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  • Discussion related to DC area passenger rail services from Northern Virginia to Baltimore, MD. Includes Light Rail and Baltimore Subway.
Discussion related to DC area passenger rail services from Northern Virginia to Baltimore, MD. Includes Light Rail and Baltimore Subway.

Moderators: mtuandrew, therock, Robert Paniagua

 #1477379  by justalurker66
 
Sand Box John wrote:The pedestrian tunnel with the moving walkways was built as part of the parking garage 1 project and opened in early 2003.
That is what I was thinking ... These particular walkways have been serving the public for 15 years. I see no reason why they cannot continue to serve.
 #1480168  by Backshophoss
 
How long will construction go untill the concrete issue is settled? IF there's a problem with the concrete used on this project,
construction should STOP NOW!
If the entire Silver Line needs to be rebuilt,CUT your LOSSES Now!
 #1480180  by JackRussell
 
Backshophoss wrote:How long will construction go untill the concrete issue is settled? IF there's a problem with the concrete used on this project,
construction should STOP NOW!
If the entire Silver Line needs to be rebuilt,CUT your LOSSES Now!
It isn't all of the concrete - it is just some precast panels used in the stations for phase 2. Phase 1 is unaffected. The airport station is unaffected - different contractor. The piers supporting the elevated tracks are unaffected - not precast. The concrete girders that span the piers are unaffected - different contractor.
 #1480276  by Sand Box John
 
"JDC"
New Google Earth imagery is available for the region, some of it including Silver line development - per GGW post.
New Google Earth images show the latest changes in the Washington region


From the quick look I had this morning the main line in my track map needs no up dating. The yard is another matter, there are significant difference between what is being built and the preliminary engineering drawings I use to draw the yard track map.

On the precast concrete panel issue, seems things may not be as bad as originally believed:

Tests: Silver Line concrete problem may not be as bad as feared
Max Smith
WTOP 103.5 FM
07 18 2018 10:26
 #1480318  by JackRussell
 
Sand Box John wrote: From the quick look I had this morning the main line in my track map needs no up dating. The yard is another matter, there are significant difference between what is being built and the preliminary engineering drawings I use to draw the yard track map.
What is the purpose of the 3rd track near the Herndon station? It looks sort of like a pocket track, but it doesn't seem long enough, and a pocket track would be in the middle, not to the side.
 #1480348  by Sand Box John
 
"JackRussell"
What is the purpose of the 3rd track near the Herndon station? It looks sort of like a pocket track, but it doesn't seem long enough, and a pocket track would be in the middle, not to the side.


Maintenances of way staging and or storage. I was under the assumption the track would be fitted with third rail, on closer examination there appears to be no provisions for a third rail. The length of the track between signal heads is well over 700'.

What I thought was cool is access is from the end of the spur. No spacial maneuvers needed to position a highrail equipped vehicle on the track.
 #1483954  by Sand Box John
 
It's been a while sense I published one of these, so let get on with it.

All of the stations are well beyond being structurally complete. Several of the stations have had their granite edge and platform pavers installed. All of the the pedestrian bridges have been placed and are at various stages of having floors and ceiling installed. Innovation Center and Herndon are the closest to being totally done followed by Reston Town Center, Dulles Airport, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn.

Entrance pavilion at all of the station are structurally complete and have their precast panels in place. Some have escalator and or elevators in place at various stages of completion. The last one to go up was Herndon north, go figure, it still has a some precast panels that still need to be installed. I noticed a lonely pedestrian bridge segment sitting on the ground near traction power substation #13 at Herndon. Seem there was a late change order made, that pedestrian bridge segment will connect the Herndon south entrance pavilion to level 2 of the existing garage.

At Dulles Airport, roughly 85 percent of the glazing between the mezzanine and station platform has been installed. The canopy is mostly complete. The precast panels on the station will not have the brick veneer like the other stations. The 4 mezzanine to platform elevators will be traction as apposed to hydraulic as use at the other stations and entrance pavilions. Something that was not spotted by me early on is there will be a traction power tie breaker on the east end of the station platform. All of the traction power substation and tie breakers on the airport property will not have precast concrete panels with brick veneer like the others, but will have vertical corrugated gray medal siding like what is used on the various airport service building.

