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

[pman]

Saying the design provides protection from the sides is quite a stretch in my opinion. I doubt those tiny side walls will provide any protection.

I guess providing some heating for the outdoor platforms the way Chicago does is out of the question.

 

[Leo_Chan]

This is actually pretty cool! Too bad there probably won't be public tours

 

[Dan416]

I like the mockup. Still hate the Keelesdale name.

 

[Streety McCarface]

They are the same Bombardier Freedom vehicles being built for ION in Waterloo. Once they get their 14th vehicle, likely they'll just change the paint job for Eglinton.

From link in 2017:

I know it's just the yard but...wooden ties? Are they serious? If Waterloo region can get concrete ties in their yard, why can't the crosstown?

 

[smallspy]

I know it's just the yard but...wooden ties? Are they serious? If Waterloo region can get concrete ties in their yard, why can't the crosstown?

Maybe because they didn't want to waste money on needless things?

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

I know it's just the yard but...wooden ties? Are they serious? If Waterloo region can get concrete ties in their yard, why can't the crosstown?

I saw a while back that the only wooden sections are switches, presumably due to it being easier for modifications. My understanding is that the rest will thankfully be concrete.

 

[CapitalSeven]

Making concrete releases huge amounts of CO2. Making wood, not so much.

 

[hw621]

Making concrete releases huge amounts of CO2. Making wood, not so much.

Cutting trees to make those wood though...

 

[Rainforest]

Cutting trees to make those wood though...

These days, they might be cutting trees grown specifically for cutting. In that case, it would be nearly carbon-neutral. The trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, then release back once the ties are end-of-life and rot.

 

[Neutrino]

One of my friends is an engineer and he told me wooden ties are less prone to cracking than concrete ones. Can anyone confirm?

 

[steveintoronto]

One of my friends is an engineer and he told me wooden ties are less prone to cracking than concrete ones. Can anyone confirm?

Wood, concrete, resin or metal ties all have their advantages and disadvantages. In many applications, wooden ties are still considered the best choice when cost and service life is considered.

Other than flammability, wooden structures are back in fashion again for even multi-storied office buildings, albeit with steel super-structure in many cases. In areas where wood is expensive in relative terms, concrete is often used. Concrete is actually less environmentally friendly if the whole production cycle is considered.

The term your 'engineer friend' would have used is 'resilience'. In this case, to constant pounding and radical temperature change.

Edit to Add: Just Googled to make sure there's reference to buttress my view:
The Railroad Ties, An Overview - American-Rails.com

 

[TheTigerMaster]

This is actually pretty cool! Too bad there probably won't be public tours

Are there any photos of this mock-up?

 

[smallspy]

One of my friends is an engineer and he told me wooden ties are less prone to cracking than concrete ones. Can anyone confirm?

It's a bit more complex than that. There was a question asked of the TRHA a couple a months ago about the different types of ties, and as part of the response to the question I asked a friend of mine who is a track and structure specialist. Here's what he wrote:

Wood ties are cheap and can last well over 30 years if the track structure is maintained well. I've walked the entire Newmarket Sub from Parkdale to Barrie and there are tons of wooden ties there that date to the 30s and 40s. How do I know their age? The date nails I ripped out of them! Recent pricing I got for wood ties was $80ish per tie, delivered... They can also be installed by hand, with 2 guys and a pair of tie tongs. Concrete ties are several hundred pounds (600-700) each and installation requires mechanized assistance.

Concrete ties‎ are likely a fair shake more expensive, though I don't have pricing on hand at the moment. They have reinforcing steel throughout and the manufacturing process is more involved because of this. They also result in a much stiffer track structure compared to wood ties, because they just don't have the same flexural properties as wood. Your subgrade and ballast better be damn good or your concrete ties are just going to snap in half the second you run trains. Metrolinx is moving toward using exclusively concrete ties, but that's another matter for another day. CN installed a bunch of ties in Northern Ontario back in the 70s/80s and a study was done on their lifespan. The basic conclusion was that they didn't last any longer than wood (often times shorter life) and not worth the extra cost. This was the "first generation" tie. The current gen ties have only been in ground for a decade, maybe two tops, and the research just isn't there yet to see how well they will fare. We need to wait another 20 years to see how things play out.

Composite ties are few and far between, at least around here from what I've seen. There are a few in place at grade crossings on the Newmarket Sub,‎ though. I'm not sure I've seen them used elsewhere in my travels but surely they've got their time and place. The idea is that they're made of recycled material and are theoretically recyclable at EOL.

Steel ties are getting more and more popular, especially in yards. The main benefits are a fairly significant reduction in the amount of ballast required compared to track constructed with standard-sized ties and at EOL they can simply be sold for scrap metal (and turned into new ties!). No environmental waste to worry about like wood ties.‎ Union Station has a bunch, and the new Mimico south yard that GO uses is all steel ties. Lewis Rd is all steel too. What's your source on the high water table comment? Never heard anything like that, though you are correct in that they need to be electrically isolated for track circuits to work properly. On a somewhat related note... "ballast resistivity" is a thing. Basically, it's a measure of the impedance of the ballast/track structure. The current in the rails leaks out and travels through the ties and ballast and causes all sorts of fuckery.‎ But again, another topic for another day.

The RTA (www.rta.org) has a pretty informative website where some interesting reading can be found, especially as it related to tie lifecycles.

Clear as mud?!

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Has vehicle construction started yet?

Has any track been laid?

From this link:

Here's a #CrosstownLRT fact to start off your Monday - #DYK there will be approx. 8.5km of track laid at the Eglinton Maintenance and Storage Facility at Mt. Dennis? The progress is unbelievable and some parts of the track are even live already!

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Here's a #CrosstownLRT fact to start off your Monday - #DYK there will be approx. 8.5km of track laid at the Eglinton Maintenance and Storage Facility at Mt. Dennis? The progress is unbelievable and some parts of the track are even live already!

What does “live” mean? I’d assume that means trains are using them, but we have no vehicles.