Millennium Line - Evergreen Extension | Completed

[adrianroam95]

Originally Posted by queetz@home

What's that suppose to mean...


It was pretty fast considering that the segments were still unconnected in the morning (around 9 am), then the whole thing done by the evening. The gantry should move above Foster Avenue by Monday for sure...hopefully with no issues.

Yay! This is great news. Finally, it's back moving again.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by queetz@home

What's that suppose to mean...

Anyways, went to Cumare's (sp) last nite for some cake. Happy to report that the guideway segments just north of Foster Avenue has been complete.

It was pretty fast considering that the segments were still unconnected in the morning (around 9 am), then the whole thing done by the evening. The gantry should move above Foster Avenue by Monday for sure...hopefully with no issues.

If the gantry is still holding each of the segments in place, I would therefore guess that they recently epoxied the segments together and are waiting for the glue to dry. At the same time, the post-tensioning is likely being done so the guideway functions as 'one unit' between the columns when the gantry starts to release the lines connected to each segment.

I'm still trying to find a decent time-lapse of a gantry system installing a few segments between columns (doesn't need to be from the local area, as the engineering and construction is basically the same around the world).
Everything I've seen so far has been edited with fast cuts & different angles like they were making a video for MTV.

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

If the gantry is still holding each of the segments in place, I would therefore guess that they recently epoxied the segments together and are waiting for the glue to dry. At the same time, the post-tensioning is likely being done so the guideway functions as 'one unit' between the columns when the gantry starts to release the lines connected to each segment.

I'm still trying to find a decent time-lapse of a gantry system installing a few segments between columns (doesn't need to be from the local area, as the engineering and construction is basically the same around the world).
Everything I've seen so far has been edited with fast cuts & different angles like they were making a video for MTV.

The red thingy that they use to catch excess epoxy from falling to the ground was under the very last two segments. I couldn't see if the guideway was still attached to the crane since it was dark and I was driving fast but it most likely was.

I don't know how long it takes the crane to walk across a guideway and put things in place, but given that they aim to finish a segment every two days, presumably the first day, put the crane in place, start lifting the segments in place. Second day, most if not all should be attached already, so finish whatever is left then for the rest of the day just let it dry. Then repeat the next cycle....something like that.

Since it was a Saturday that they finished and Sunday is a day of rest, then its perfect timing that they finish it Saturday night to let it dry throughout Sunday. But there were times that the segments were left hanging in a jumbled state overnite...

[red-paladin]

Based on the first two slides here: http://evergreenline.gov.bc.ca/documents/Maps_Graphics/BurnabyBurquitlamAlignment.pdf showing the labels of the inbound and outbound track, does anyone figure the wrong-railing plans have been changed?

[dpogue]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

Based on the first two slides here: http://evergreenline.gov.bc.ca/documents/Maps_Graphics/BurnabyBurquitlamAlignment.pdf showing the labels of the inbound and outbound track, does anyone figure the wrong-railing plans have been changed?

I doubt it. It's probably easier for SNC Lavalin to treat the continuous guideway as "inbound" and "outbound" for construction purposes and let TransLink deal with the routing of where trains will actually go once it's built.

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

Based on the first two slides here: http://evergreenline.gov.bc.ca/documents/Maps_Graphics/BurnabyBurquitlamAlignment.pdf showing the labels of the inbound and outbound track, does anyone figure the wrong-railing plans have been changed?

That would be nice if it has been changed. The wrong-railing is just plain silly and the fact is these diagrams show that it can be done. Sure it will make the middle track (Millenium Line inbound) at Lougheed Station totally redundant but who cares? Just use it for storage or relief purposes.

All outbound can use the most southern Lougheed track while all inbound can use the new Evergreen Line platform, regardless whether the trains come from Braid or Burquitlam. Outbound trains coming from Production towards Coquitlam can simply go straight to the new Evergreen tracks. Less wear and tear, less confusion, simply makes absolute sense!

[Meraki]

Originally Posted by dpogue

I doubt it. It's probably easier for SNC Lavalin to treat the continuous guideway as "inbound" and "outbound" for construction purposes and let TransLink deal with the routing of where trains will actually go once it's built.

Yeah, I agree. Those drawings aren't exactly recent. Irregardless of some opinion spouted out from some more 'vocal' members of the community, I don't see that anything has changed with regard to the train routing. Using the middle track of Lougheed for storage reasons is dumb and a waste of track space anyways.

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by Meraki

Yeah, I agree. Those drawings aren't exactly recent. Irregardless of some opinion spouted out from some more 'vocal' members of the community, I don't see that anything has changed with regard to the train routing. Using the middle track of Lougheed for storage reasons is dumb and a waste of track space anyways.

