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Why do people care so much about pantographs? I'm honestly asking because I'm a newbie and I don't understand the fascination.
 
IMO its one of the symbols of how decayed outdated, and neglected the network is compared to the rest of the developed world.
That and our subways and the antique farebox and tokens
 
pstogios said:
Why do people care so much about pantographs? I'm honestly asking because I'm a newbie and I don't understand the fascination.
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Have ridden the streetcar for 10 years living in Toronto.

The trolly pole comes off the wire enough for it to be an annoyance to common riders.

Its not a huge issue, but its one that has awful brand recognition for the streetcars. People are unrealistically critical when something fails completely. A slow streetcar is one thing, but a complete technical failure that isn't being fixed gives people a bad impression of the TTC.

People (especially drivers) love to bash the streetcars, and a consistent technical failure like this is one that can seriously hurt peoples opinion of them.

I know this seems like not a big deal, but transit is not just for people who can't afford a car, its to try and get people out of their cars and riding transit instead.

And those peoples perception of a transit network system is very important.
 
So what was the technical reasoning for the TTC switching to panto operations? I heard that it was because the pantograph won't be worn out as fast as the trolley. Is this the only reason?
 
Bombardier striking workers vote 85% to accept new contract



From this link:

It will be back to business for Bombardier Transportation and more than 900 striking workers in Thunder Bay.

A total of 85 per cent of workers who voted Friday morning cast ballots in favour of the new contract.

Hundreds of workers came out for a briefing in the Community Auditorium before voting.

Unifor's leadership did not make a recommendation on the recently negotiated deal.

Unifor Local 1075 president Domenic Pasqualino had predicted earlier Friday that the vote would be closer this time than the supervised vote last month in which more than 80 per cent of members who voted disapproved of Bombardier's offer.


More to come
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TheTigerMaster said:
So what was the technical reasoning for the TTC switching to panto operations? I heard that it was because the pantograph won't be worn out as fast as the trolley. Is this the only reason?
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They also don't fall off the wire, which causes delays and traffic issues, as well as can damage the catenary.
 
So, I saw 4402 out for testing on wednesday and someone else saw 4401.

Does that mean that total Flexities in Toronto are 4? 4400 and 4403 in service, and 4401, 4402 being tested?

What will become of 4401/4402? Are they going to enter service on the Spadina Line?
 
robmausser said:
So, I saw 4402 out for testing on wednesday and someone else saw 4401.

Does that mean that total Flexities in Toronto are 4? 4400 and 4403 in service, and 4401, 4402 being tested?

What will become of 4401/4402? Are they going to enter service on the Spadina Line?
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We have been over this ground several times. 4401 and 4402 were prototypes and are being used for training purposes; they will sooner or later be returned to Thunder bay for upgrades. 4400 and 4404 are in service.
 
nfitz said:
They don't have the wheelchair ramp. They need to go back to Thunder Bay for significant modification, like they did to 4400.
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Oh come now, give me some 2x4's and a couple spikes and I could have a ramp done by the evening. No need to send them back. :)
 
pman said:
When I used to take the TTC regularly, I noticed there was a pretty good chance that when a streetcar made a sharp turn the pole would come off the wire, the streetcar would stop, and the driver would have to get out and re-align it, which I guess is sort of a metaphor for pretty much all of Toronto's mobility infrastructure. Am I correct in believing that the vast majority of the world's streetcar systems use pantographs?
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The poles on Vancouver's shiny new trolley buses detach all the time. I wouldn't read too much into it.
 
Confirmed.

Bombardier rail plant strike ends


From The Star, at this link:

An eight-week at a Bombardier plant that builds TTC streetcars, subways and GO trains is over with a three-year deal.


Striking Bombardier rail workers in Thunder Bay who make streetcars, subways and trains for the Greater Toronto Area have voted to settle their eight-week strike against the company.

Their union, Unifor Local 1075, was claiming victory in the dispute, saying the new three-year deal maintains the plant’s defined pension plan for current and new hires. New hires will contribute 25 cents an hour to the plan.

“This has been a difficult summer for these workers, but they can return to work knowing that they have stood up for future generations,” Unifor National President Jerry Dias said in a statement.

The union, which represents 900 hourly workers at the plant, released the results of the vote Friday at 11.30 a.m.

“The company came to the bargaining table with a long list of concessions that would hit the next generation of workers very hard,” union local president Dominic Pasqualino said.

The union said Bombardier had demanded that the defined benefit pension plan be denied to new hires and that retiree benefits be denied to anyone hired after Dec. 31, 2010. That cut would have hit almost 500 workers at the plant, the union said. Both demands were defeated.

Bombardier had said it needed the reductions to remain competitive.

In a separate statement Friday, Bombardier said it believes the deal is fair to both parties.

“We believe this new agreement continues to provide for good jobs in Thunder Bay while meeting the needs of the company for more cost efficiencies moving forward,” spokesperson Stephanie Ash said in a statement.

The company said it expects to see the employees back to work within two weeks.

Wages at the plant will remain stable for the first year of the contract, with raises of 10 cents an hour in each of the two following years, plus cost of living adjustments, the union said.

The labour disruption came at a critical time for the Toronto Transit Commission as it prepared to launch its new fleet of streetcars, two of which went into service on the Spadina line on Aug. 31.

The TTC declined to comment on the tentative deal Thursday.

The plant also has orders for light rapid transit vehicles for Metrolinx and Kitchener-Waterloo, and the Toronto Rocket, Toronto’s next generation of subway cars, as well as the green and white bi-level cars for the GO commuter train service.

Bombardier spokesperson Marc-Andre Lefebvre has said in previous interviews the company was committed to meeting all of its obligations to customers.

The strike began July 14.

Last month, the workers rejected a “last offer” from the company by 80 per cent in a vote ordered by the Ontario Ministry of Labour after an application from Bombardier.

Talks between the union and the company resumed Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing more than 305,000 workers.
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DSC said:
We have been over this ground several times. 4401 and 4402 were prototypes and are being used for training purposes; they will sooner or later be returned to Thunder bay for upgrades. 4400 and 4404 are in service.
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You might even guess that the strike is the reason they have not yet been sent back....with no replacement training vehicles to take their place.

I imagine (although I don't know) that with a steady flow of new vehicles and the requirement that each one of those needs, what, 600km of running on city streets before being put into service, the roll out plan involved combining the training and testing into one....with no new vehicles they keep 01 and 02 around longer for the training.

Just a guess.
 
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