The second new garage at Herndon is structurally complete, there will be no garages at Reston Town Center. A garage is near completion at Innovation Center south. The garage at Loudoun Gateway is roughly half done. A garage at Ashburn north is done and is open now to free parking.

Little to none of the of the sidewalks, access roadways to the garages, kiss and ride and bus terminals has been done at most of the stations. The exceptions being Innovation Center south and Ashburn south, both of those station have their bus terminal roadways in place. An aside note, the last 2 lane segment of Sunrise Valley Drive is being widened to 4 lanes just west of Innovation Center.

Track laying is mostly complete, only few short segments east of Ashburn need to be done. All of the interlocking track work is done. Third rail has been completed to the west yard lead junction and is proceeding to the west. It’s going to be a roller coaster ride through the west yard lead junction on the mainline.

Electricians have begun work wiring up signaling and training control as far west as the yard lead junctions. Signal heads have been installed at the interlocking was far west as the double crossover along Autopilot Drive. Fence intrusion detection is at various stages of completion east of the airport. The traction power cable management on the airport elevateds appears to be more compact then what was installed in Tysons Corner.

Traction power substations are mostly done with some still remaining to have their transformers installed along with their enclosures. The transformers are being sourced from a manufacture in Roanoke Virginia.

The buildings at Dulles Yard are structurally complete and like the airport station do not have brick veneer on them. Track work is mostly done and the electricians have begun work wiring up signaling system. Third rail has been installed in the storage tracks and along most of the length of the leads. Access roads in the yard are at various levels of completion.

The VA-606 widening project from 2 lanes to 4 south of the Dulles Greenway in front yard was completed and opened late last year.

Pictures at my Flicker Photo Stream DCMP 08 18 2018 album.
 #1483990  by JackRussell
 
Sand Box John wrote:It's been a while sense I published one of these, so let get on with it.
Thanks for the update.

Any idea whether the walkway to the airport garage has reopened or not? Some months ago I saw signs saying it would reopen this summer, but I haven't checked in quite a while.
 #1484030  by Sand Box John
 
"JackRussell"
Thanks for the update.


You are welcome, It felt good getting over there to see how things are progressing.

Any idea whether the walkway to the airport garage has reopened or not? Some months ago I saw signs saying it would reopen this summer, but I haven't checked in quite a while.

Not yet.

Based on what I could see none of the floors have been finished where the walkway passes in front of the station entrance, there is overhead work that need to be done as well. The ramps that descend from the ground level of the garage to the walkway elevator lobby are being used for material staging. The east ramp had the elevator hoists and passage doors stored on them, the west ramp had celling panels.

An aside note, the new 9 level garage on the north side of the Ashburn station provides an incredible view. You can see the Loudoun Gateway station from up there and the main terminal building at the airport.
 #1484041  by farecard
 
Sand Box John wrote: What I thought was cool is access is from the end of the spur. No spacial maneuvers needed to position a highrail equipped vehicle on the track.
What highrail vehicles does the system have? (Thinking back, I can't recall seeing any in use...)
 #1484042  by justalurker66
 
On January 26, 2010, about 1:40 a.m., a hi-rail vehicle — a truck or automobile that can be operated on either highways or rails — operating about 0.9 miles north of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Rockville Metro Station struck and fatally injured two automatic train control technicians who were working on the right-of-way replacing an impedance bond between the tracks. The hi-rail vehicle was traveling down the track in the reverse gear at about 13 mph.
The accident report mentions 16 vehicles receiving an updated lighting package in response to this accident.
 #1484087  by Sand Box John
 
"farecard"
What highrail vehicles does the system have? (Thinking back, I can't recall seeing any in use...)


WMATA has several of various types, contractors also use some types that WMATA doesn't have.
 #1484719  by JDC
 
Sand Box John wrote:It's been a while sense I published one of these, so let get on with it.


Track laying is mostly complete, only few short segments east of Ashburn need to be done. All of the interlocking track work is done. Third rail has been completed to the west yard lead junction and is proceeding to the west. It’s going to be a roller coaster ride through the west yard lead junction on the mainline.
What do you mean John by "roller coaster ride"? Does the track curve a lot back and forth? Or are there elevation changes?
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