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Post by Gokhan on Jan 21, 2015 17:05:56 GMT -8
Would lack of signals preclude running a test train? So long as there are signal persons at the crossings to accomodate? Initial testing doesn't use signal -- only flagsmen.
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Post by Gokhan on Jan 21, 2015 17:12:52 GMT -8
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Post by bobdavis on Jan 22, 2015 22:57:53 GMT -8
When Metro 731 came to the Foothill Extension last month, grade crossing protection was provided by LA County Sheriff's Deputies with patrol cars. A careless or impatient motorist might ignore a flagman, but a patrol car with full flashing lights gets your attention.
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Post by bobdavis on Jan 27, 2015 17:42:38 GMT -8
Just received word that train testing on Expo 2 is scheduled to begin on Mar. 2. No indication of whether any of the testing will be done with live overhead, or just with the big tow truck.
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Post by Gokhan on Jan 27, 2015 20:36:14 GMT -8
Just received word that train testing on Expo 2 is scheduled to begin on Mar. 2. No indication of whether any of the testing will be done with live overhead, or just with the big tow truck. It's always slowly towed for the first day or two and then powered on in less than a week. There is no point to the tow test unless they can power on after finishing that. That said, the Expo OCS is ready or almost ready to Overland Ave. I often hear the Clarington Ave TPSS A/C running.
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f ron
Full Member
Posts: 222
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Post by f ron on Jan 28, 2015 10:24:53 GMT -8
Just received word that train testing on Expo 2 is scheduled to begin on Mar. 2. No indication of whether any of the testing will be done with live overhead, or just with the big tow truck. It's always slowly towed for the first day or two and then powered on in less than a week. There is no point to the tow test unless they can power on after finishing that. That said, the Expo OCS is ready or almost ready to Overland Ave. I often hear the Clarington Ave TPSS A/C running. That's an intersting detail. No A/C sounds from the Overland TPSS (yet).
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Post by Gokhan on Jan 30, 2015 11:44:19 GMT -8
These LED-lamp poles have now been installed along the north side of Exposition Blvd in Palms. There is also LED track lighting on the OCS poles.
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Post by Gokhan on Jan 30, 2015 11:48:43 GMT -8
Current stage of Expo Line Phase 2 testing: track-clearance dolly. Expo Line Phase 2 power-off light-rail-vehicle testing will be done on Monday, March 2, 2015, from Culver City Station to Westwood Station.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 3, 2015 14:06:25 GMT -8
Venice Blvd final resurfacing in progress:
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 4, 2015 12:12:59 GMT -8
Crossing gates are being installed at Bagley Avenue: The two gray boxes on the left contain backup batteries (UPS) for the crossing:
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Post by masonite on Feb 6, 2015 15:55:36 GMT -8
I think we'll have a pretty good idea of where things stand through the communication of the Project Status at the next Community meetings at the end of the month. It appears that there are potential impacts to the substantial completion date, but probably not major. We'll see. Now is the time to be finishing things if this thing is to open in a year.
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Post by masonite on Feb 12, 2015 15:05:04 GMT -8
Metro is showing in their assumptions for the 2016 budget that Expo and Foothill Gold Line will start revenue service at the end of Q3 of FY 2016, which would be March since the fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. Just an assumption, but you gotta think that is their best guess at this point. If it were to start earlier they would have to find operation funds from somewhere else to get them started.
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Post by bzcat on Feb 13, 2015 11:34:42 GMT -8
Fiscal Q3 could be anywhere between January 1 to March 31. That's been kind of our worst case assumption for a while.
The more optimistic amongst us had been predicting service to begin in 2015 with 12 minutes headway but looks like Metro is going to wait until they have enough cars on hand to start service with 6 minutes headway.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 13, 2015 12:19:55 GMT -8
Expo Line Phase 2 will very likely open with five-minute headways, three-car trains. This means Blue Line will also start running 5-minute headways at that time, since they share tracks.
I still predict the Expo Line Phase 2 opening in April 2016. That's when they will have enough broken-in trains to run 5-minute headways. Also, the construction seems behind schedule and they may run into problems during testing that will need to be corrected.
I will find out about the actual status when I talk to my contact next Tuesday at the Palms / Cheviot Hills meeting.
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Post by masonite on Feb 13, 2015 13:39:07 GMT -8
Fiscal Q3 could be anywhere between January 1 to March 31. That's been kind of our worst case assumption for a while. The more optimistic amongst us had been predicting service to begin in 2015 with 12 minutes headway but looks like Metro is going to wait until they have enough cars on hand to start service with 6 minutes headway. Budget has them starting at the end of Q3, which would be March.
