Gotta love the sounds the Mark I trains make, I wished the Mark II and Mark III made the same sounds as the Mark I. I'm pretty positive that several Mark I units will be preserved in museums as that's pretty standard practice nowadays, and plus, the Mark I's for the Vancouver SkyTrain tend to be in pretty great shape compared to other systems. Like for real, with the new grey paint job, the original Mark I's from 1985 look brand new from the outside.
my grandpa actually worked as the main communications director for UTDC, so I probably know more than most people about mark 1s and the original skytrain project - its truly amazing the expo line was actually originally going to be a MagLev, but due to constant stopping and stopping, and balancing issues when it's busy, they simply but wheels on the maglev, and that is what we call the Mark 1s. the reason why the canada line is so slow and sparks so much is due to it using electric motors (axles drive the train). which makes it impossible for the axles to turn, resulting in sparks, track wear and tear, and such on curves. Since LIM (linear induction motors) aren't directly turning the axles, the axles can freely steer, which is why they go so fast over switches and curves. as for the grinding noises, eh thats just wear and tear on both the track and the axles, hence some track replacements along the line near (metrotown?) - the mark 3s do this too, just not to the extent of mark 1s other than a few small things left out, this was quite the good documentary! Mark 1s hold a special place in my heart - sounds, family connection, and their character.
So we were going to get an even faster train but stuff happened so they had to go with Plan B. I wonder if with newer technology, they can go back to Plan A.
@@AlphineWolf It's super interesting to imagine the skytrain system as a maglev - quiet because of no axle and wheel screeching, and it would be super smooth. Only issue is probably constant stopping and the train being unbalanced in different loads. Funny how plan B has worked so well, eh? i like to picture the mark 1s as a maglev with wheels haha
@@thyssenFILMS I mean they are eventually going to do a Seattle to Vancouver line so maybe Plan A may eventually be on the table. It be strange seeing an eventual extension all the way to white Rock. Edit: Been wondering if it's actually possible to convert Canada Line to the original skytrain technology.
@@AlphineWolf yeah the canada line really is terrible, short platforms, slow trains, rail and wheels being worn out due to lack of the axles being able to rotate freely. i’m actually unsure of if the broadway line is LIM (linear induction motors) but since i heard mark 2s are going on there with the delivery of mark 5s, i think it is LIM, and thank god. another canada line would be a disaster, especially with the amount of ridership on the 99
Axles not being able to rotate freely probably isn't the largest issue. The main issue is wheelslip. In bad weather or during autumn when there are leaves on the line, the adhesion between the wheel and the rail goes down a lot. With the motors driving the axles, there is not enough adhesion between the rail and the wheel to accelerate, so the wheel loses traction and slips. Because motors have a very high power output, the wheel will often spin up to a high speed before wheelslip protection kicks in and cuts power to the motor, but the train isn't moving, so it causes the wheel to grind against the rail giving a lovely display of sparks (sometimes). Also the Canada line uses top contact third rail which is not great in icy conditions while legacy skytrain uses side contact third rail. This is because ice and snow can form on the top of the third rail. Unfortunately ice isn't a very good electrical conductor which means that the third rail shoe on the train which draws power loses contact with the third rail which can cause electrical arcs.
For some clarification, the 1991 batch were never repainted, the 1995 batch were all repainted in the early 2000s to the sweep livery, and some of the 1984/85 batch were repainted into the sweep before the current scheme while others did not get the sweep livery and got the current scheme directly. I personally like the grey door panels, because they're more consistent with the otherwise entirely grey interior, but I can see how the red creates more contrast. Also, nice catch with the special Millennium Line train to VCC-Clark at Commercial Drive. Would love to see more footage if you got more of it.
actually it the cars started to 1984 to test to make sure it was safe to use then them bc transit aka translink put them aka 114 batches in service in 1985
I just found your channel (from your Surrey bus video) and stumbled upon this video. As a Vancouver public transit nerd, I loved this deep dive. I take the Canada line way more than the expo and millenium ones, so I don't often ride the Mark 1, but I caught it a few weeks ago and was happy... mostly because it's the Skytrain car Twice (a huge kpop group) used in their Likey music video. Once they retire the mark 1, we can't recreate the video anymore. Great in depth video and I'm looking forward to more.
