Notice to all visitors and members of the Train-Sim.Com message forums: If you plan on using a signature banner in your posts, we would like to remind you that there is a maximum size for banners. That maximum is 450 pixels wide by 120 pixels high, and not to exceed 25k. Your compliance is appreciated. FORUM RULES Problems? There are two common reasons for problems with logging in and posting messages. The first is that you are running a firewall that prevents your messages from being sent to the server. The other is that you have cookies disabled; the DCForum software requires cookies to work properly.
The TTC subway is still down. They want to wait for the ok from Earnie Eves that says there will be no more rolling blackouts, they want 100% reliable power.Looks Like a Pony RUNS LIKE A STALLION
"I just want real reactions. I want people to laugh from the gut, be sad from the gut, or get angry from the gut." Andy Kaufman
Two things: I once read that the Toronto Subway was built on a 3 foot and some odd inches guage. Is this true?And second, How would they go into the tunnels (in either case) and get the trains? maybe use the dual power diesel and electric switchers?
>"I once read that the Toronto Subway was built on a 3 foot and some odd inches guage. Is this true?"Well, I've never got down on the tracks to measure them, so I can't speak to the exact gauge. They certainly look like standard gauge, or something close to it.Just as a point of interest, the TTC Streetcars do have a non-standard gauge - just a bit wider than standard. Rumour has it that this was done in the very early days of streetcars in Toronto to prevent main line rail vehicles from using the street car tracks as a street railway - some historians doubt this explanation. Another that I came across recently is that the tracks were originally laid with stepped rail - the outer step being the higher part on which the street cars ran, while the inner (lower) part was for use by horse-drawn waggons many of which shared the 4' 8½" guage with the railways (given the very muddy, unstable surface of the roads at the time, allowing heavy carts to use the rail (which was a firm stable route) makes some sense). When the stepped rail was replaced by conventional street car track, it had to be laid at a slightly wider gauge than standard to allow all the existing stock to run on it. "And second, How would they go into the tunnels (in either case) and get the trains? maybe use the dual power diesel and electric switchers? "I don't know the answer to that one, but I doubt if a diesel powered loco would be allowed in the tunnels, especially when the ventilation system is down (now electricity to run the trains also means no electricity to operate the ventilation). I wonder if TTC has any battery opperated vehicles - at one time London Transport had some of these for use when the power was shut off (power was off the track routinely at night when the trains weren't running). I don't know if they still have these on the London Underground, but I wouldn't be surprised. The battery cars they had in the fifties and early sixties where an ugly grey colour, looked like a modified tube car, and could recharge the batteries from the track while standing during the day.CheersJohn
>I don't know the answer to that one, but I doubt if a diesel >powered loco would be allowed in the tunnels, especially >when the ventilation system is down (now electricity to run >the trains also means no electricity to operate the >ventilation). RT-18
I have a model of the Battery locomotives the Underground uses. You're right though, they do look a tad strange.I know that NYCTA had some special built 44 ton locos that while diesel, could be used in the tunnels due to the original design of the tunnels. (There's something about them being vented enough times to allow it to vent or something like that.) Though, I doubt they'd take one of them in far enough to pick up a car. Chances are, that inorder to pick up the stranded trains, when the power came online, they pulled an old firefighting car or something out of service and sent it to go get the trains.
Ah, an answer to my question.It's true. Standard railway gauge is 4 feet, 8 1/2 inches, whereas the TTC uses a decidedly non-standard 4 feet 10 7/8 inches. The TTC is the only railway in the world to use this gauge (they and the Halton County Railway Museum, which runs equipment retired from the TTC). The gauge used by Toronto's streetcars and by its subways but not by the Scarborough RT (which uses standard gauge, just to confuse matters), and the gauge has existed since streetcars began operation in Toronto, back in 1861. This is taken straight from that website that features the Diesel loco.
I am not sure how Tronto or New York City would go about rescuing stuck subway cars in the event of a blackout but I can give some insight with regard to the Light Rail Transit that Edmonton uses.The underground part of Edmonton's system is mainly downtown. The tunnels are just barely wide enough but, in an emergency, it would be possible to exit the train and walk down the tunnel to the exit or to the next station. I lived in Edmonton for over twenty years and have never seen any rail vehicle on the LRT tracks other than the usual coaches that are used to transport people.A propane powered vehicle of sorts may be usable. Not sure on that though. Anyone?My 2c Gary
RUNS LIKE A STALLION