5 hours ago, Herlsone said:

hmmmmmm....Dollarama is challenging... there are a few stops that can work... crows flies distance or steps?  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ?

I found Dollarama one of the easiest ones, it is literally a handful of steps from the doors into one of the stations. What I am going to find a challenge is visting all of the stations on line 2, with the trains being 10-15 minutes apart it is going to take a while, assuming that just stepping off the train and then back on doesn't count as "visiting" the station.

Edited October 17, 20197 yr by Jim Henry

Hello everyone! Young O-Train enthusiast here. Just discovered the checklists yesterday so I'll be working on those for the next few weeks!

Just wondering about the Trillium Line trains, there's 6 listed on the checklist but I'm pretty sure that there are only 4 trains in total on the line so would the other 2 be reserves? Or am I mistaken about the number of trains? 

 

Welcome Dr.

Yes you are correct. 4 operate each day with the 5th as a spare backup and the 6th in maintenance. So to ride all 6 will require more than one day. 

1 hour ago, Dr. Human said:

Just wondering about the Trillium Line trains, there's 6 listed on the checklist but I'm pretty sure that there are only 4 trains in total on the line so would the other 2 be reserves? Or am I mistaken about the number of trains? 

 

Oh trust me....it's frustrating..yet fun.  I still need a few trains to complete the first checklist...but the last few always flummox me!

And welcome!

Il y a 7 heures, Shane a dit :

Welcome Dr.

Yes you are correct. 4 operate each day with the 5th as a spare backup and the 6th in maintenance. So to ride all 6 will require more than one day. 

Ok, I see, thanks!

Il y a 7 heures, Herlsone a dit :

Oh trust me....it's frustrating..yet fun.  I still need a few trains to complete the first checklist...but the last few always flummox me!

And welcome!

Yep, the last ones will always be the hardest! Good luck!

Video Walkthrough for Checklist #1 (you can access the First Edition checklist here: https://www.otrainfans.ca/checklist/o-train-fans-rider-s-checklist-first-edition)

As the video includes some spoilers, we definitely encourage you to try the checklist first before viewing the video.

 

I was out working on the checklists today... Visited a couple stations for the first time. I got a chance to explore Pimisi station and the area around it, it's quite nice! The secret plaza beside it is a great place to relax and watch for trains coming and going, and I discovered that the pathway going east from the station connects with the Fleet street water plant and the kayaking area as well. The station's architecture and artwork is really nice as well! 

Two questions:

There is a big construction project on the Parkway, is that linked to Stage 2? 

And about the different trains, are the same trains always coupled together or do they get switched around depending on which ones need to be repaired? (For example, today I rode train 1101, which was paired with 1133. Would those 2 always be "partners" or could 1133 be paired with another one next week? 

1 hour ago, Dr. Human said:

I was out working on the checklists today... Visited a couple stations for the first time. I got a chance to explore Pimisi station and the area around it, it's quite nice! The secret plaza beside it is a great place to relax and watch for trains coming and going, and I discovered that the pathway going east from the station connects with the Fleet street water plant and the kayaking area as well. The station's architecture and artwork is really nice as well! 

Two questions:

There is a big construction project on the Parkway, is that linked to Stage 2? 

And about the different trains, are the same trains always coupled together or do they get switched around depending on which ones need to be repaired? (For example, today I rode train 1101, which was paired with 1133. Would those 2 always be "partners" or could 1133 be paired with another one next week? 

As part of Stage 2, a cut-and-cover tunnel will be built from past Dominion to Lincoln Fields. The section from past Dominion to Cleary will be under a re-aligned Parkway. That is likely the construction work you've been observing.

Here is an image of most of the tunneling involved as part of Stage 2. Not on the image is an existing roughed-in underground station built 10 years ago behind Algonquin's trades building and Trillium's Dow's Lake tunnel, which will be rehabilitated as part of the project. The east extension does not involve any tunnels. 

https://ontarioconstructionreport.com/ottawa-selects-contractors-for-4-6-billion-stage-2-lrt-1-billion-above-earlier-projections/

As far as I understand it, they never decouple the trains. Because of issues coupling and decoupling, they decided to keep pairs together permanently. That's why they've dropped the original plans of running singles evenings and weekends. We are therefore running 13 double trains with 4 double spares. 

