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  #3641  
Old Posted Mar 31, 2012, 8:11 PM
mfastx mfastx is offline
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In the light rail construction images above, does anyone know what that third rail is going to be used for? I thought this was a fully double-tracked line.
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  #3642  
Old Posted Mar 31, 2012, 8:38 PM
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I had no idea what that was for when I saw it. There's a third rail and then just 30 ft away there's only two lines. It doesn't make much sense but I guess well see what it's for in a few months once that section gets completed.
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  #3643  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2012, 1:33 AM
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While trying to figure out what the third set of tracks might be, I realized there is a 1.75 mile stretch of light rail track running along Holmes at the southern end of the red line. I'm guessing it is some sort of test track. It also makes me wonder why there is a large swath of undeveloped land around there.

Perhaps the third line is something similar? There are freight ROWs right next to where those pictures were taken, but I can't really see there being room for a light rail track to run along them. Perhaps a light rail depot between the purple and green lines? But again I can't really see where they would put it.

Maybe there will be some trains that only run the downtown leg and that is where they switch tracks? Who knows.
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  #3644  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2012, 1:38 AM
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^
A test track? They have test tracks where they house the trains down south of the astrodome. But that third track doesn't merge with the other two because there's no room and I saw no evidence of them merging that line. It's a conundrum.
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  #3645  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2012, 3:45 AM
mfastx mfastx is offline
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It could be just a pocket track to store certain trains that aren't in service during non-peak hours. In Boston there is a little pocket track similar to what is being built in Houston:


Source

The train in the picture is just sitting there and not in service. I've noticed that these trains just sit for a few hours then return to service.
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  #3646  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2012, 1:46 PM
weatherguru18 weatherguru18 is offline
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There's been some speculation that maybe this baby will be resurrected. Too good to be true, IMO.

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  #3647  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2012, 2:21 PM
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Could be, or what about the proposed 6,864 ft. Houston tower?



I think America needs to reclaim the tallest building, and that my friends needs to be in Houston. Ground breaking should began fairly soon.
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  #3648  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2012, 3:43 PM
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Originally Posted by weatherguru18 View Post
There's been some speculation that maybe this baby will be resurrected. Too good to be true, IMO.

Sorry mang, that aint going to happen. This tower that will supposedly be revealed on the 4th of this month will probably be around the same height if not a little shorter than MainPlace. Although, it would be super kick ass for this to get built.
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  #3649  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2012, 4:07 PM
GrimReaper GrimReaper is offline
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Could be, or what about the proposed 6,864 ft. Houston tower?



I think America needs to reclaim the tallest building, and that my friends needs to be in Houston. Ground breaking should began fairly soon.
FAA wouldn't allowed it because of Hobby Airport is so close to Downtown. Newark Liberty Airport, JFK and LaGuardia is so close to Manhattan as well which is I don't understand why Houston can't have 100+ story building.
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  #3650  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2012, 6:07 PM
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That building would have destroyed the grid of downtown. Could you imagine the traffic flow if all those lanes were cut off?
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  #3651  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2012, 9:03 PM
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Lol yeah, but could you imagine.
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  #3652  
Old Posted Apr 2, 2012, 5:19 AM
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Originally Posted by photoLith View Post
That building would have destroyed the grid of downtown. Could you imagine the traffic flow if all those lanes were cut off?
ever try going from anywhere in the central part of downtown to the East End? The GRB and Minute Maid get in the way
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  #3653  
Old Posted Apr 2, 2012, 6:21 AM
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Originally Posted by GrimReaper View Post
FAA wouldn't allowed it because of Hobby Airport is so close to Downtown. Newark Liberty Airport, JFK and LaGuardia is so close to Manhattan as well which is I don't understand why Houston can't have 100+ story building.
Flight paths.
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  #3654  
Old Posted Apr 2, 2012, 11:26 AM
weatherguru18 weatherguru18 is offline
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That's a ''has been'' issue. Flight paths go around downtown, not over it. I really don't see anything other than economics getting in the way of building a 100+ story building in Houston.
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  #3655  
Old Posted Apr 2, 2012, 12:52 PM
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I have read somewhere that with land so cheap in Houston (relative to NY, LA, Chicago), it is a lot more convenient to build either a campus of smaller buildings or a plaza of shorter buildings, rather than building up higher. Skyscrapers are very inefficient in design with just about every regard other than the land they occupy (and of course other than making the city look badass). It makes economic sense to build up in those other cities because land is so expensive, but Houston is a different story.

I can't remember where I read this, but I will try to locate a source.

Unfortunately that can mean the end to super tall buildings in Houston . April 4, please prove me wrong!
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  #3656  
Old Posted Apr 2, 2012, 7:46 PM
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Heights Walmart construction pics: http://goo.gl/08Sym

1111 Studewood pics: http://goo.gl/lEJLZ
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  #3657  
Old Posted Apr 2, 2012, 8:54 PM
weatherguru18 weatherguru18 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dgpatel View Post
I have read somewhere that with land so cheap in Houston (relative to NY, LA, Chicago), it is a lot more convenient to build either a campus of smaller buildings or a plaza of shorter buildings, rather than building up higher. Skyscrapers are very inefficient in design with just about every regard other than the land they occupy (and of course other than making the city look badass). It makes economic sense to build up in those other cities because land is so expensive, but Houston is a different story.

I can't remember where I read this, but I will try to locate a source.

Unfortunately that can mean the end to super tall buildings in Houston . April 4, please prove me wrong!
I'd argue that as prices go up on commodities, people will want to live and work as close together as possible. Plopping down a campus-like structure inside the loop is pretty much impossible so going up is the only option. The day of the suburb is kinda on its way out I think. Only suburbs like The Woodlands, Sugar Land or Katy will thrive because they are well established and have big business.
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  #3658  
Old Posted Apr 2, 2012, 9:59 PM
J-a-x J-a-x is offline
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I hope this isn't too off topic but I wanted to share this new webcam I set up on my roof. There isn't much going on now, but once there is another large tower being constructed downtown, you can use this cam to watch it.


http://www.jackson-myers.com/Webcam/
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  #3659  
Old Posted Apr 3, 2012, 1:27 AM
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Yeah the day of the suburb is gone until we get cheap energy again with solar or hydrogen, then it will be the 1950s all over again with people moving as far away from the city as possible.
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  #3660  
Old Posted Apr 3, 2012, 1:34 AM
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Originally Posted by J-a-x View Post
I hope this isn't too off topic but I wanted to share this new webcam I set up on my roof. There isn't much going on now, but once there is another large tower being constructed downtown, you can use this cam to watch it.


http://www.jackson-myers.com/Webcam/
That's gotta be one of the best time lapses I've ever seen.
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