Canadian Railroads > Three Skytrains in one minute at Renfrew

On Saturday February 14th I had just finished a visit to Vancouver's Central Hobbies (Thanks Loleta!) in search of local Railroad literature when I came across these scenes of three VCC-Clark bound trains all within a minute's time. Of note, after the first train set boarded & departed the following two did not stop at the station.
So my question, is this a common occurrence? A simple computer generated deadhead move for balance of train sets or possibly a less common occurrence? If so, any explanations? Knowing this is automated equipment creates the mystery for me, although the man seated in the window in the first photo allows us to imagine if there was an onboard operator.

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One more photo of an older set taken an hour or so earlier, when I arrived Renfrew...it's funny now that I remember thinking how nice the light on the buildings looked at the time.

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494 Wrote:
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> Of note, after the first train set boarded & departed the
> following two did not stop at the station.
> So my question, is this a common occurrence? A
> simple computer generated deadhead move for
> balance of train sets or possibly a less common
> occurrence? If so, any explanations? Knowing
> this is automated equipment creates the mystery
> for me, although the man seated in the window in
> the first photo allows us to imagine if there was
> an onboard operator.

Possibly some kind of issue or malfunction on those trains so they take them out of service and move them back to the OMC near Edmonds station.
In this case, since the trains are westbound, they may hold one set in the tail track at VCC-Clark.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/15 09:49 by dizzy85.

494 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Of note,
> after the first train set boarded & departed the
> following two did not stop at the station.
> So my question, is this a common occurrence? A
> simple computer generated deadhead move for
> balance of train sets or possibly a less common
> occurrence? If so, any explanations?

This is common, particularly at times when the schedule is being reduced from peak frequency. Those sets are deadheading either back the yard for maintenance or storage or to a pocket or tail track for temporary storage. On the Millennium Line there is a tail track west of VCC-Clark, and two pocket tracks between the running lines, one east of Holdom and the other between Lougheed Town Centre and Braid.

You'll also see lots of deadheading at the start of service each morning. Numerous trains are set into motion either from the yard or pocket tracks before the system is opened to the public. Then, when the gates open at the stations, there are trains distributed throughout the system.

Thanks for the detailed responses.