[RU479]

I’m at least surprised they haven’t put one as a train lead to give it a good sweat test. Usually when one gets a new product you want to use it to work out any kinks that may exist. Others here have said the electronics are yet to be installed, but again surprised that one hasn’t been pressed into service for rigorous live tests.

Guessing the testing right now is with having it be the car behind the loco. 206 is the only one set to do that right now as it's facing east, I expect once it's given the go ahead to lead the others ones delivered will all be quickly rolled into service.

 

[cplchanb]

Well it'd be the Ontario Northland plant in North Bay but I see your point.

I also don't think they'd need much work to install the electronics back into the cab. Just a matter of when they see a need for them to be using them right now.

thanks for the correction.

Its still an unnecessary doubling of labour when they couldve done all the enabling works at the plant. there is no reason to deliver a shell, especially since they already invested heavily to bring them back as a cab car.

 

[smallspy]

Jobs.... northbay needs jobs... so they found work for the ON plant. Even if it's at best half meaningful. Then again why the hell are they delivering without electronics?? Half done job prematurely delivered only to sit idle and waste more money in storage and then another refurb just to bring them to service standards!??! Talk about waste of time and money


Edit: corrected plant location

This is it. The Provincial Government was looking for a way to keep North Bay busy and those people employed, and giving them a contract from another Government Agency is a great way to do it. It isn't the first time, and it won't be the last.

I'm not sure what electronics you think that they are or aren't installing, however. The isn't much in terms of electronics in the cars, unless they have also decided to update them to Cat5 - which I don't believe they have.

Dan

 

[RU479]

I'm not sure what electronics you think that they are or aren't installing, however. The isn't much in terms of electronics in the cars, unless they have also decided to update them to Cat5 - which I don't believe they have.

Dan

From what I’ve been told, all the wiring in the cab needed to have the cab car control the locomotive were severed when they were deactivated in 2016, however MX seemingly did not ask ONR to reconnect them once refurbished, which is why they haven’t led any trains.

 

[cplchanb]

I guess I answered my own question.... they probably left out the electronics intentionally so that they can give people jobs to do the installation separately.

 

[smallspy]

From what I’ve been told, all the wiring in the cab needed to have the cab car control the locomotive were severed when they were deactivated in 2016, however MX seemingly did not ask ONR to reconnect them once refurbished, which is why they haven’t led any trains.

You were told wrong. Wires was unplugged, not cut. Air pipes were cut and sealed, but that's a relatively easy thing to undo.

In any case, the cars coming back from ONR are apparently complete, and other than doing whatever needs to be done in PDI, ready to go.

Dan

 

[RU479]

You were told wrong. Wires was unplugged, not cut. Air pipes were cut and sealed, but that's a relatively easy thing to undo.

In any case, the cars coming back from ONR are apparently complete, and other than doing whatever needs to be done in PDI, ready to go.

Dan

I see, then I'm guessing it's just a matter of when GO sees it fit to enter them into service.

Perhaps in 2024-2025 when those 13 diesel locomotives may or may not arrive for service improvements that might or might not happen.

 

[Bordercollie]

I see, then I'm guessing it's just a matter of when GO sees it fit to enter them into service.

Perhaps in 2024-2025 when those 13 diesel locomotives may or may not arrive for service improvements that might or might not happen.

What about smarttrack? Is that going to be using different rolling stock?

 

[WB62]

What about smarttrack? Is that going to be using different rolling stock?

No it isn’t, it’s just 5 new GO stations now, honestly I’m surprised everyone doesn’t know that at this point, the original SmartTrack has been dead for years

 

[lenaitch]

This is it. The Provincial Government was looking for a way to keep North Bay busy and those people employed, and giving them a contract from another Government Agency is a great way to do it. It isn't the first time, and it won't be the last.

I'm not sure what electronics you think that they are or aren't installing, however. The isn't much in terms of electronics in the cars, unless they have also decided to update them to Cat5 - which I don't believe they have.

Dan

And it makes complete sense to me. Why wouldn't they send publicly-funded work to publicly-funded employees? So long as the service and quality is there, the taxpayer would wonder why not. It's not like a division was created solely for this purpose - the refurb shops have been there for a long time. Besides, I recall a few years ago a refurbishing contract went to a Quebec company and it didn't go well.

 

[WB62]

These cab cars weren’t refurbished for no reason, GO doesn’t have enough cab cars right now to sustain future levels of service so old cab cars have to be rebuilt, just because they aren’t being used right now doesn’t mean they won’t in the future.

It’s not rocket science

 

[T3G]

These cab cars weren’t refurbished for no reason, GO doesn’t have enough cab cars right now to sustain future levels of service so old cab cars have to be rebuilt, just because they aren’t being used right now doesn’t mean they won’t in the future.

It’s not rocket science

And as I stated before, investing money into the refurbishment of old coaching stock and leaving it out of service until a murky, unknown day in the future when more service will be run, is a poor use of funds. Logic would dictate cycling them through into service, at first ensuring that they run well, that everything is above board, and thereafter paying for their own refurbishment.

The cars are still parked under the wide open sky, exposed to baking heat, freezing cold, snow, rain. It's been a year since the first refurbished car was delivered, and at the glacial pace anything gets done in this country I would anticipate it's going to be at least a few more before the service increases start coming on line en masse. They will not be in the same condition they were delivered in. Standing around and doing nothing is almost as bad for a vehicle as excessive overuse.

 

[Metroscapes]

What about smarttrack? Is that going to be using different rolling stock?

No it isn’t, it’s just 5 new GO stations now, honestly I’m surprised everyone doesn’t know that at this point, the original SmartTrack has been dead for years

SmartTrack was John Tory's campaign sticker. It's a word that needs to be incinerated.

 

[smallspy]

And it makes complete sense to me. Why wouldn't they send publicly-funded work to publicly-funded employees? So long as the service and quality is there, the taxpayer would wonder why not. It's not like a division was created solely for this purpose - the refurb shops have been there for a long time. Besides, I recall a few years ago a refurbishing contract went to a Quebec company and it didn't go well.

Well, no. Because it's not a zero-sum game.

GO has to pay ONR for their services here.

And while yes, the quality may be there, their schedules leave something to be desired. The Quebecois company that did the work - CAD - did excellent work, and on time and on schedule. The last time ONR did a similar job, they ran it 3 years longer than promised.

Dan

 

[lenaitch]

GO has to pay ONR for their services here.

True, but as a government policy, it keeps the money inside the tent.

When I was with the OPP, our fleet services did all sorts of equipping and fabrication for several other government ministry departments. The funding was moved around as a 'journal entry' because ultimately, all government money belongs to the Treasurer (although I'm not sure if it works the same way with Crown Corporations). It's been quite a while but I recall that such transactions were tax-free because it was considered internal accounting.