TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[Allandale25]

^ Where is "at the Lake Shore"?

 

[drum118]

^ Where is "at the Lake Shore"?

It was going northbound on Leslie at the Lake Shore as I was typing the posting. I did state it was about to depart the Barns at the top.

It is now at Dundas West Loop as a straight 504

 

[duper]

Strange that 4401 got ship to La Pocatiere and guess they have room and manpower to rebuilt it.

Not sure if this has been explained before, but how much of a rebuild does 4401 require?

 

[dowlingm]

I guess 4401 could be a “strip it down and see how it fits together (sort of)” so that in reconstructing it, the La P workers have a sense of how to build new ones

 

[drum118]

I guess 4401 could be a “strip it down and see how it fits together (sort of)” so that in reconstructing it, the La P workers have a sense of how to build new ones

I stand to be corrected, but the 2 accessibility ramp section are to be replace with new ones to match the current design and the whole car brought up to current standards as well.

I guess La P is going to get first hand training on building new cars since TB could be history within the next few years as well not seeing anymore orders for new cars.

 

[crs1026]

I’m pretty sure that in one of the recovery plans, La Pocatiere was to be used to do more of the initial fabrications, stuff that Mexico was having such trouble with. Whereas Thunder Bay has assembly capability only, using parts that are shipped in.

So it may have been a case of taking the car to the parts maker as opposed to shipping the parts to the assembly plant.

Since the Thunder Bay is now in full stride, at least relative to the early days, it might not make much sense to disrupt that production line and/or tie up floor space with a specialty task.

- Paul

 

[dowlingm]

I’m pretty sure that in one of the recovery plans, La Pocatiere was to be used to do more of the initial fabrications, stuff that Mexico was having such trouble with. Whereas Thunder Bay has assembly capability only, using parts that are shipped in.

So it may have been a case of taking the car to the parts maker as opposed to shipping the parts to the assembly plant.

Since the Thunder Bay is now in full stride, at least relative to the early days, it might not make much sense to disrupt that production line and/or tie up floor space with a specialty task.

Let's assume, given how long it took 4400/4402 to return that there is a lot more going on than ramp replacement, which surely could have been done at the Barns anyway.

Maybe the process will be that La P will do disassembly then ship 4401 in "kit form", possibly along with La P manufactured parts, to be reassembled on TB's line. This does not tie up either of TB's lines or other floor space to do the disassembly but may take advantage of floor space available (for whatever reason in La P).

Alternatively, the attractive factor may be the availability of skilled workers in La P pending the ramp up to the new Azur order (rather than the floor space)? [EDIT: there could be pressure on BBD to use La P for Quebec City trams if BBD gets that work, so it works on a familiarisation basis also]

 

[cplchanb]

Let's assume, given how long it took 4400/4402 to return that there is a lot more going on than ramp replacement, which surely could have been done at the Barns anyway.

Maybe the process will be that La P will do disassembly then ship 4401 in "kit form", possibly along with La P manufactured parts, to be reassembled on TB's line. This does not tie up either of TB's lines or other floor space to do the disassembly but may take advantage of floor space available (for whatever reason in La P).

Alternatively, the attractive factor may be the availability of skilled workers in La P pending the ramp up to the new Azur order (rather than the floor space)? [EDIT: there could be pressure on BBD to use La P for Quebec City trams if BBD gets that work, so it works on a familiarisation basis also]

If that's the case I wonder if it's more economical just to renumber one of the new cars as 4401 and eventually have the usable original components recycled into the production line as another car

 

[dowlingm]

If that's the case I wonder if it's more economical just to renumber one of the new cars as 4401 and eventually have the usable original components recycled into the production line as another car

I suspect TTC would have a problem with cars coming other than “as new” for the purposes of tracking mileage. BBD could have used pre prod cars as demonstrators but the odd width of TTC cars would make them only suitable for SEPTA, and they are possibly too tall for them

 

[cplchanb]

I suspect TTC would have a problem with cars coming other than “as new” for the purposes of tracking mileage. BBD could have used pre prod cars as demonstrators but the odd width of TTC cars would make them only suitable for SEPTA, and they are possibly too tall for them

I guess I should rephrase: I was referring to new cars coming off the line. Have the next new car be 4401 and filter off the salvagable used parts to piece together a 45xx

 

[dowlingm]

TTC just dropped a report on additional streetcar procurement:
http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commi ssion_meetings/2018/June_12/Reports/26_New_Streetcar_Program_RFI_for_60_ Additional_Streetcars.pdf

 

[cplchanb]

TTC just dropped a report on additional streetcar procurement:
http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commi ssion_meetings/2018/June_12/Reports/26_New_Streetcar_Program_RFI_for_60_ Additional_Streetcars.pdf

so...apart from bbr and seimens, who might the other 2 suppliers be that made the shortlist?

 

[SaugeenJunction]

This is very unscientific and I am sure that there are other designs, and that a TTC unit may be different, but I've compiled some notable examples from each of the 10 supplier's models for your viewing pleasure. And yes, I wonder who made the shortlist, and where the new barn to accommodate the units will be located.

 

[innsertnamehere]

The report essentially says "sure we can pick someone other than Bombardier but their costs are going to be way higher and take years longer".

 

[bbdfollower]

the timeline in that document has 'contract award' in Q4 2020, and first delivery out in Q2 2024.

But, once all of the 204 initial-order cars are delivered, presumably sometime in Q4 2019 or Q1 2020, couldn't we immediately start having cars from the option-order delivered? 2019 production schedule is 83 cars to be delivered - if they can achieve that rate, or even 60-70% we could conceivably have another 100 cars here by Q3 2021?