[Richard White]

I noticed some streetcars getting stuck in the snow yesterday. I don't recall this happening with the CLRV's in the past, even during an event like this. Ice on the overhead, yes, but not snow.

Is the low floor nature of the new streetcars preventing them from navigating through snow as easily as the older ones?

My father is a retired bus operator and commented about this exact thing yesterday regarding buses. He was going on about how the old GM buses would not get stuck so easily because of how they were built. He recalled rooster tailing down Morningside years ago in a fishbowl during the 1999 snowstorm. The snow was deep but they made it through.

The flexites are both low floor and light weight compared to the ALRV and CLRV fleet. The CLRV' and ALRVs were tanks compared to what we have now. You could blast through snow with the CLRV and ALRV because they had both the power and weight behind them to do so.

Flexities are so low to the ground they get bogged out and do not have the power to get through. I would not be surprised if snow entering and blocking the door was also an issue (preventing the doors from closing).

 

[Jonny5]

With the exception of a derailed streetcar at King and Spadina, the streetcars were held up by other vehicles blocking their ways. Once the obstruction was moved, they were able to continue on their way.

There were a lot of streetcar issues in the afternoon at King and Church. I know as I had to walk down King at about 2:30 p.m. because of the blockage in service and I saw that the problem was actually stuck switches. On the eastbound side I actually saw three 504 operators all together trying to get the switch to flip back to allow straight through travel. I don't know why they had to move it at all though. I can only guess some cars both westbound and eastbound were ordered to be short-turned there using that complicated Church, Adelaide, Victoria, Richmond, Church turnaround? Whatever the reason it certainly caused far more problems than it solved. They should have just left them to go through.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

There were a lot of streetcar issues in the afternoon at King and Church. I know as I had to walk down King at about 2:30 p.m. because of the blockage in service and I saw that the problem was actually stuck switches. On the eastbound side I actually saw three 504 operators all together trying to get the switch to flip back to allow straight through travel. I don't know why they had to move it at all though. I can only guess some cars both westbound and eastbound were ordered to be short-turned there using that complicated Church, Adelaide, Victoria, Richmond, Church turnaround? Whatever the reason it certainly caused far more problems than it solved. They should have just left them to go through.

Something to remember when they close Queen Street for the Ontario Line.

From link.

 

[trtcttc]

I’m not sure if this is a problem with all low floors, but frequently on the flexities when it’s raining or snowing lightly, the vehicle seems to have issue stopping, like I’d hear the sand spray and the vehicle kind of staggers to a stop. Have never felt that on other streetcars/trams , but again I only ride other systems when travelling and not as much as the TTC.

 

[Neil]

The usual problem happening with streetcars are the selfish motorists who don't look to see if they are blocking someone else. Likely be the same people who take up two parking slots in parking lots, park in front of a fire hydrant, or park in a "no parking" zone.

From link.

It's a BMW. More money than brains.

 

[KevinT]

The flexites are both low floor and light weight compared to the ALRV and CLRV fleet. The CLRV' and ALRVs were tanks compared to what we have now. You could blast through snow with the CLRV and ALRV because they had both the power and weight behind them to do so.

Power is not an issue, unlike the Crosstown and ION Flexity Freedoms, the TTC Flexity Outlooks have the center bogie powered, so there are six powered axles per train. I believe this was done to meet a requirement that a running one had to be able to tow a dead one up Bathurst hill.

I could however see them being hesitant to bash through a windrow left across an intersection by a passing snowplow to avoid damaging the skirts. Waterloo's trains were all running with the coupler doors opened up and out of the way today, and there was evidence of snow packed around and into the folded-in coupler mechanisms. Here again the TTC units are different though, having only drawbars rather than full service couplers. There's probably similar strength doors over the relevant bits regardless.

 

[smallspy]

The flexites are both low floor and light weight compared to the ALRV and CLRV fleet. The CLRV' and ALRVs were tanks compared to what we have now. You could blast through snow with the CLRV and ALRV because they had both the power and weight behind them to do so.

The Flexities are 5 or 6 tonnes heavier than an ALRV, and have way more available power than either of them.

I’m not sure if this is a problem with all low floors, but frequently on the flexities when it’s raining or snowing lightly, the vehicle seems to have issue stopping, like I’d hear the sand spray and the vehicle kind of staggers to a stop. Have never felt that on other streetcars/trams , but again I only ride other systems when travelling and not as much as the TTC.

There is a bit of quirk with the wheel/rail profile and its interface that causes the streetcars to be a bit more problematic when it rains, and especially with the salt on warmer, snowy days. I have been told that in deep snow however they are extremely sure-footed.

Conversely - and again, due to the wheel/rail profile - the subways have trouble in deep snow but are quite happy to operate in the rain.

Dan

 

[Tunafish13]

Two part question here:

1. I know the streetcars run pretty much 24/7, will the crosstown also be running with similar hours?

2. And if there isn't 24hr service, will the vehicles just run over the snow to push it away? I dont really see it being a huge problem, but thought I would ask.

 

[nfitz]

2. And if there isn't 24hr service, will the vehicles just run over the snow to push it away? I dont really see it being a huge problem, but thought I would ask.

Even if it wasn't 24 hours, TTC has been known to run trains on both the subway and streetcar tracks overnight during snowfalls to keep the tracks clear.

 

[trtcttc]

Two part question here:

1. I know the streetcars run pretty much 24/7, will the crosstown also be running with similar hours?

2. And if there isn't 24hr service, will the vehicles just run over the snow to push it away? I dont really see it being a huge problem, but thought I would ask.

I doubt it’d be 24 hours. The streetcars run 24hrs because they don’t have stations, so the cost is just the operators and some end stations. Also why the subway is replaced with an overnight bus. Running the crosstown 24hrs would mean keeping all the stations open for the few people riding it.

 

[TRONto]

I doubt it’d be 24 hours. The streetcars run 24hrs because they don’t have stations, so the cost is just the operators and some end stations. Also why the subway is replaced with an overnight bus. Running the crosstown 24hrs would mean keeping all the stations open for the few people riding it.

Yes, maybe just east of Don Mills but doubt they'd run a separate route.

Finch LRT is more likely to be 24/7 for that reason but the end stations would require to be open.

 

[nfitz]

I doubt it’d be 24 hours. The streetcars run 24hrs because they don’t have stations, so the cost is just the operators and some end stations. Also why the subway is replaced with an overnight bus. Running the crosstown 24hrs would mean keeping all the stations open for the few people riding it.

I'd assume that even the underground stations - other than the termini and transer stations, won't be staffed all the time trains are running, now that fare lines aren't all staffed.

 

[trtcttc]

I'd assume that even the underground stations - other than the termini and transer stations, won't be staffed all the time trains are running, now that fare lines aren't all staffed.

People will have different political feelings about this but I think the TTC probably won’t want to keep the stations open unstaffed overnight

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

From link.

We should get light rail versions of the old TTC streetcar snow plows, instead of waiting for others to do the plowing...

From link.

Those old streetcar snowplows were converted old streetcars. Wonder if they could convert any left over CLRVs over to snowplows?

 

[Allandale25]

Posted today.