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  • Denver Area Light and Heavy Rail (RTD) systems

  • General discussion of passenger rail systems not otherwise covered in the specific forums in this category, including high speed rail.
General discussion of passenger rail systems not otherwise covered in the specific forums in this category, including high speed rail.

Moderators: mtuandrew, gprimr1

 #1266994  by BuddCar711
 
Here is another video, this time showing assembly, delivery of shells, and the interior, and yes, with the exception of seating arrangement, the scheme is identical to SEPTA's SL-Vs (which leads to since SEPTA came up with the SL-V, could they collect royalties from Denver?). Looks like a Phillies vs. Rockies road trip in the future.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBshfAjhjH4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1288127  by lpetrich
 
I decided to check the right of way using Google Maps. Unlike for the Bay Area, new GM and old GM seem equally up to date.

For the Airport Line, I'll start at the airport and go to downtown Denver. The station platforms are just south of the main terminal building, and their foundations seem present. The line will continue southward under the intersection of Peña Blvd. and Terminal Rd., crossing in what its builders nickname the "X box". South of there is a curved then straight bridge westward, then surface tracks. It's double track. After going west a bit, it gently curves southward, crossing above Peña Blvd. and soon merging into single track and gently curving westward. However, the right of way is wide enough for double track. This includes the bridges over SR-470 and Tower Rd. The line then gently curves southward and splits in two. Bridges over E 56th Ave., Green Valley Ranch Rd., and the construction more or less petering out. A bridge over E 40th Ave. has no trackway in evidence on either side, only some cleared ground. Then a single-track bridge gently curving westward over I-70/US-36. A gap, then more viaduct, then a gap, then more viaduct, then a string of pier foundations, then some right of way on the ground that seems broad enough for two tracks. It continues a little bit, then stops. There is nothing the rest of the way.

The Gold Line has much less evidence. Around Lowell Blvd., the line becomes triple-tracked, with the northern two tracks close to each other, as one might expect, but that's about it. Not much at the I-225 line, either.
 #1291752  by lpetrich
 
These two videos were posted on March 17 of this year:
▶ Gold Line flyover - YouTube
▶ East Rail Line flyover - YouTube
Both by helicopter, and in some parts, you can see the helicopter's shadow. Both flyovers start at Denver Union Station and end at the ends of their respective lines.

The Gold Line:

At 23rd St., it has a double-track flyover bridge just to the south of it, a bridge that touches down a bit before Fox St. to the east of the tracks and the yard. It has another double-track flyover turning west before Pecos St. A cleared double-track right-of-way follows I-76, and there is a double-track viaduct a bit past I-76 on the north side of the tracks. Construction of it peters out just before the lakes at Lowell Blvd., however. The helicopter chose the southern track at the junction just after Sheridan Blvd., the single-track line.

Between that track and Grandview Ave. to the north, there is more than enough room for a double-track line. There's a double-track bridge over Wadsworth Bypass, and a new grade crossing at another street, but not much other evidence of construction. A bit east of Kipling St. there is some cleared area wide enough for double tracks, and a long stretch of cleared area west of that street, though no new RR bridge over it. There's a track in parts of that cleared area -- a single track.

The East Line:

A cleared right of way starts at Coors Field, just south of where 23rd St. splits into 22nd St. and Park Ave. A pair of tracks starts a little south of Broadway then goes in a bridge over that street. The tracks have two crossover switches in place, and it ends a bit before a bridge over 38th St. The cleared right-of-way turns east along E 40th Ave. between that street and the existing tracks, stopping at York St. The helicopter then went northeast to some eastbound tracks and then followed them. Very little evidence of construction except for a double grade crossing at Holly St. and some cleared right-of-way in each direction from it. East of Holly St. there are what look like stacks of concrete ties. Quebec St. has a double-track bridge and cleared right-of-way on each side. Just east of Central Park Blvd. is a double-track bridge over Sand Creek. Then some tracks start, with poles on each side, though the south-side one stops then restarts. A double-track grade crossing at Havana St. with some white area east of it. A station? Cleared right-of-way with poles and no tracks east of Peoria St. Sable Blvd. has a double-track grade crossing, though N Chambers Rd. doesn't.

Just before N Airport Blvd. is a single-track northward flyover. It becomes double-track soon after that street, though I'm inferring how many tracks from its width. The right-of-way stays double-track for a long stretch with tracks present in most of it until not long before it curves to follow Pena Blvd's curve. It becomes single track with poles on only one side and stays that way for another long stretch, though its right of way is wide enough for two tracks, and it has double-track bridges over Tower Rd. and SR-470. It then turns northeast, becomes double again, crosses Pena Blvd., then turns east. It goes between 78th Ave. and 79th Ave., with some of the airport's runways visible on the left. Two crossovers, then the tracks stop. Then a double-track flyover over part of Pena Blvd. It stops before the "X box", a crossover underneath two branches of Pena Blvd., though the right-of-way is cleared. It continues to the airport terminal building, where there looks like a station platform with a slab foundation for a track on each side.
 #1301918  by lpetrich
 
RTD's first commuter rail cars on their way to Denver -- some pictures.

Peak construction milestones set for 3 rail lines -- to be done by the end of this year.

