Allandale25
Senior Member
Metrolinx looks at closing the Toll Road Railway Crossing
Councillors concerned over plan to close 'very well used' crossing
www.bradfordtoday.ca
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- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
www.bradfordtoday.ca
Railgrad
New Member
I have a general question about GO Transits signalling system. I have noticed that some control points within the CTC system are Safetrain GEO system while others are GETS. I'm wondering what the difference between the two systems, which is older, are they both microprosser solid state systems, do they both replace relay based systems etc. Etc.
DSC
Superstar
A quick Google search says: http://www.kleintech.net/safetrain.html
and
https://trn.trains.com/railroads/ab...ctc-remotely-directing-the-movement-of-trains (CTC dates from 1927!) See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralized_traffic_control
Railgrad
New Member
Thanks for this info! But more specifically I was referring to Safetran's (typo before) Geographic Signalling System (GEO) CTC system compared to General Electric Transportation System (GETS) CTC system. For example I have seen information that says that some control points are GETS-CTC while others are GEO-CTC. I was curious if it is just different companies so different brands of the same thing or of there is a fundamental difference, advantages, sequence of release, disadvantages etc. Sorry if I am posting in the wrong forum, I couldn't see one specific to rail signalling fans!
Toronto1834
Active Member
crs1026
Superstar
I’m not a signals engineer nor a maintainer (and there may be one or two lurking), so I won’t comment on the relative technical merits of one versus the other. It is likely a Honda vs Toyota kind of thing... those who are hands-on will have their praises and gripes for each. And their personal preferences.
What I will offer is that pretty well all of the CTC infrastructure on all GO lines is either new build within the last decade or renewal within the last decade or so. Other than the USRC, there isn’t much really old stuff left out there. That’s a remarkable positive of the GO system and certainly is the envy of plenty of transit properties.... in terms of operability, reliability, and cost, GO has a good modern plant. USRC is where modernization is needed and that’s underway. When further new money is invested, it will be to add capability rather than to patch problems or coax more life out of past-end-of-life systems.
That’s a good position to be in - age and lack of maintenance are what drives cost and failuresa, rather than Brand A vs B.
One hears gripes now and then about “headache” spots on the system.....but that doesn’t imply that specific hardware is bad. It may be location, soil, a local oddity of track or operational challenges at that location, or whatever.
- Paul
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Allandale25
Senior Member
^ Maybe related to this topic, but I think I read a Metrolinx blog post where they recently replaced a switch at the Scarboro Junction that had been in place since the 1960s and they've now upgraded it? I assume they've done a complete assessment of all the switches on the tracks they own and update them as needed?
drum118
Superstar
April 25
More up on site
Milliken GO Station
More up on site
Milliken GO Station
Fritter
Active Member
CN Thickson? Behaving as of late, but if there is going to be a signal problem, my guess it's at CN Thickson.
crs1026
Superstar
Yeah, it was a real headache at first, but now only acts up sporadically. Lately my sources have been commenting on things in the plant up around the Airport on the Weston Sub that has caused delays.
ML modified some of the signalling on the Newmarket Sub last year, in preparation for the Davenport project. The old control point at Fairbank (Eglinton Ave) was removed. I don’t know what was swapped out, but there were sighs of relief because the new stuff they put in is apparently viewed as superior to what was there previously.
- Paul
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crs1026
Superstar
They do lots of planning and field work to address component life cycle, not just switches but the whole track structure - rail, crossties, switches, etc. Some things get changed out proactively as preventative maintenance, some are known to be wearing but must wait til an opportunity or funding presents itself, and some get run to failure.
Compared to freight railways, who are notorious for cycles where maintenance is deferred, leading to performance deterioration and then massive (costly) catchup campaigns, ML seems to have a handle on SOGR. Much different than say, TTC, where lack of funding has worn the management down to indifference.
From what was said about the Scarborough thing ( IIRC it was at Guildwood, actually?) the problem was in a “no longer supported” component that had to be nursed along because it was integral to the plant around it and couldn’t be replaced as a one-of.
- Paul
smallspy
Senior Member
I *think* that they used Safetran components on the Weston Sub, but AnsaldoSTS in many places elsewhere on the Metrolinx network. I'm still waiting to get confirmation back from a friend of mine. Alstom and GETX have also been used in other installations of late, in specific locations.
As for which is better than the other....well...unfortunately that doesn't seem to really come into play. I think that it comes down to who wins the bidding/tender in the contract at the time. And all of the companies (and feel free to add Siemens to the mix as well) can be pretty aggressive in their pricing when the time comes for them to want to win a particular contract. At the end of the day, ultimately, all of the components are now plug-and-play (more or less), and ultimately they will play nicely with the others (again, more or less).
At this time, Metrolinx is using a couple of spare desks on CN's Siemens-derived CTC-II system to do their dispatching, before their own system goes live next year (it is hoped).
Lately? Wice hasn't worked properly/consistently since it went live in early 2015.
Dan
Allandale25
Senior Member
^ Thanks and you're right it was a switch near Guildwood.
drum118
Superstar
April 25
Oriole GO Station
You can see the markings as where the 2nd track is to go
They are installing the new walkway bridge near the south end of the original station platform and once in service, the original walkway will be remove to allow the rest of the off ramp to built over the tracks
Kennedy GO Station
Oriole GO Station
You can see the markings as where the 2nd track is to go
They are installing the new walkway bridge near the south end of the original station platform and once in service, the original walkway will be remove to allow the rest of the off ramp to built over the tracks
Kennedy GO Station