What possible sentimental / aesthetics reasons why the middle track of Lougheed MUST be used for regular passenger service if its made redundant? And its required passenger usaged is so not a good reason to wrong rail, bringing the wear and tear and passenger confusion with it.

Note that this is not without precedent. The Stadium Skytrain station also has an unused third track and platform which was made redundant, and while its useless most of the time, it can still be used.

The middle track of Lougheed Station, if made redundant by not wrong railing, can still be used for...

1) training purposes
2) train storage
3) special events like the new SkyTrain media launch
4) relief line
5) If they decide someday that the Millenium Line from Braid can still go all the way to VCC/Clark or Arbutus

[dpogue]

Video from yesterday at the back of the train approaching Lougheed station
Video from yesterday at the back of the train departing Lougheed station

Photos by me, taken yesterday:

The view of the guideways from outside the station, by the bus loop.


Construction of the east station house.


Construction of the west platform level.


Running rail brackets installed between the platform and switch DC155 west of the station.


Construction of the west station house concourse level.


Platform level as seen from below.


And to clear up misconceptions about the platform roofing materials
Existing Lougheed station roof:


Lougheed side platform roof under construction:

[SFUVancouver]

Thanks for the photos.

There's no misconception on my part; I just don't like that cheap tin roofing material, particularly when the nails/screws poke through and catch spiderwebs.

[casper]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Thanks for the photos.

There's no misconception on my part; I just don't like that cheap tin roofing material, particularly when the nails/screws poke through and catch spiderwebs.

Strange they have money to redo the original expo line stations but don't have money to properly do the new stations.

[dpogue]

Originally Posted by casper

Strange they have money to redo the original expo line stations but don't have money to properly do the new stations.

The money for the Expo line renovations is largely federal money that was set aside for the specific purpose of renovating existing stations. That money cannot be used for Evergreen Line.

[red-paladin]

I don't think the additions to Lougheed are that bad!
If the original design was followed, it'd still be a 'tin metal' roof as some call it.

[Jebby]

Wow, that roof looks terrible. Not much worse than the roof of the original station, but still pretty bad. I hope they at least it to match the old section. It will all still be ugly, but at least matching ugly.

[Metro-One]

I really don't see what is so offensive about it.

It is a metal roof.

Is it beautiful or a work of art, no, but is it worth these hilarious drama queen reactions, no.

I am actually going to take pictures of the train stations around here. Japan is rated #1 in the world for its rail network by the UN. The stations around here are much worse aesthetically than any of our skytrain stations IMO. They are extremely basic, but so are most train stations I have been to in the world.

Only a small minority of train stations are "works of art" (often in nations that blow money on showpieces while many other aspects of their built environment are in desperate need of attention, nudge nudge Russia, or have totalitarian governments that can save lots of money on much lower labour and safety costs, nudge nudge China).

[Joat]

Maybe they'll deck it out in 30-40 years once its in need of some upgrades. By then lougheed should have quite a different feel.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

I don't think the additions to Lougheed are that bad!
If the original design was followed, it'd still be a 'tin metal' roof as some call it.

Yeah, the new roof / ceiling is similar to the old. Arguably cleaner looking without as much truss work:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lougheed_To...diaviewer/File:Lougheed-stn-platform.jpg

[queetz@home]

The new roof is fine, no issues whatsoever with it. It shelters people from the rain, then it has more than served its purpose. Complaints are unjustified and absolutely no needed.

WRT video, I see what dpogue meant about the wooden forms being taken out. I guess its not super visible since its way up there, but they are looking good. I can't wait for the rest to be taken down. I'm guessing they should be by the time the gantry reaches Gatineau Place, which should be third week or end of July.

I also strongly suspect once the forms are taken out of the Lougheed steel guideways, all concerns about it being ugly due to it not being basketweave will go away.

[SpongeG]

people would whine about the roof costs if it looked like a million dollars over designed masterpiece, if it looks practical its all good inside the minds of people outside of this forum

[Kwik-E-Mart]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

people would whine about the roof costs if it looked like a million dollars over designed masterpiece, if it looks practical its all good inside the minds of people outside of this forum

Given the $$$ spent on the design of several Millennium Line stations, which have raised the bars on some people's expectations... (I'll let you folks finish the rest of the sentence.)

Meanwhile, as long as the first Skytrain rolls into Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station in 2016, it doesn't matter about how the stations along the Evergreen Line look aesthetically -- as long as they are functional. A one-seat ride from Coquitlam to Vancouver (not just downtown) outside of rush hours is all I really care about.