Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning January 2006 » Will DPM make money this year? « Previous Next »
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Mikeydbn
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Username: Mikeydbn

Post Number: 276
Registered: 04-2004
Posted From: 35.11.141.32
Posted on Sunday, January 15, 2006 - 8:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Maybe if it stays in operation through the big events.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs .dll/article?AID=/20060114/NEW S01/601140347

How often do people here ride the People Mover?

Do you ride it to get from place to place, or just for fun?
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Broken_main
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Username: Broken_main

Post Number: 624
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 69.222.11.226
Posted on Sunday, January 15, 2006 - 8:37 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I ride it for fun.

The DPM is due for a much needed addition I think.

But as always the administration finds other ways to waste money.

a link to the new center area would definitely be profitable(and costly)
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Bvos
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Username: Bvos

Post Number: 1158
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 69.215.247.139
Posted on Sunday, January 15, 2006 - 11:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mass transit almost never makes money. Just like roads almost never make money.
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Tigers2005
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Username: Tigers2005

Post Number: 86
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 68.61.252.136
Posted on Sunday, January 15, 2006 - 11:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

A train to the new center would definitely be a good addition, with stops at the DMC, Wayne State, the DIA and various other intersections along the way. However, this would have to be done with a plan for extension all the way up Woodward to connect to the burbs at 8 Mile. Ferndale has thrown around the idea of some type of mass transit along Woodward. Unlike the DPM, though, this would have to be a 2-way line having inbound and outbound service. It would be difficult to determine the best type and alignment for the train. I don't think that there is anywhere to put a train line at existing grade. A subway would be ideal, but is probably the most expensive type of system due to the extensive underground construction required. Selecting the best alignment for an elevated train would also be very difficult. Another advantage to building a line along Woodward would be to create an intermodal station in the new center, where riders could go between the new Woodward train and the Amtrak line the goes through in the area. This would be of great benefit to Amtrak and to the city line. Just my thoughts. Please add yours.
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Smogboy
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Username: Smogboy

Post Number: 1553
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 68.84.183.189
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 4:04 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I know the People Mover on nights of Red Wing games are usually packed as well as this time of the year during Auto Show traffic but other than that, do people use it during business hours during the day to get around??
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Psip
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Username: Psip

Post Number: 852
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 69.246.13.131
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 4:09 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

people mover
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Lmichigan
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Username: Lmichigan

Post Number: 3031
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 67.172.95.197
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 4:17 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


quote:

Bvos: Mass transit almost never makes money. Just like roads almost never make money.




Like most any city service, it needs to be subsidized. The questions for any citizen is always "how?" With a falling population, Detroit will be able to do less and less with this system. And, at the federal level with our current leaders, they are more interested in highway expansion pork projects than mass transit expansion and implementation pork projects it seems. Debbie and Carl can only do so much.

(Message edited by lmichigan on January 16, 2006)
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 1760
Registered: 08-2004
Posted From: 4.229.81.140
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 5:09 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Looking at that map one can see how any development of the Statler/United Artists blocks could be greatly enhanced by a 14th People Mover station built above Bagley Ave. (at the northwestmost point of the route).
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Jams
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Username: Jams

Post Number: 2516
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 68.79.97.100
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 5:30 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Buried deep in the freep's story was this ominous sentence.


quote:

There will be no on-street parking downtown Super Bowl weekend.




What are all the limos going to do, while they wait for their passengers? Also nice of the City to require workers take a big hit just to get to their jobs by being forced to park in overpriced lots.
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E_hemingway
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Username: E_hemingway

Post Number: 449
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 68.42.176.123
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 7:37 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My girlfriend takes the PM to and from work everyday. I bought her a 6-month pass for Christmas so she would stop stealing my quaters. I take it a couple of times a week. However, some of the stations are just too close together. I prefer to walk when I can, so there's no point in riding it from the Millender Center to Ren Cen, Bricktown or Greektown when all of those stops are only a few blocks away. Now I would use it much more if they expanded it to midtown. That would kick arse.
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Tomoh
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Username: Tomoh

Post Number: 53
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 68.40.189.92
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 8:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I find it useful to park on the street near a station on the west side of the loop (Michigan Ave) and then ride it to wherever else I want to go without having to pay ten or twenty times as much to park closer, but this is not during the day when the meters are running.
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Hamtramck_steve
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Username: Hamtramck_steve

Post Number: 2629
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 69.215.243.150
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 8:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


quote:

Also nice of the City to require workers take a big hit just to get to their jobs by being forced to park in overpriced lots.