unfortunately the canada line is pure garbage due to the fact it's powered by electric motors - directly turning the axles. because of this, it sparks on turns, wears down the tracks and the wheels, and goes slow over switches and curves in the track. the reason the canada line isn't powered by LIM (linear induction motors) is due to the fact that the project was rushed for the olympics, and that an LIM-based system is much more expensive, although more future-proof.
@@AllycatlovesAG of course, it’s just sad that they cheaped out on the canada line… so many advantages to LIM than to the electric motor system. And the trains are short…
With the Mark V’s approaching soon, Victoria has been wanting a Skytrain ish transit style, if this transit style comes to the Island, it would be nice to see these trains transfer to Vancouver Island.
It's highly likely victoria will choose newer models of skytrain like the Mark. V simply due to the age and lack of legacy support for mark I's by manufacturers. Re-Introducing them into service would probably require a full overhaul that requires parts that are simply not in large supply. For example the Toronto system was basically doomed for retirement after the mark I's ended service as the later series were too large for the line and overhauling the mark. I's would be incredibly expensive if not impossible. It is unfortunate but everything has an expiration date.
Bruh the whining sound it makes when it departs the station is music to my ears. It's one of the reasons why I love taking the Mk1 Skytrains 😊😋. Translink is lucky to have the Mk1s reach & even surpass their 40th Anniversary unlike Toronto's Line 3 that was forced to shut down permanantly before it's intended farewell on Nov 19 after 38 years on July 24/2023 due to a derailment. Since you pointed out the Mk1s on Toronto's former Line 3 are manually driven unlike Vancouver. The reason Toronto's Mk1s did not utilize the intended driverless operation like Vancouver was due to pressure from the union seemingly because the TTC was skeptical of driverless trains. I may be from Toronto but I can honestly say that I enjoy taking the Skytrains more than the subways in Toronto especially the Mk1 Skytrains. Those go 80 km/h all through the Expo Line unlike TTC's Line 3 where it literally only goes 80 km/h between 2 stations, Midland & Scarborough Centre. The Mk1 Skytrains are dear to me & I will miss them when retire. Hope to able to ride them in their final year of revenue service
you know i some of the mark 1 train's doors sound different that i can kind of describe as creaky springs and they are kind of rare to come across although i really like the other doors because it's quite clunky in a good way and also hear the high pitch whine of i assume pulse width modulation feeding into the motor, how it opens and closes the door and quite interesting like it swings the door open and turns off the motor and the momentum carries the door the rest of the way and sometimes the motor turns back on for a brief moment cuz the door didn't open up enough which happens seemingly every time closing the doors, it's just more interesting to watch then the more modern effortless automatic doors of the other trains although the mark 2 trains are some what interesting with the little click before it opens and the satisfying clicks of the latch when closing, i assume the the clunky slow doors of the mark 1 is why it chimes the bell twice when leaving
Personally I've never been bothered by the loud train sounds, and until recently, I never knew the sounds were that loud to most people! I always thought they were quite quiet. Personally I find the sounds nostalgic NGL!
Great news for Detroit and bad news for Toronto as the TTC shuts down line 3 Detroit will get the refurbished Mark 1’s till they get enough funding in the next 2 years for NEW SKYTRAINS IN DETROIT! The line is now free for commuters and has seen its ridership numbers double. Detroit Transit has also re aligned bus routes to terminate at People Mover stations which is also adding a LOT of ridership. With the Q line expanding and connecting directly with the People Mover the Detroit Transit agency is also looking alongside the city and state to finally double the track and extend the network! These plans are moving albeit slowly but are moving along now!
Actually Detroit people mover is working on getting new cars cars. I am from Detroit. Their was a news report a from a few months ago. They are currently getting bids. Unknown if it will be the same mark 5 trains that the Vancouver skytrain is getting or not.
