TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[dowlingm]

About the 510 Spadina loop... https://mobile.twitter.com/SwanBoatSteve/status/939205577171001347?p=v

I can't see a curved 504 platform finding favour with the accessibility folks - moving the bus access east and deleting the bus bay to allow an extension seems more likely. Getting rid of the 505 doesn't help that I can see, especially if somewhere will be needed to operate a Broadview-Unilever route to.

 

[DSC]

About the 510 Spadina loop... https://mobile.twitter.com/SwanBoatSteve/status/939205577171001347?p=v

I can't see a curved 504 platform finding favour with the accessibility folks - moving the bus access east and deleting the bus bay to allow an extension seems more likely. Getting rid of the 505 doesn't help that I can see, especially if somewhere will be needed to operate a Broadview-Unilever route to.

The TTC actually own the Green P parking lot on Broadview just north of Queen. They got it in exchange for the Parliament Street loop several years ago and it was supposed to be the site of a new loop one day. If we ever see a streetcar going down Broadview south of Queen to Unilever etc they could decide to terminate many 504 cars at this loop because bringing all 504 cars plus all "Unilever cars' plus all 505s to Broadview Station would be a nightmare and quite unnecessary. This is not to say that the Broadview loop is satisfactory even today but if we get Unilever cars it will really require a total rethink.

 

[drum118]

In service but on 509

https://twitter.com/flexitytracker/status/939504104593920000

Wonder if 509 gets extra cars (if that is even possible) with MLS Cup Final on.

Thats funny.

It was a crap shoot as to which route it wound enter on and said 504 to help beef up service on it. With it being on 509, it is boosting service for the MLS game tonight.

When I look at the tracker at 8 am, it was in the service bay, considering it was in the yard for some hours before I went to bed. Seeing it in the service indicated it most likely not enter service today, as well why was it in the service bay in the first place after being in the yard?

4454 is tracking now and is currently on 509 now.

 

[drum118]

I reckong it's currently aboout 2.5 CLRVs long - as when you are on the third car, you can only get off the front door. So about 37 m.

Measuring on Google Maps, I get 38 m. So that's about right. Need about 22 m for a second Flexity. Ouch.

There's some room to expand the platform. Even right now, you could push it a it forward (not sure how people get to the 505 platform though ...). But then if you look at the track as it curves up to Erindale, it has a straight bit in it - which means you could lengthen it, without making the curve tighter.

If you'll excuse the very quick-and-dirty MSPaint sketch below ... I reckon you could extend the platform something like that green rectangle. Which measures about 16 m.

54 metres - still pretty tight. But perhaps if you did the sketch properly ... or even move the track to the right edge of Erindale instead of the centre of the road you could barely squeeze in 2 Flexities, with a relatively small rebuild of just the 504 track. a bit of the bus platforms, and only losing a few spots of parking, and not destroying the park again.

Even better, give up on a straight platform, and use that entire curve out to near Erindale. You could probably squeeze 3 Flexitys in there!

View attachment 129776

Using your photo, I would remove the current 504 connection to 505 and shift 504 track to the east and use the platform currently not been use as a way of getting a 2nd car in. Depending on the curb radius of the new track, it would connect to where the 505 is out on the street. The switch would be out on the street and no big deal.

They need to remove that stop on the street at Broadview since it delays cars getting out onto Broadview because riders are to lazy to walk that short distance to/from the station in the first place. Had a rider get off the car I was on as we left the station and not the first time this has happen as well pickup riders there. The amount of time he waited on the car before we departed and to the stop, he would be well closer to where he was going in the first place if he just walk that short distance.

The other option is taking 504 track east as far as you can subject to the radius curb to get enough room for 3 cars in there. You would have to extend 505 as well to get 2 cars in as well. This would require shifting the bus entrance as well. Bye Bye parking lot.

 

[DSC]

They need to remove that stop on the street at Broadview since it delays cars getting out onto Broadview because riders are to lazy to walk that short distance to/from the station in the first place. .

The eastbound stop @ Danforth was removed last year as far as I know. The westbound one remains and is actually quite popular.

 

[TransitBart]

Even better, give up on a straight platform, and use that entire curve out to near Erindale. You could probably squeeze 3 Flexitys in there!

View attachment 129776

@nifitz, you have nailed it. The photos make that clear. Elsewhere curved platforms are not an issue unless we choose to make them an issue here. (The issue is that as the length of a car increases, the distance at the middle of said car is greater to the curved platform making boarding and de boarding an issue. One has to mind one’s step. Since the Flexities are 5 sections, this issue is less than it would have been with a CLRV.

The platform length can be doubled in parallel with the 505 platform all the way to Erindale.

