[URBAN NOTE] "Aging TTC streetcars rattle into winter"

[rfmcdonald]

Chris So's Toronto Star article describes how the TTC is prepping its streetcars for winter, a task made all the more urgent by the age of the current stock and by the non-arrival of its Bombardier replacements.

Gerry Ferreira, senior technical adviser for the transit commission, took reporters through the myriad fixes and part replacements being done in the streetcar garage at Queen St. W. and Roncesvalles Ave.

[. . .]

Over the past two winters, Toronto thoroughfares were frequently beset by streetcars that broke down due to the strain of operating in the cold. TTC spokesperson Brad Ross said that one of the worst days—a frigid one in January 2014—saw 48 streetcars fail to run for the morning rush hour. Ross said the repair push is being done while the arrival of more new streetcars from Bombardier continues to be delayed.

“These vehicles … systems that are prone to failure: they corrode, they have lines and seals that age and shrink in the extreme cold,” said Ross. “These machines are showing their age.”

As Ferreira explained, the streetcars operate primarily with an extensive system of pressurized air that travels through tubes and valves to control everything from suspension and braking to operating the windshield wipers and opening the doors. There’s also an air controlled valve that can shoot sand—which is stored underneath seats in the cab of the car—through a tube aimed at the front wheels to improve traction if it’s icy.

Problems come up when the mercury dips below -20C, Ferreira said. Condensation can freeze and block the air tubes, leading to all sorts of malfunctions. And over time, salt can erode the air tanks and while the tubing gets brittle and leaks, which leads to less efficient air flow and can cause the compressor beneath the tail of the car to overheat and break down.