Well the replacements for the original Skytrain vehicles are going to be the mark three cousins The reason I called him cousins is the fact that they’re the same manufacture
Great video, until the discussion of those panel colors got me triggered. The white is drab, but red is hideous, and confining. They really ought to be a cheery TransLink yellow.
These mk 1’s really are not as bad as people make them out to be these are my favourite on the system they got refurbished I think they should be kept in service longer. They say the mk 5’s will have better seating but that most likely means less seats so have fun standing the whole time while you commute after a long day of work being on you feet.
I also love the Mark 1s. The trains may be a little loud, but they are very nice to ride on and are very reliable. (Hence why they operated for almost 40 years) I don't have any opinions on the Mark Vs yet since they haven't entered service, but the riding experience could be similar to the Second Gen Mark II cars.
Gotta love the sounds the Mark I trains make, I wished the Mark II and Mark III made the same sounds as the Mark I. I'm pretty positive that several Mark I units will be preserved in museums as that's pretty standard practice nowadays, and plus, the Mark I's for the Vancouver SkyTrain tend to be in pretty great shape compared to other systems. Like for real, with the new grey paint job, the original Mark I's from 1985 look brand new from the outside.
no it wont it will be perserved in houses
Vancouver could make a transport museum work, since public transport has impacted the city so much
Vancouver needs a transit museum👍🏻 Translink and Coast Mountain Bus Company history.
i love mark 1s
my grandpa actually worked as the main communications director for UTDC, so I probably know more than most people about mark 1s and the original skytrain project - its truly amazing
the expo line was actually originally going to be a MagLev, but due to constant stopping and stopping, and balancing issues when it's busy, they simply but wheels on the maglev, and that is what we call the Mark 1s.
the reason why the canada line is so slow and sparks so much is due to it using electric motors (axles drive the train). which makes it impossible for the axles to turn, resulting in sparks, track wear and tear, and such on curves. Since LIM (linear induction motors) aren't directly turning the axles, the axles can freely steer, which is why they go so fast over switches and curves.
as for the grinding noises, eh thats just wear and tear on both the track and the axles, hence some track replacements along the line near (metrotown?) - the mark 3s do this too, just not to the extent of mark 1s
other than a few small things left out, this was quite the good documentary! Mark 1s hold a special place in my heart - sounds, family connection, and their character.
So we were going to get an even faster train but stuff happened so they had to go with Plan B. I wonder if with newer technology, they can go back to Plan A.
@@AlphineWolf It's super interesting to imagine the skytrain system as a maglev - quiet because of no axle and wheel screeching, and it would be super smooth. Only issue is probably constant stopping and the train being unbalanced in different loads. Funny how plan B has worked so well, eh? i like to picture the mark 1s as a maglev with wheels haha
@@thyssenFILMS I mean they are eventually going to do a Seattle to Vancouver line so maybe Plan A may eventually be on the table. It be strange seeing an eventual extension all the way to white Rock.
Edit: Been wondering if it's actually possible to convert Canada Line to the original skytrain technology.
@@AlphineWolf yeah the canada line really is terrible, short platforms, slow trains, rail and wheels being worn out due to lack of the axles being able to rotate freely. i’m actually unsure of if the broadway line is LIM (linear induction motors) but since i heard mark 2s are going on there with the delivery of mark 5s, i think it is LIM, and thank god. another canada line would be a disaster, especially with the amount of ridership on the 99
Axles not being able to rotate freely probably isn't the largest issue. The main issue is wheelslip. In bad weather or during autumn when there are leaves on the line, the adhesion between the wheel and the rail goes down a lot. With the motors driving the axles, there is not enough adhesion between the rail and the wheel to accelerate, so the wheel loses traction and slips. Because motors have a very high power output, the wheel will often spin up to a high speed before wheelslip protection kicks in and cuts power to the motor, but the train isn't moving, so it causes the wheel to grind against the rail giving a lovely display of sparks (sometimes).
