wind was in the wrong direction.
 
smallspy said:
A common usage is for gardens and residential landscaping - it is a very common thing to use them for retaining walls and as a decorative element, as the creosote preservative will allow them to last for far, far longer than untreated wood. They are usually sourced from expired/removed ties however - the last I heard the railways gave them away for free as it was a cost-avoidance maneuver (there is usually a disposal fee attached to scrapping ties). That these were used ties would lead me to lean in this direction, in this case.

Another possibility - as silly as it seems - there are a number of small companies that provide maintenance and operation services to rail-served industries, and for a lower rate than either the Class 1 railways (CN and CP) or the secondary tier of operators (such as Cando and OSR). New wooden ties aren't expensive in the grand scheme of things, but they aren't cheap, either - and if they can get ties for free by scoffing a couple from a huge, faceless organization rather than paying for them to improve their bottom line, some of them may certainly try.

Dan
Click to expand...

Hmm, given the toxicity of creosote, I would hope that it wouldn't be used for an vegetable garden.

I know the EPA in the U.S. has taken a formal position against that.
 
RFI-2020-ITIN-055 - RFI-2020-ITIN-055: Parking and Fare Enforcement Ticket Processing System

Call For Request for Information (RFI)

RFI No. RFI-2020-ITIN-055

Parking and Fare Enforcement Ticket Processing System

Metrolinx is seeking a Parking and Fare Enforcement Ticket Processing system, on premise or cloud-based, out of the box software solution to effectively address the company’s security objectives. The solution will address the following:

  • Enable the Security division to continue providing revenue protection services and enforcement
  • Maintain continuance of Metrolinx’s Court and Administrative Fee Alternative Dispute Resolution Program
  • Integrate with future systems implemented by Metrolinx to allow customers to access or purchase new parking products
  • Integrate with an automated mobile license plate recognition platform
 
While I like that many new transit projects are moving to Metrolinx, the Metrolinx project website is terrible for information. There are no official documents, links to studies, or technical information avaliable. Does anyone know if Metrolinx actually provides this information or do you need to look at board meeting agenda slides and information presenations to city councils?
 
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