 

[drum118]

The eastbound stop @ Danforth was removed last year as far as I know. The westbound one remains and is actually quite popular.

Correct and why the westbound needs to go since it stops drivers catching a good spot to turn when they are leaving the loop, as well a short walk to the station itself.

Dec 7

 

[thettctransitfanatic]

Today, I think we have a record of 8 Flexity's on the 504, including 4443, 4407, 4453, 4438, 4427, 4428, 4417 and 4420.

 

[lead82]

How many does TTC have now? I don’t think we even hit 60 yet and it’s almost middle of December already. There is no way TTC will receive 65 by end of year. 60 maybe. Which means that Bombardier essentially delivered the same pace as last year. At this rate we won’t have all the Flexities until 2022.

 

[AHK]

How many does TTC have now? I don’t think we even hit 60 yet and it’s almost middle of December already. There is no way TTC will receive 65 by end of year. 60 maybe. Which means that Bombardier essentially delivered the same pace as last year. At this rate we won’t have all the Flexities until 2022.

Number 4430 went into service at the end of December 2016. So having 60 here by the end of December 2017 would mean that this year has seen a number of deliveries equivalent to the entire number of deliveries since the first units arrived, in Summer, 2013 up to December 2016, not just the same number as had been delivered in the one year, January through December, 2016.

So no - deliveries have not been at the same pace as last year. Bombardier has delivered in this year the same number of vehicles as its entire delivery history since the start of the project, up to the end of 2016.

 

[drum118]

How many does TTC have now? I don’t think we even hit 60 yet and it’s almost middle of December already. There is no way TTC will receive 65 by end of year. 60 maybe. Which means that Bombardier essentially delivered the same pace as last year. At this rate we won’t have all the Flexities until 2022.

53 in service, 1 in burn in stage and one in inspection for totally 55. #56 is due this week. May see 4454 in service by the end of the week with 4455 early next week. Depending on when 4456 shows up, could be in service Dec 24.

Unless there a shit load of cars arriving before Dec 28, not going to make 60 cars this year and another 5+ car short of the last plan number or 11+ that were to be here this year.

 

[Allandale25]

Saw on Twitter that 4456 is in Canadian Pacific's yard in Thunder Bay.

 

[drum118]

4456 should be here on Friday if CP doesn't do a slow delivery. It will be touch and go to see it in service on the 24th and most likely after the 26th.

Anyone around the Russell yard should check it out since 4454 has being sitting at the north end all day, which is a first, not in the service bay at the Barns. Every car so far has always return to the service bay at the Barns after doing burn in runs.

Either all the service bays are full to get cars ready for service starting Monday, it has an issue stopping it getting to the Barns or something new.

 

[MetroMan]

Lot's of Flexities on the 504 today. I rode the 504 and 514 four times today and didn't see a single CLRV, though I'm sure they're still around. Starting to hit critical mass.

 

[nfitz]

The TTC actually own the Green P parking lot on Broadview just north of Queen. They got it in exchange for the Parliament Street loop several years ago and it was supposed to be the site of a new loop one day.

Effectively, yes. Though there was no change in ownership. But TTC has control of the 111 Broadview property if they choose to build a loop there. The legalities of it were finalized in 2011. See www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2011/April_6_2011/Reports/PARLIAMENT_LOOP_LAND.pdf

If we ever see a streetcar going down Broadview south of Queen to Unilever etc they could decide to terminate many 504 cars at this loop because bringing all 504 cars plus all "Unilever cars' plus all 505s to Broadview Station would be a nightmare and quite unnecessary. This is not to say that the Broadview loop is satisfactory even today but if we get Unilever cars it will really require a total rethink.

There's discussion in the plans for Gerrard station of bringing the 505 in there, rather than Broadview. Which probably makes sense, as 505 almost completely empties out between Parliament and Broadview. Even now it could stop at Broadview Avenue without massive impact (perhaps it should be rerouted to the new Broadview/Queen loop. 504 currently though often seen overcrowding on Broadview itself, crush-loaded at Dundas, and leaving behind passengers at Queen and Caroll when there's been a lot left behind by 501/502. Additional service can be turned at Broadview/Queen, but much of the existing service is necessary on Broadview. A 504 CLRV every 3 to 4 minutes and a 505 every 6 minutes doesn't cut it in rush-hour. Replacing 505 service on Broadview with a new service to Eastern would help, as many currently get off at Queen.

In the long-term though, that loop doesn't seem to have much value, except in emergencies - and then they can do the current Parliament/Broadview loop. Why stop anything at Queen/Broadview when you've got a subway interchange at Eastern/Broadview (aka East Harbour)? And if you want to turn a Queen car, why not put a loop at Carlaw station on Queen?