TTC staff 'perform miracles' keeping aging streetcar fleet on track
In addition to causing frustration among transit riders, the delayed delivery of the TTC’s new streetcars has posed a major logistical problem for the transit commission.

thestar.com
May 13, 2016
By Ben Spurr

In addition to causing frustration among transit riders, the delayed delivery of the TTC’s new streetcars has posed a major logistical problem for the transit commission.

Bombardier was originally supposed to supply 73 state-of-the-art vehicles by the end of 2015, but as of this week only 19 have arrived. To make up the difference, the TTC has been forced to extend the life of some of its older vehicles.

At the Harvey Shop of the TTC’s Hillcrest complex, crews strip the cars down, build them back up, and get them ready for the road again. It’s a tremendous undertaking that will take thousands of hours of work and cost an estimated $33.1 million.

Faded colours
These streetcars are tired, they’re beat up, and thanks to Bombardier’s failure to deliver new vehicles on time, they’re being put back into service. The Star visited the TTC’s Harvey Shop to see what it takes to make a weary streetcar road-worthy again.

Past their prime
The TTC has two types of streetcars: shorter Canadian Light Rail Vehicles (CLRVs), and longer articulated light rail vehicles (ALRVs). Most date to the 1980s and are supposed to be reaching the end of their service life. But by 2018 the TTC plans to overhaul 30 of each of type and put them back on the rails. Senior shop manager Al Pritchard said it’s amazing his crews can restore the aging vehicles to such good condition. “The workers in the Harvey Shop perform miracles,” he said.

Scarce parts
Even with 56 employees working on the streetcar rebuild, the TTC is already falling behind thanks in part to the difficulty in finding new streetcar components. Some parts, such as the chevrons that attach the wheel trucks to the rest of the vehicle, are essential but unique, so the TTC has to have them manufactured. Slow delivery is hampering the life-extension program.

Beneath your feet
The marine-grade plywood flooring of this ALRV has been removed, revealing steel underneath that is badly corroded from moisture and salt tramped in on passengers’ feet. “Body men,” who work on the frame of the vehicle, cut out corroded surfaces and install new sheet metal where needed. According to Pritchard, it takes about 55 days and $800,000 to refurbish a single ALRV. Work on CLRVs costs about $200,000.

Rusted underbelly
After the interior body is refurbished, the underside of the car is rebuilt. The components endure a lot of wear and tear, especially during winter months. After decades of service, the parts are often so badly corroded they have to be cut off the car. According to Pritchard, the problem has become significantly worse since the city started de-icing the streets with salt brine, which is more corrosive that road salt.

Keep on truckin’
After a streetcar’s body is refurbished, the vehicle can safely be put on lifts and its wheel assemblies - called trucks - removed and taken to the shop’s rebuild station. “The trucks are kind of the power plant,” said Pritchard, because they contain the car’s motors. New wheel assemblies are assembled using the immense pressure of a 250-tonne press.

Door crasher
The Harvey Shop opened in 1923. Its 250,000 square feet are divided into sections, each specializing in a different vehicle part. “Every inch of this shop, we utilize,” said Pritchard. Here, John Medeiros, general body repairman, works on streetcar doors which will be removed, cleaned, grinded free of corrosion, then repainted.

Comfortable ride
Upholsterer Mike Dambrosio inspects a newly refurbished streetcar seat, one of about 65,000 streetcar, bus and subway passenger seats the Harvey Shop repairs each year. Pritchard said the comfort of passengers is of utmost importance to the TTC, but his shop is careful not to forget the drivers. “We make sure every car leaves with a new operator seat. Happy operator, happy car,” he said.

One stitch at a time
Alassane Sylla stitches together the accordion-like bellows that join the two sections of the TTC’s articulated streetcars. The bellows are unique to TTC vehicles and have to be made in-house. Each one takes 240 hours to piece together from a vinyl-like material. “We’re thankful for electric sewing machines,” said Pritchard.