TTC: Flexity Streetcars Testing & Delivery (Bombardier)

[dowlingm]

I had thought that the TTC's plan was to have only Flexities on the 504 route as soon as possible and that this was already a fact on weekends. Not so yesterday when there were several old streetcars on the 504 route.

The reorganization of 504/503/514 for the Broadview works has changed the mathematics a bit - and as I noted above there have been Flexities in Dufferin Loop (nominal CLRV branch) this morning

 

[TransitBart]

As best I can read Transsee there are some Flexities on the 504 Dufferin/Greenwood-Queen branch today. 38 Flexities signed in. Given the weather it was not a good week to lose 4408, and hopefully CLRV 4041 (which has been resting for a few days) is just being held for weekday runs

Barely half the active fleet is signed in then. But it is Sunday/Holiday.

 

[TOareaFan]

The reorganization of 504/503/514 for the Broadview works has changed the mathematics a bit - and as I noted above there have been Flexities in Dufferin Loop (nominal CLRV branch) this morning

514 Flexities have been looping a t Dufferin for a long time now.

 

[dowlingm]

Barely half the active fleet is signed in then. But it is Sunday/Holiday.

up to 54 now.

 

[dowlingm]

514 Flexities have been looping a t Dufferin for a long time now.

The reorganization is Dundas West-Cherry which is essentially "elongated 514" so Flexities (since that keeps Cherry accessible). Dufferin Loop is a "truncated 504/extended 503" so CLRVs, and TTC have explicitly said the accessible part on Dufferin is deemed covered by the 29 Dufferin.

 

[drum118]

504 is a mix bag as you have the Flexity looping at Cherry St and going to Dundas W. The 504 CLRV are using Queen and Kingston Rd Loops.

Opps!! 4434 looping at Woodbine and one using Dufferin

Number of cars increase from 7-11 am on Sunday and 4466 didn't get out until sometime after 7, considering it was still in the yard at 6.

4483 has been sitting in front of the doors for the last track to the south shortly after my last post and still there. The tracker is saying its been there the last 2 hours.

 

[TransitBart]

Ok. So what is the damage to 4408? And when 4465 got banged up two months back, was that all fibre glass panels or was there structural work too?

If you bang up a Flexity severely enough, do you separate the modules and re-assemble it with a new module? Why scrap the other 4 when the frame is bent on one? Enquiring minds want to know.

 

[dowlingm]

since 504s are signed Queen-Greenwood presumably Control have the option to instruct some cars to loop at Coxwell? It's just a shame that the limitation of rollsigns means people might wait for a 501 to Woodbine when the approaching 504 would get them there as things stand.

 

[dowlingm]

Ok. So what is the damage to 4408? And when 4465 got banged up two months back, was that all fibre glass panels or was there structural work too?

If you bang up a Flexity severely enough, do you separate the modules and re-assemble it with a new module? Why scrap the other 4 when the frame is bent on one? Enquiring minds want to know.

https://cptdb.ca/topic/80-streetcar-news/?do=findComment&comment=812685

4466 was sent back to TB but hadn't been accepted yet and the line was still open so it made sense. Should be possible to replace modules on Flexity but it's not clear yet whether 4408's damage rises to writing off the module.

 

[smallspy]

Ok. So what is the damage to 4408? And when 4465 got banged up two months back, was that all fibre glass panels or was there structural work too?

It seems that the only damage to 4408 is to the windows, fibreglass and the front door. I'd expect it back in service by the middle of the week - provided that they don't need to wait for any of the replacement parts.

If you bang up a Flexity severely enough, do you separate the modules and re-assemble it with a new module? Why scrap the other 4 when the frame is bent on one? Enquiring minds want to know.

In theory, yes - or even switch around modules between two damaged cars to get one good car. But I honestly can't say that I've heard of any property with modern low-floor cars having had to do this yet. (Both Boston and Calgary have "built" new cars up from parts of undamaged cars, but those are older, high-floor cars.) But because the new cars are built in a modular manner, not just in the sense that the car is built of say 3 or 5 modules but also of sub-modules that are assembled to build up into a module, it would require a lot of damage in order to require a brand new module. For instance, the cab is built as a separate sub-module that is then grafted in as part of the assembly process. In the event of severe damage, the entire cab sub-module can be replaced with a new one.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[TransitBart]

It seems that the only damage to 4408 is to the windows, fibreglass and the front door. I'd expect it back in service by the middle of the week - provided that they don't need to wait for any of the replacement parts.



In theory, yes - or even switch around modules between two damaged cars to get one good car. But I honestly can't say that I've heard of any property with modern low-floor cars having had to do this yet. (Both Boston and Calgary have "built" new cars up from parts of undamaged cars, but those are older, high-floor cars.) But because the new cars are built in a modular manner, not just in the sense that the car is built of say 3 or 5 modules but also of sub-modules that are assembled to build up into a module, it would require a lot of damage in order to require a brand new module. For instance, the cab is built as a separate sub-module that is then grafted in as part of the assembly process. In the event of severe damage, the entire cab sub-module can be replaced with a new one.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Cool. Thanks.

 

[crs1026]

In theory, yes - or even switch around modules between two damaged cars to get one good car. But I honestly can't say that I've heard of any property with modern low-floor cars having had to do this yet.

I ran this by a bus guy, who tells me that they have had the same challenge with artics, and the general wisdom is that the front and back ends work themselves into a synchronicity, and it's bad news to swap them around. Kind of like how you should never replace only one tire on your car.

Not to say the same phenomenon applies to Flexities, just a data point.

- Paul

 

[nfitz]

4466 has enter service as a 504 after 7 days been here

At 6 AM on July 1. Presumably then TTC signed off on it before midnight.

The target was to be in service during Q2. I'd assume that it's "in service" once it's signed off, and put on a track to enter service.

So that's 15 that entered service (4466 and 4469 to 4482) in Q2 following 10 in Q2, compared to the target of 16 in Q2 and 12 in Q1. And that's what I assume will show up in the July 2018 CEO report that's going to influence the decision on future purchases.

On the other hand, there are currently 5 cars arrived but not entered service yet. Compared to only only 3 at the end of Q2 and 2 at the end of 2017. So 5 of the 15 needed to meet the Q3 in-service target have already arrived.

Close enough then!

 

[TransOp]

since 504s are signed Queen-Greenwood presumably Control have the option to instruct some cars to loop at Coxwell? It's just a shame that the limitation of rollsigns means people might wait for a 501 to Woodbine when the approaching 504 would get them there as things stand.

The Dufferin 504s are scheduled to loop at Kingston Road and Queen on weekends and during the evenings on weekdays. Some CLRVs just put a 504 Greenwood and Queen sign because that's the closest to Kingston Road that the 504 rollsigns get. The only other options are 501 Kingston Road and Queen and 502 Kingston Road and Queen.

 

[crs1026]

On the other hand, there are currently 5 cars arrived but not entered service yet. Compared to only only 3 at the end of Q2 and 2 at the end of 2017. So 5 of the 15 needed to meet the Q3 in-service target have already arrived.

Another rolled into Toronto this morning, with one ready to ship in the Bay. That’s seven. I wonder when & if the summer vacation shutdown begins. All the same, it’s a pretty solid delivery pace right now.

- Paul