Nunavuter
06-23-2007, 12:15 AM
Here's a preview of the proposed new subway car design that should debut in Toronto in 2009. It has numerous design features that I give a thumbs up to, and just one I kinda wish they'd reconsider.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563109.jpg
Artist's Conception
The new class of car doesn't yet have a designation, but if it follows the usual pattern it will be a letter followed by a number. The old Gloucester cars were called G-1s and G-2s, Montreal-built cars were M-class, Hawker-Siddely built the H-1 to H-6 and the current design is called T-class (for Toronto, presumably), although they were built in Thunder Bay.
Snazzy looking, eh? I'd call it S-class for "Serpentine" or V-class for 'Viper.' But that's me.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166566295.jpg
Interior mock-up
The snake references come to mind because these subway cars are articulated, with an accordion-like connecting gangway between the cars. If your car is too full, just move down the train and maybe you'll find a seat. Half the time, the cars near the front of train will be packed to the windows while the last two cars are almost empty. This design solves that problem.
There are wheelchair attachment areas throughout the train, and the open-concept makes accessibility more feasible for people with special mobility needs.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563226.jpg
In the above mock-up, the open ends are simulated with mirrors. Notice the pixel board on the ceiling? It tells you what the next station is while a computer voice reads out the name loud and clear. The arrow points to which side of the car the door will open.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563276.jpg
Above the doors, the red 'X' will light up if the door is not going to open, and a green arrow will light up if it is. Thus, there are both audio and visual cues, which will be helpful for out-of-towners and people with vision and hearing problems.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563297.jpg
The map above the door is also given a high-tech upgrade. The location of your train is shown by an LED display, with a twinkling light display indicating the direction the train is moving.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563364.jpg
The front and rear cabs of the trains fold out to create emergency exit ramps in case the train needs to be evacuated. this is an improvement over just hopping down four feet to the ground inside a tunnel.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563382.jpg
Currently, four different seating configurations are under consideration for the design. I favour Scheme One, which is the most similar to the present T-1 trains. Those two red lines going down the centre are textured, providing a guide for the blind. Scheme One also has no centre stanchions, which allows easier movement in the car by strollers, wheelchairs etc. (Shorter people might not like this much).
Scheme Two looks horrible, cheap and uncomfortable. Scheme Three is sort of "retro," but I'd prefer it in red and grey rather than lemon yellow.
Scheme Four...ugh. It looks like the subway train that carries prisoners to toil in the underground sugar caves run by our new insect overlords.
The downside of this new train design?
Currently, the subway cars used in Toronto are interchangeable in married pairs (The air car has an air compressor and the other car carries the power system) . If one car has a problem, it and its mate can be pulled out of a train and another two swapped in. A car can form the front, middle or rear of a train set.
This new design has a dedicated front and rear, making swapping cars less flexible.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563109.jpg
Artist's Conception
The new class of car doesn't yet have a designation, but if it follows the usual pattern it will be a letter followed by a number. The old Gloucester cars were called G-1s and G-2s, Montreal-built cars were M-class, Hawker-Siddely built the H-1 to H-6 and the current design is called T-class (for Toronto, presumably), although they were built in Thunder Bay.
Snazzy looking, eh? I'd call it S-class for "Serpentine" or V-class for 'Viper.' But that's me.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166566295.jpg
Interior mock-up
The snake references come to mind because these subway cars are articulated, with an accordion-like connecting gangway between the cars. If your car is too full, just move down the train and maybe you'll find a seat. Half the time, the cars near the front of train will be packed to the windows while the last two cars are almost empty. This design solves that problem.
There are wheelchair attachment areas throughout the train, and the open-concept makes accessibility more feasible for people with special mobility needs.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563226.jpg
In the above mock-up, the open ends are simulated with mirrors. Notice the pixel board on the ceiling? It tells you what the next station is while a computer voice reads out the name loud and clear. The arrow points to which side of the car the door will open.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563276.jpg
Above the doors, the red 'X' will light up if the door is not going to open, and a green arrow will light up if it is. Thus, there are both audio and visual cues, which will be helpful for out-of-towners and people with vision and hearing problems.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563297.jpg
The map above the door is also given a high-tech upgrade. The location of your train is shown by an LED display, with a twinkling light display indicating the direction the train is moving.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563364.jpg
The front and rear cabs of the trains fold out to create emergency exit ramps in case the train needs to be evacuated. this is an improvement over just hopping down four feet to the ground inside a tunnel.
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/uploads/post-333-1166563382.jpg
Currently, four different seating configurations are under consideration for the design. I favour Scheme One, which is the most similar to the present T-1 trains. Those two red lines going down the centre are textured, providing a guide for the blind. Scheme One also has no centre stanchions, which allows easier movement in the car by strollers, wheelchairs etc. (Shorter people might not like this much).
Scheme Two looks horrible, cheap and uncomfortable. Scheme Three is sort of "retro," but I'd prefer it in red and grey rather than lemon yellow.
Scheme Four...ugh. It looks like the subway train that carries prisoners to toil in the underground sugar caves run by our new insect overlords.
The downside of this new train design?
Currently, the subway cars used in Toronto are interchangeable in married pairs (The air car has an air compressor and the other car carries the power system) . If one car has a problem, it and its mate can be pulled out of a train and another two swapped in. A car can form the front, middle or rear of a train set.
This new design has a dedicated front and rear, making swapping cars less flexible.