The page has a picture of the East Line's airport station, with some rather curious canopies near the airport building. The East Line's track construction should by done by this year; the main undone parts are the flyover bridge over I-70 and the part between Union Station and 40th Ave. Also installed should be at least some of the overhead electricity-supply cable.

About the Gold Line, there will be a pedestrian bridge at 41th and Fox for making a station more easily accessible. Its span over a railroad yard is now in place, and it should be completed by the end of the year.

About the Northwest Line, the Westminster station will be getting a pedestrian underpass.
 #1306984  by Tadman
 
Are these new heavy-rail cars that appear to be SEPTA clones also going to run on NEC-like AC catenary? Or are they 600vDC like the rest of the Denver system?
 #1307016  by nomis
 
25 kV AC ... presumably 60hz.
 #1307678  by lpetrich
 
Fastracks: East Rail Line: What's New? -- a "Golden Spike" ceremony for joining the last rails on that line. Except that the "spike" was a steel clip painted gold with spray paint.

Fastracks: The New Rail Cars
Their electricity supply:
Light rail: 750 VDC
Commuter rail: 25 kVAC

DBEtoday | Opportunity Delivered to the Small and Underutilized Business Community. Commuter Rail Car Model Display A Big Hit With Visitors states 60 Hz.

I'm not surprised at 60 Hz, because that's the frequency for the US electrical grid's alternating current.
 #1307683  by nomis
 
The fact that it's 60hz is not shocking at all, just completely different electrinics in it. And unless I re-read the SEPTA Criteria, I don't think the original design SLV's had the capacity to run on 25kV 60hz, only 11.5kV 25hz.
 #1307688  by lpetrich
 
nomis wrote:The fact that it's 60hz is not shocking at all, just completely different electrinics in it. And unless I re-read the SEPTA Criteria, I don't think the original design SLV's had the capacity to run on 25kV 60hz, only 11.5kV 25hz.
Given what the SEPTA electrification is, the SEPTA versions of these railcars would be designed for your second figure. Various sources state voltages of 12 and 12.5 kV, though they agree on the frequency: 25 Hz.

I think that the Denver electrification was designed according to a standard for recent systems (List of current systems for electric rail traction - Wikipedia, 25 kV AC railway electrification - Wikipedia), while the Philadelphia one is obviously a legacy system.
 #1307746  by BuddCar711
 
nomis wrote:The fact that it's 60hz is not shocking at all, just completely different electrinics in it. And unless I re-read the SEPTA Criteria, I don't think the original design SLV's had the capacity to run on 25kV 60hz, only 11.5kV 25hz.
Electricity is always shocking, but anyhoo, SEPTA's SL-Vs have voltage switchers just in case that Amtrak switches to 25KV and 60Hz.
 #1314250  by lpetrich
 
From FasTracks Home:
If it's up, it's live! Power lines electrified on East Rail Line
It stated that the voltage was 250 kV, when it is actually 25 kV. Seems like a typo.
East Rail Line hits major milestones
Although opening day is just around the corner in 2016, a variety of activities remain to be completed including:
  • Stations
  • Systems and communications installation
  • Testing the trains
The Gold and Northwest lines don't seem as far advanced.

Re-capping RTD FasTracks developments - North Denver News has more detail:
The East Rail Line to DIA will begin testing trains in the spring; the Gold and Northwest lines connecting Arvada and Westminster to Union Station are in the final stages of construction and the alignment is ready for track installation; the I-225 Rail Line will continue construction; and the US 36 express lanes will open to RTD buses and shortly after, the Bus Rapid Transit vehicles will arrive.
 #1316511  by lpetrich
 
West Rail Line lessons learned
Here is a unique opportunity to see what it takes to build major infrastructure like a 12-mile-long rail line through built-up urban areas. It's clearly a complex and challenging endeavor
Among them is to make the overhead wires difficult to steal by starting their electricity as soon as possible. Some people steal wires to get their copper.

4 teams chosen to bid on building RTD's Southeast Rail Extension They are expecting to start construction next year and end it in 2019.

The southwest and central light-rail extensions are still in planning, as is the northwest commuter-rail extension from Westminster to Boulder and Longmont.
 #1324789  by lpetrich
 
First commuter rail cars make test run on East Rail Line -- shows a video and some pictures of one of them. It was pulled by a diesel "track-mobile" road-rail maintenance vehicle.
The trains moved slowly on this first run so that RTD's concessionaire on the project, Denver Transit Partners, could observe the track and vehicle conditions along the whole route.
Getting the Southeast and Southwest rail lines built

The southeast extension: Most of its funding is now committed, and four contractors are officially invited to bid on the construction. The selected contractor should start work on design late this year, and construction next year. It should be done by 2019.

The southwest extension: It is in earlier stages of planning, and also in property acquisition. Its end of the line will have a 1000-space park-and-ride lot.
 #1326911  by lpetrich
 
Powered testing of rail cars begins at Airport Station -- has some video of a commuter train entering that station and then departing. It was 2 cars, described as a married pair. Near the doors, they had three small colored lights. From top to bottom,
  • yellow
  • green
  • blue
Pedestrian bridge to be installed at Florida Station over I-225.
The process is complex. The truss weighs 143,900 pounds and the arches weigh 61,500 pounds. They have to be attached with the right amount of tension at each connection point before the concrete deck is installed.
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