The Host Committee will be announcing shortly their recommendation for whether offices downtown should close up shop on Thursday/Friday of Super Bowl week, so that might change the equation for some people.
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Eap
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Username: Eap

Post Number: 1234
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 69.212.53.206
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 8:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

...and then we can eagerly await the announcement that the lost productivity, revenue or wages will be covered by the aforementioned committee....
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Gambling_man
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Username: Gambling_man

Post Number: 629
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 199.178.193.5
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 8:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Close shop? That's ridiculous.....they are going to be running 24-hour shuttles from at least 5 different suburban locations.....people can park and ride for once.......
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Broken_main
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Username: Broken_main

Post Number: 644
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 69.222.11.226
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 8:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

WGetting off the subject a little bit...I think the main reason that LBJ and the suburbs fear mass transit so much is that they fear that their residents might add to Detroits economy. I am sure that if a subway plan had been implemented 20 years ago the game would have been much different today.



Since we have an ongoing comparison to Chicago always present, I must say that is one of the m,ain reasons that the entire Chicagoland area prospers. Even if they have their own little difference, we wouldn't know that because they work separately to maintain oneness as a region.
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Psip
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Username: Psip

Post Number: 864
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 69.246.13.131
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 9:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks to MikeM, in a previous thread there was an indepth discussion about a subway system for Detroit first proposed in 1926.
https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/36206/43221.html
That might provide some background.
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Broken_main
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Username: Broken_main

Post Number: 646
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 69.222.11.226
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 9:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Psip..I know about that thread...Just had to say my bit
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Psip
Member
Username: Psip

Post Number: 865
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 69.246.13.131
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 9:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Broken, just wanted anyone who might be new to the board to have a reference. I sorry if I directed the link to your post. :-)
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Broken_main
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Username: Broken_main

Post Number: 647
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 69.222.11.226
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 9:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Psip...I stand corrected.. i did not read that thread. sorry bout that!!
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Broken_main
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Username: Broken_main

Post Number: 648
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 69.222.11.226
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 9:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

BTW... I have no idea how you all search for those old threads.
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Psip
Member
Username: Psip

Post Number: 866
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 69.246.13.131
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 9:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

On the left side frame, under the Detroit Rises picture,(or Guide to Site on the top) is a search forum link. It helps if you rememeber some of the thread name.
Works like a charm, but it takes a long time.
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Dag
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Username: Dag

Post Number: 159
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 69.241.254.67
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006 - 10:41 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I would also like to suggest Downtown, It's Rise and Fall 1880-1950 by Robert Fogelson, it talks about Detroit's atempts at developing the mass transit in depth and is a very dense read.
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Genesyxx
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Username: Genesyxx

Post Number: 404
Registered: 02-2004
Posted From: 209.69.165.10
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 12:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I'm just glad they changed their site. It looked like something a 1st year HS student did.
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Udmphikapbob
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Username: Udmphikapbob

Post Number: 85
Registered: 07-2004
Posted From: 206.81.45.34
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 1:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

was it broken down at all on saturday? we were trying to go from greektown to the Joe for the hockey game, and people were packed in the lobby at the casino waiting to get up the stairs to the staion. we took a bus to cobo, and walked through there.
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Sharmaal
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Username: Sharmaal

Post Number: 565
Registered: 09-2004
Posted From: 136.2.1.103
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 1:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I didn't hear about it being stopped. It was prolly just the usual Autoshow madness. To must suburbanites "Safe Detroit" consists of Greektown and inside JLA.
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Spartacus
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Username: Spartacus

Post Number: 70
Registered: 07-2005
Posted From: 209.114.251.65
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 1:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"they are going to be running 24-hour shuttles from at least 5 different suburban locations"

Is this true? Anyone have any info on it?
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Susanarosa
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Username: Susanarosa

Post Number: 673
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 208.39.170.90
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 3:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

So does that mean that I have to drive to the suburbs to get on a shuttle to get to work downtown?
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Motorcitymayor2026
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Username: Motorcitymayor2026

Post Number: 381
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 71.10.63.140
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 3:14 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hmm, sounds like it.. Have fun with that one..

