Portland Transit | TriMet/Mass Transit News

[zilfondel]

There is a rail line that runs from Tigard, across I-5, through Lake Oswego (tracks run right next to downtown), over the Willamette over an existing bridge, and north to Milwaukie.

As for the Willamette Shore Trolley - you can probably run DMU trains along with the streetcar; you just can't run the streetcar along with a freight train. Correct me if I'm wrong... the only problem would be FHA regulations; diesel trains can definitely run on electrified track - the catenary systems are high enough up in the air for them to fit under.

From Inekon's website:

Pantograph operating range above the top of rail: 3 600-6 100 mm

so about 10' - 18' height of overhead wire. The company that Trimet bought its DMUs from - Colorad Railcar - makes 2 models; a single-level and double level. The single-level (which I believe is the one Trimet bought) is 14' tall; the bi-level is 19' tall.

The Bombardier Talent DMU (which everyone thinks is much sexier), as well as pretty much any signle-level train, can fit under catenary as well. Actually, the Talent train system can come as a diesel or electric version...


Anyways, you could probably run a diesel train to Lake Oswego, transfer to the trolley line, and run it on the same track up to SoWa. The trains should be able to fit - and you could build a little transfer station just south of SoWa where they could get off the streetcar line and change direction. Not that this would be an ideal system, as you are still short about a mile+ from downtown. It could help to build frequency along a shared route from Tigard -> LO -> Milwaukie, however.

The only problem is once they build platforms for the streetcar on the LO line, I'm not sure if the diesel trains will be able to fit through them!


info on the train selection

[Pavlov's Dog]

There aren't any technological obstacles to dual-mode light rail. In Seattle the buses that use the tunnel have telescoping pantographs which they use inside and then go over to diesel outdoors.

I imagine the light-rail cars would be too heavy to run on the street car lines though. They'd have to run on the light-rail tracks built for the Milwaukee line from SoWa.

[pdxman]

I very much doubt that anything diesel will run the trolley line..If the people of dunthorpe are being pissers about the streetcar just imagine their reaction to diesel light rail!

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by Pavlov's Dog

In Seattle the buses that use the tunnel have telescoping pantographs which they use inside and then go over to diesel outdoors.

Well, not anymore, but you're right about dual-mode.

However, as was stated, the residential areas would have a fit over Diesel and the rails are probably not built for that anyway

[Sekkle]

hmm... for some reason I was thinking there was a federal regulation against running diesel and electric on the same tracks, but I searched and didn't find anything. Maybe they just can't build catenaries for LRT on tracks that handle freight traffic (which wouldn't prevent trimet from running dmus up to sowa)... or maybe there are no regulations about it at all.

Originally Posted by Pavlov's Dog

I imagine the light-rail cars would be too heavy to run on the street car lines though. They'd have to run on the light-rail tracks built for the Milwaukee line from SoWa.

I doubt that they will mix the DMUs with the LRT for a couple reasons. they may be too heavy for the streetcar tracks, I'm not sure, but there are a couple other issues... One, as zil mentioned, the DMU cars are wider than both the streetcar and the MAX LRVs (10' vs. 8' or 8.5') so the passenger platforms wouldn't be compatible. Not to mention that the height of the platforms for the commuter rail is likely different (higher) than the LRT ones. Also, I think that, since the DMUs aren't articulated, they might not be able to make it around the tight turns that MAX trains and streetcars can.

[zilfondel]

The rail line that would be built south of SoWa would likely use standard railroad ties, as they're much cheaper than doing the whole thing in a slab of concrete. They only do the shallow concrete bed for in-street running anyway, as its cheaper.

Reading further, normal-height trains (non-low floor) might be able to get through a streetcar stop, since they are only raised up 10 or 12 inches from the tracks.

hmm... for some reason I was thinking there was a federal regulation against running diesel and electric on the same tracks, but I searched and didn't find anything. Maybe they just can't build catenaries for LRT on tracks that handle freight traffic (which wouldn't prevent trimet from running dmus up to sowa)... or maybe there are no regulations about it at all.

The only federal regulations pertain to trains smashing into things. Since freight trains are so heavy, the FRA made up these ridiculous requirements that any train smacking into a freight not suffer any structural deformation of the body at all. See the link I posted above... here. Strangely, they don't require crash testing, which is what the auto industry, as well as rail regulations of Japan and Europe require. So in the US trains aren't allowed to have 'crumple zones,' but instead need to weigh 3 times as much as it would need to be... this is also the reason why the Acela trains in the NEC have so many problems, because they took a TGV train and had to triple the weight of the trains.

Short version: if there isn't going to be any freights on the SoWa -> LO line, you can run light rail and light DMU trains on them. DMU's probably weigh less than a MAX train, anyways.

Also, I think that, since the DMUs aren't articulated, they might not be able to make it around the tight turns that MAX trains and streetcars can.

I don't think that there are any sharp turns on this route, tho. It's pretty much a straight shot.