Also the Canada line uses top contact third rail which is not great in icy conditions while legacy skytrain uses side contact third rail. This is because ice and snow can form on the top of the third rail. Unfortunately ice isn't a very good electrical conductor which means that the third rail shoe on the train which draws power loses contact with the third rail which can cause electrical arcs.
For some clarification, the 1991 batch were never repainted, the 1995 batch were all repainted in the early 2000s to the sweep livery, and some of the 1984/85 batch were repainted into the sweep before the current scheme while others did not get the sweep livery and got the current scheme directly. I personally like the grey door panels, because they're more consistent with the otherwise entirely grey interior, but I can see how the red creates more contrast.
Also, nice catch with the special Millennium Line train to VCC-Clark at Commercial Drive. Would love to see more footage if you got more of it.
I just thought Translink got lazy & decided to not put more funding into painting the rest of the panels grey (on the refurbished Mark 1’s) lol
Original batch was correctly stated in the video: 001-056.
The next batch of original cars were numbered: 061-118.
Cars 057-060 is still a mystery.
actually it the cars started to 1984 to test to make sure it was safe to use then them bc transit aka translink put them aka 114 batches in service in 1985
there still around but as rare 4 car sets on the m line and expo line
before dumb translink retire them this year
There was a video clip that showed set 059-060 numbered on a 1991 version in the late 90’s for some reason 😆
@@justinm.1 bcz bc transit made that
@@justinm.1 IKR TOO FUNNY
I just found your channel (from your Surrey bus video) and stumbled upon this video. As a Vancouver public transit nerd, I loved this deep dive. I take the Canada line way more than the expo and millenium ones, so I don't often ride the Mark 1, but I caught it a few weeks ago and was happy... mostly because it's the Skytrain car Twice (a huge kpop group) used in their Likey music video. Once they retire the mark 1, we can't recreate the video anymore. Great in depth video and I'm looking forward to more.
unfortunately the canada line is pure garbage due to the fact it's powered by electric motors - directly turning the axles. because of this, it sparks on turns, wears down the tracks and the wheels, and goes slow over switches and curves in the track. the reason the canada line isn't powered by LIM (linear induction motors) is due to the fact that the project was rushed for the olympics, and that an LIM-based system is much more expensive, although more future-proof.
@@thyssenFILMS it is loud, but it’s much closer to me than the other two lines hence why I take it more. Needs longer trains though
@@AllycatlovesAG of course, it’s just sad that they cheaped out on the canada line… so many advantages to LIM than to the electric motor system. And the trains are short…
With the Mark V’s approaching soon, Victoria has been wanting a Skytrain ish transit style, if this transit style comes to the Island, it would be nice to see these trains transfer to Vancouver Island.
It's highly likely victoria will choose newer models of skytrain like the Mark. V simply due to the age and lack of legacy support for mark I's by manufacturers. Re-Introducing them into service would probably require a full overhaul that requires parts that are simply not in large supply. For example the Toronto system was basically doomed for retirement after the mark I's ended service as the later series were too large for the line and overhauling the mark. I's would be incredibly expensive if not impossible. It is unfortunate but everything has an expiration date.
Steerable bogies are indeed quieter than the Canada line on corners. Quite a bit quieter. This can be heard as the Canada line squeals around QE park.
all thanks to LIM!
Thank You!
Bruh the whining sound it makes when it departs the station is music to my ears. It's one of the reasons why I love taking the Mk1 Skytrains 😊😋. Translink is lucky to have the Mk1s reach & even surpass their 40th Anniversary unlike Toronto's Line 3 that was forced to shut down permanantly before it's intended farewell on Nov 19 after 38 years on July 24/2023 due to a derailment. Since you pointed out the Mk1s on Toronto's former Line 3 are manually driven unlike Vancouver. The reason Toronto's Mk1s did not utilize the intended driverless operation like Vancouver was due to pressure from the union seemingly because the TTC was skeptical of driverless trains. I may be from Toronto but I can honestly say that I enjoy taking the Skytrains more than the subways in Toronto especially the Mk1 Skytrains. Those go 80 km/h all through the Expo Line unlike TTC's Line 3 where it literally only goes 80 km/h between 2 stations, Midland & Scarborough Centre. The Mk1 Skytrains are dear to me & I will miss them when retire. Hope to able to ride them in their final year of revenue service
I do hope they keep at least a couple sets of mark 1 for old timey sake.