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Post by culvercitylocke on Feb 13, 2015 15:00:14 GMT -8
So thirteen months from now?
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 13, 2015 20:52:03 GMT -8
Exact opening date isn't decided until a month or two before the opening.
However, it seems more and more likely that it will open sometime between January and May 2016, unlikely to open before March with the intended headway. I think April is most likely.
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Post by simonla on Feb 14, 2015 9:48:58 GMT -8
It looks like Foothill could open sooner, no? Testing is much more advanced there, but maybe the car issue is holding up both openings.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 14, 2015 12:09:06 GMT -8
It looks like Foothill could open sooner, no? Testing is much more advanced there, but maybe the car issue is holding up both openings. They actually have enough Breda cars there but two-car trains could be too crowded. They may want to go for three-car trains. Anyone knows when Foothill opening is budgeted?
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Post by simonla on Feb 14, 2015 15:41:43 GMT -8
Foothill Construction Authority has to pass the line off to Metro by late September. They're so on top of it, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens a month earlier (or even two). Then Metro has the requisite four to six months of testing.
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Post by masonite on Feb 14, 2015 19:34:08 GMT -8
It looks like Foothill could open sooner, no? Testing is much more advanced there, but maybe the car issue is holding up both openings. They actually have enough Breda cars there but two-car trains could be too crowded. They may want to go for three-car trains. Anyone knows when Foothill opening is budgeted? They were both budgeted for March under the current assumptions. Of course, this is subject to change before the budget is finalized and even when the budget is finalized, it is not necessarily indicative of the actual date. Just a potential sign at best.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 14, 2015 19:50:30 GMT -8
It sounds like they will open around the same time. Foothill could well open before Expo Phase 2.
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Post by masonite on Feb 17, 2015 15:57:30 GMT -8
It sounds like they will open around the same time. Foothill could well open before Expo Phase 2. Foothill is now well ahead of Expo. Metro is reporting that the substantial completion for Expo is not going to happen until Dec. Probably looking at an April or May opening, while Foothill looks like it might be ready to open one year from now. Of course, this is still full of a lot of speculation.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 17, 2015 16:06:51 GMT -8
It sounds like they will open around the same time. Foothill could well open before Expo Phase 2. Foothill is now well ahead of Expo. Metro is reporting that the substantial completion for Expo is not going to happen until Dec. Probably looking at an April or May opening, while Foothill looks like it might be ready to open one year from now. Of course, this is still full of a lot of speculation. Skanska/Rados is five months behind schedule? That's been my estimate for quite a while now. I wonder what caused their slowdown. It's probably dealing with third parties regarding various utilities. I will find out more at the meeting tonight.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 17, 2015 16:12:08 GMT -8
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f ron
Full Member
Posts: 222
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Post by f ron on Feb 17, 2015 16:45:33 GMT -8
Northvale Road trench as of late afternoon yesterday. OCS parts and LED lamps look a lot bigger from close distance Yeah, they look especially large when they're at window height outside one's house --which is the case for us trench adjacent rail fans. I'm sincerely hoping they're exceptionally directional and not as bright as we fear. I mean really, how much would it have cost to install hooded lights along this stretch? Also --can't help but notice the backpacking fellow in the last shot. They may be installing cameras at the box yet somehow I doubt it will stop some of the ambtious taggers from entering at the park there and taking advantage of the soundwall interiors north of this location.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 17, 2015 20:59:10 GMT -8
Construction is 89% complete at this point.
Skanska still claims that they will finish most of the construction on their July 10, 2015, contract date, and there will only be some details left afterwards. So, they still claim that they are on schedule. They expect to speed things up in the coming months, when visual elements that will make it look like a light-rail line start appearing.
Skanska is required to give an actual estimate of the substation-completion date when they reach 90% completion. Therefore, we will find about this in the March or April 2015 Expo board meeting.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 18, 2015 13:22:52 GMT -8
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Post by joshuanickel on Feb 18, 2015 15:41:16 GMT -8
Mysterious large concrete boxes are appearing along Exposition Blvd in Palms. Those appears to be utility vaults. They most likely will eventually get buried. The Metal lid next to it is the cover to the box and would end up being flush with the pavement. Did you happen to get a closer look at the lid? They are usually marked with what ever the contents are. I don't know what they would be for though. It may be part of the electrical system that will power the lights along the bike path.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 19, 2015 13:41:09 GMT -8
Did you happen to get a closer look at the lid? They are usually marked with what ever the contents are. I don't know what they would be for though. It may be part of the electrical system that will power the lights along the bike path. It says "LADWP-E".
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