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by ForAteOh

I doubt that they will mix the DMUs with the LRT for a couple reasons. they may be too heavy for the streetcar tracks, I'm not sure, but there are a couple other issues... One, as zil mentioned, the DMU cars are wider than both the streetcar and the MAX LRVs (10' vs. 8' or 8.5') so the passenger platforms wouldn't be compatible. Not to mention that the height of the platforms for the commuter rail is likely different (higher) than the LRT ones. Also, I think that, since the DMUs aren't articulated, they might not be able to make it around the tight turns that MAX trains and streetcars can.

This is why Austin's new DMU commuter rail line is not going through downtown Austin and is escaping several key population capture incentives like station proximity. Just can't turn tight enough

[zilfondel]

[pdxman]

Is that the willamette trolley line? I can't imagine anything other than a streetcar running on that...the tracks come pretty close to those apts.

[zilfondel]

^ yep.

[zaphod]

Commuter rail on existing tracks is only cheap and effective when the tracks actually go where people want to go and are in good enough shape to not cost a gazillion dollars to repair. I wonder if it's really so viable for any more DMU lines to be built unless they connected downtown

[zilfondel]

^ they have these cool machines that can completely replace the trackbed, ties, and rails using a completely automated system. It's cheap, and waaaay cheaper than even building a new road.

Take a look at Metro's 2040 plan, it designated multiple regional and town centers and such to become focus points of mixed-use development throughout the Metro area. Some work needs to be done on it - ie, Beaverton - but there has been some progress made.

DMU could help to link these regional centers to other towns and cities throughout Oregon, as well as to downtown Portland. Express/regional/commuter buses could be used, also, of course, especially to offer a cheap startup option - although running them through highly congested areas (rush hour I-5/26/205) wouldn't make much sense, and that's where rail has its advantage...

http://www.metro-region.org/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=231

http://www.metro-region.org/files/pl...cept_small.pdf

[NJD]

Portland Steel Bridge Construction
April 22, 2008

An important update from TriMet. The good news is that it looks like bike traffic will be largely unaffected.

Steel Bridge Construction June 1 through August 30, 2008
Transit and auto traffic will be affected as crews install new MAX tracks

As part of the Portland Mall Light Rail Project, new MAX tracks on 5th and 6th avenues will connect with the existing MAX system on the Steel Bridge. Construction on the bridge's Glisan ramp is currently underway. This summer, more extensive bridge work will affect transit and auto traffic.

Traffic impacts:
June 1-August 30: TriMet buses will not use Steel Bridge; detours in place
June 10-August 24: Steel Bridge closed to all vehicles
August 2-24: MAX will not cross Steel Bridge; shuttle buses provided

Bicycle and pedestrian access will be maintained during construction.

Work hours are from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Saturday, except August 2-24, when crews will work every day, 24 hours a day. (Between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m., construction noise will be limited.)

You can learn more about the Portland Mall Light Rail Project and get construction updates at portlandmall.org. Transit detours will be posted at trimet.org starting in May.

[philopdx]

Update 4-26-08:

Close to the remodeled Macy's:








And these fellas are workin' hard!!

[philopdx]

Update 5-2-08:

[Sekkle]

From a trimet news release...

Milestone: Track Installation Complete

Crews install the final 60-foot strand of light rail
track on the Portland Mall.
The Portland Mall Light Rail Project completed a major construction milestone on May 9, 2008, when crews installed the final piece of rail along the Portland Mall.

A 60-foot strand of rail weighing about 2,000 pounds was installed on SW 6th Avenue between SW Columbia and Jefferson streets, completing new light rail track on 5th and 6th avenues between Union Station and Portland State University.

Here is the status of the Portland Mall Light Rail Project as of the last rail installation:

All 57 blocks along the Portland Mall now have track installed, totaling 13,000 linear feet (nearly 2.5 miles).
Completion of all major light rail construction along 6th Avenue is expected by mid-June.
Major construction of the Portland Mall is 90 percent complete and the overall project is 66 percent complete.

http://www.portlandmall.org/news/milestone.htm

[MarkDaMan]

I can't wait for the new trains...has this rendering been posted yet?

[Sekkle]

I noticed the same rendering in a PDF on the Siemens website. The windows are different than the ones TriMet had been showing. Not a huge difference, but I think they look cooler in the pic Mark posted. I wonder which is more current?

The original rendering from TriMet's website...


TriMet's website says they start arriving in Fall 2008, not 2009, which makes sense since they will have to have time to test.

Oh, and I got an e-mail saying that MAX service would be disrupted this weekend so that they can install overhead wires on the Mall.

[smendesPDX]

I love that new rendering of the max train. I am hoping they will get rid of all the old ones built in the mid 90s where you have to walk up to get inside

[rsbear]

The "old ones" are from the mid 1980's and they won't be getting rid of them for another 20 or 30 years. Tri-Met is in the process of refurbishing all those original cars. Light rail cars have a useful life of 40 to 50 years.