The TTC shut down the Scarborough RT early after a derailment that happened 4 months prior to its closure.
We get to see Kuala Lumpur's ICTS system for the next Mark trains!
you know i some of the mark 1 train's doors sound different that i can kind of describe as creaky springs and they are kind of rare to come across although i really like the other doors because it's quite clunky in a good way and also hear the high pitch whine of i assume pulse width modulation feeding into the motor, how it opens and closes the door and quite interesting like it swings the door open and turns off the motor and the momentum carries the door the rest of the way and sometimes the motor turns back on for a brief moment cuz the door didn't open up enough which happens seemingly every time closing the doors, it's just more interesting to watch then the more modern effortless automatic doors of the other trains although the mark 2 trains are some what interesting with the little click before it opens and the satisfying clicks of the latch when closing, i assume the the clunky slow doors of the mark 1 is why it chimes the bell twice when leaving
Personally I've never been bothered by the loud train sounds, and until recently, I never knew the sounds were that loud to most people! I always thought they were quite quiet. Personally I find the sounds nostalgic NGL!
Great news for Detroit and bad news for Toronto as the TTC shuts down line 3 Detroit will get the refurbished Mark 1’s till they get enough funding in the next 2 years for NEW SKYTRAINS IN DETROIT! The line is now free for commuters and has seen its ridership numbers double. Detroit Transit has also re aligned bus routes to terminate at People Mover stations which is also adding a LOT of ridership. With the Q line expanding and connecting directly with the People Mover the Detroit Transit agency is also looking alongside the city and state to finally double the track and extend the network! These plans are moving albeit slowly but are moving along now!
Actually Detroit people mover is working on getting new cars cars. I am from Detroit. Their was a news report a from a few months ago. They are currently getting bids. Unknown if it will be the same mark 5 trains that the Vancouver skytrain is getting or not.
No mention of the magnetic linear induction? Isn't part of the motor what lines the middle of the track?
nice
I went on a 6 car mark 1 with all white interiors
3000 and 3001 derailed in toronto recently, seemingly due to bogie issues
Yikes..... And there is a good chance that's the end of the Scarborough RT and the trains that run there.
Yes, it derailed at July 24h because it is retiring and shut downed. TTC is selling Scarborough RT to Detroit
@9:06 rumour is that there’s maintenance that needed to be done so most of them had to be in that configuration
LOL WHINING SOUND'S
5:29 That scream though 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Don’t make fun of the mark 1 OKAY?
Well the replacements for the original Skytrain vehicles are going to be the mark three cousins
The reason I called him cousins is the fact that they’re the same manufacture
The Mk3s are still under Bombardier where as the Mk5s are now under Alstom
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Great video, until the discussion of those panel colors got me triggered. The white is drab, but red is hideous, and confining. They really ought to be a cheery TransLink yellow.
Why does Mark 1 SkyTrains 1995 Cars have 1 White door. 3:47
These mk 1’s really are not as bad as people make them out to be these are my favourite on the system they got refurbished I think they should be kept in service longer.
They say the mk 5’s will have better seating but that most likely means less seats so have fun standing the whole time while you commute after a long day of work being on you feet.
I also love the Mark 1s. The trains may be a little loud, but they are very nice to ride on and are very reliable. (Hence why they operated for almost 40 years)
I don't have any opinions on the Mark Vs yet since they haven't entered service, but the riding experience could be similar to the Second Gen Mark II cars.
r i p mark 1s 1984-2023 you will be missed alot by Manny
Rip for the Mark 1s. They sound the best. 🫡