Bout time the People Mover got an updated website, although I sure miss the little jingle the old site played when u entered.
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Nellonfury
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Username: Nellonfury

Post Number: 65
Registered: 03-2005
Posted From: 68.43.156.135
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 5:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

DPM updated site looks much better that the old one.It will be cool if the city will do the expansion( make the tracks longer and add at least two more stations, one of them MGM Grand)in the future.
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Ndavies
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Username: Ndavies

Post Number: 1560
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 129.9.163.105
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 5:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The people mover will never be expanded. It was created with experimental technology that never proved out. It was one of a handful of systems that used the technology. It would be far too expensive to expand it.
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Mikeydbn
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Username: Mikeydbn

Post Number: 278
Registered: 04-2004
Posted From: 35.11.141.32
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 6:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It can be expanded, but with newer technology. This would require a transfer point.
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Ndavies
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Username: Ndavies

Post Number: 1561
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 129.9.163.105
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 6:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Is that really an expansion of the current system or just building a new system along side the old?
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Motorcitymayor2026
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Username: Motorcitymayor2026

Post Number: 382
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 71.10.63.140
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 6:23 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

When u say a transfer point, could it be done smoothly, perhaps at one of the stops anyway where the train switches tracks?

not that it will ever happen....
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Ndavies
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Username: Ndavies

Post Number: 1563
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 129.9.163.105
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 6:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The transfer station would be for passengers not trains. You would have to exit the train on the current loop and enter a train on the new section. The current trains only work on the obsolete track they are currently running on. They don't use standard motors for the drive. They use induction motors. With half of the motor being the large plates in the track and the other half built into the trains. New trains on the new track would not be capable of using the current tracks.
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Mikeydbn
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Username: Mikeydbn

Post Number: 279
Registered: 04-2004
Posted From: 35.11.141.32
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 6:37 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Or could they?

Couldn't you just build a new train with it's own motor and have that use the rails on the existing track? The rails work just like a regular train.
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Susanarosa
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Username: Susanarosa

Post Number: 675
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 208.39.170.90
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 6:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Has anyone ever been on the people mover and wondered if this is the day it falls off the track going around a corner?

Or is that just me...?
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Mikeydbn
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Username: Mikeydbn

Post Number: 280
Registered: 04-2004
Posted From: 35.11.141.32
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 6:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

dpm

It works like this (as I understand):

The Trains sit on the rails (like a normal train)
The Blue panel down the center drives the induction motors
The wires alongside the blue panel are heating cables to melt snow and ice
The metal channels along the side provide power for the trains(?)
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Wolverine
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Username: Wolverine

Post Number: 102
Registered: 04-2004
Posted From: 141.213.196.136
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 7:01 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Last week when I was on it, the chimes sounded pretty sick. Made my friends from Baltimore and New York laugh hysterically. It was pretty bad, hope they fixed that.
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Danindc
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Username: Danindc

Post Number: 1170
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 67.100.158.10
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 7:14 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Does the DPM use a standard track gauge?
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Danindc
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Username: Danindc

Post Number: 1171
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 67.100.158.10
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 7:14 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Does the DPM use a standard track gauge?
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Jsmyers
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Username: Jsmyers

Post Number: 1352
Registered: 12-2003
Posted From: 209.131.7.68
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 7:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Danindc,

I think it is a standard LRT guage, but I don't know what it is.

It is very conceivable that it could be re-electrified into more standard LRT technology (but it would be 3rd rail instead of overhead).

Regardless of big expansions, I think it would be cool if it looped north on witherell, under woodward at 75, and then south on park, leaving the south face of GCP free of DPM.

There are better things to spend money on though.
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Huggybear
Member
Username: Huggybear

Post Number: 129
Registered: 08-2005
Posted From: 68.79.96.11
Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 11:47 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


quote:

They use induction motors. With half of the motor being the large plates in the track and the other half built into the trains. New trains on the new track would not be capable of using the current tracks.


Does this mean that there are no spinning motors in the train itself? Is the induction motor what makes that funky noise when the train takes off? I'm not a LRT expert - but I would imagine it difficult to expand the existing track because to change the curves to accomodate switches you would have to pull a lot out.

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