[Hipster Duck]

Why are we building streetcars?

Because we already have the infrastructure for streetcars in place and it would be a waste to abandon it.

 

[Red October]

Why are we building streetcars?
Every single developed city in this world has a more sophisticated and reliable system than we do.

Say what?

 

[DavidH]

Do you mean the red in the renderings seemed a bit orangey/lurid whereas the red on the prototypes is more of a proper red (but not as burgundy as the traditional TTC colour scheme)?

I don't think we can assume that these photos, likely taken by cell phone cameras in factory conditions, are properly white-balanced, and so there's a very real possibility that colours in the photos are a bit off. We'll have to wait until the first prototype hits the streets before we can be sure that it really is a "proper red" - but I do like the red as it shows in the photos.

 

[smallspy]

I don't think we can assume that these photos, likely taken by cell phone cameras in factory conditions, are properly white-balanced, and so there's a very real possibility that colours in the photos are a bit off. We'll have to wait until the first prototype hits the streets before we can be sure that it really is a "proper red" - but I do like the red as it shows in the photos.

On top of that, printed colours are created and verified by entirely different methods than painted ones. You can't really compare the two without trying to match the two processes using something like a Pantone colour chart or a DuPont paint guide - which unfortunately leads to approximations and "best ofs".

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[dowlingm]

Why? Bombardier is a Canadian company.

Bombardier Transportation is headquartered in Berlin. This is a legacy of the acquisitions of rail companies in Europe like Adtranz.

I wonder if it is the "uptown" LRVs they plan to build the prototypes in Europe for, since they will be a bit more "off the shelf" than the downtown ones?

 

[smallspy]

I wonder if it is the "uptown" LRVs they plan to build the prototypes in Europe for, since they will be a bit more "off the shelf" than the downtown ones?

They will be built the same way as the legacy fleet - the frames for the modules at Sahagun, Mexico with assembly in Thunder Bay.

Mind you, things like trucks and control systems are coming from the various facilities in Europe.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[car4041]

As a bit of an aside - did anyone else find the red in the prototype vehicles a lot more palatable than the version depicted in the renderings shown to public thus far? It seem a lot less garish.

It's indeed a deeper red. This was one of the changes made in response to the input of the design panel that Steve Munro was on. This is what he said about it (buried in a reply to a comment on his blog):

You can thank the design review panel for changes to the paint scheme, specifically the continuity of the striping along the side, the change in the treatment of the front and rear schemes so that they are distinguished from each other, and the shade of red. It is not as dark as the old PCC/Witt maroon, but is supposed to be darker than the cherry colour used for CLRVs. As for a maroon and cream scheme, we looked at that, and it didn’t suit the car.

The mockup shown at Hillcrest in November was the same deep red.

 

[MetroMan]

Near the end of the video, they show a sign nicknaming the new streetcar prototypes "Legacy", while the Transit City light rail vehicles could get the nickname "Metrolinx". Shows that the noses of the two vehicles could have different shapes.

They're not nicknames. They describe what they're for. The Metrolinx cars are described that way because they belong to Metrolinx, not the TTC. It's always been this way. The Transit City LRT's are different than the cars for the legacy streetcar network. They're completely different vehicles. The streetcars have been designed for mixed traffic use, hence the shorter nose. This takes up less space in mixed traffic and has provisions for collisions.

 

[car4041]

Tangentially related -- looks like the upgrades to the Spadina line have given the Shuffle Demons a chance to do a remake of "Spadina Bus". I saw them today at Spadina station (or some group; I assume it's them!). There was a fishbowl bus in the bus bay and they were being filmed boarding it. The bus then headed down Spadina with them performing inside. Looked like there was some TTC brass on the bus in addition to the cameras and a few passengers.

 

[DavidH]

Tangentially related -- looks like the upgrades to the Spadina line have given the Shuffle Demons a chance to do a remake of "Spadina Bus". I saw them today at Spadina station (or some group; I assume it's them!). There was a fishbowl bus in the bus bay and they were being filmed boarding it. The bus then headed down Spadina with them performing inside. Looked like there was some TTC brass on the bus in addition to the cameras and a few passengers.

It's them; Brad Ross of the TTC has been tweeting about it. They're heading north right now, should be somewhere around Queen.

 

[Peepers]

New Streetcar seen in Lambton yard tonight (just arriving from Thunder Bay).

Image credit: http://breakingprojects.com/junctio...ars-lampton-yard-in-the-the-junction-tonight/

 

[Dan416]

When are they entering service?

 

[M II A II R II K]

When Spadina streetcar tracks are ready. Probably late 2013 or 2014.

 

[nfitz]

Here's another shot from the same source - breakingprojects.com/junctioneer/2012/09/25/new-ttc-streetcars-lampton-yard-in-the-the-junction-tonight

 

[ssiguy2]

They really are nice looking trains. I hope they limit the amount of advertising they allow on them............remember the horrid Starbucks "Mocha Rocket"!