Edited November 3, 20197 yr by J.OT13

1 hour ago, J.OT13 said:

As far as I understand it, they never decouple the trains. Because of issues coupling and decoupling, they decided to keep pairs together permanently. That's why they've dropped the original plans of running singles evenings and weekends. We are therefore running 13 double trains with 4 double spares. 

Thank you for that interesting piece of information J.OT13.

Permanantly ... are you sure?

Wow, I hope the media doesn't find out about this; we'd better keep this quiet or they will have a field day with it lol ? .

#1 The problem

Do you have any more information about the coupling/decoupling issues? At this point, I would normally start to rant about these being the most delicate and fragile trains every assembled, but I don't feel any need to do that right now. However, it does not inspire confidence if the simple act of coupling or decoupling causes such horrendous problems that we can't EVER take them apart.

The actual problem, whatever it is, has a few follow-on issues like running 2 useless cabs on every train and running down the rolling stock twice as fast.

#2 The chosen solution

Do we need double trains on evenings and weekends? That would be a legitimate reason for running double trains. If not, the solution is going to have increased operating costs and it is going to run down our rolling stock twice as fast.

I really hope that Alstom is going to help us out here - coupling and decoupling should not be a show-stopper. I mean - we paid for 34 trains, not 17! Sure, having lots of spare cabs is great and all; maybe we can trade some of them in and get intermediate or centre cars. (Not a serious suggestion at this point.)

I am sorry for my general negativity about this; I want the O-Train to work and the people in Ottawa deserve that.

Thank you.

2 hours ago, J.OT13 said:

As part of Stage 2, a cut-and-cover tunnel will be built from past Dominion to Lincoln Fields. The section from past Dominion to Cleary will be under a re-aligned Parkway. That is likely the construction work you've been observing.

I went through the SJAM parkway construction zone (between Transitway and Woodroffe) on Saturday. You will be happy to know that workers were present, stuff is getting done on Stage 2, even on weekends.

19 minutes ago, David O'Train said:

Thank you for that interesting piece of information J.OT13.

Permanently ... are you sure?

Do you have any more information about the coupling/decoupling issues?

I really hope that Alstom is going to help us out here - coupling and decoupling should not be a show-stopper. I mean - we paid for 34 trains, not 17! Sure, having lots of spare cabs is great and all; maybe we can trade some of them in and get intermediate or centre cars. (Not a serious suggestion at this point.)

I swear, while doing the first checklists that I saw different combinations of trains months apart.   It can't be that difficult to couple and uncouple, plus the forever empty drivers cabs that face each other are lit up and working... if permanently not going to be used, I doubt they would still have equipment in them running up hourly time prior to overhaul/replacement.  If it is hard, I bet it is only the software and control room programming.

For those interested, the next Checklist should come out around the end of the week / weekend. And the video for Checklist #2 should release around the same time.

Stay tuned...

In case you missed it... the Third Checklist (Nov 2019) is now up on the Checklist section of the site : https://www.otrainfans.ca/checklists

Have fun and happy riding!

5 hours ago, Shane said:

In case you missed it... the Third Checklist (Nov 2019) is now up on the Checklist section of the site : https://www.otrainfans.ca/checklists

Have fun and happy riding!

Glad to see this new checklist! The Mucho Burito challenge will get some people searching for sure! The only reason I know the answer is because of the location of my previous job! ?

Also, is it supposed to be two of the destinations that share the same station? The Tim Hortons could be 2 stations as far as I am concerned, but one of them implies a station has more than one entrance exit challenge...

Don’t think bad of me but I can’t remember if the top of my head where Mucho Burrito is. Lol. Oh yes I remember where it is. And a very specific one too. 

The Tim Hortons, ideally i was thinking of one location but I guess there is two. In that sense, I guess points if you find one and completionist status if you get both. 

Glad to see November's is up!