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Trip hammer

A trip hammer, also known as a tilt hammer or helve hammer, is a massive powered hammer. Traditional uses of trip hammers include pounding, decorticating and polishing of grain in agriculture. In mining, trip hammers were used for crushing metal ores into small pieces, although a stamp mill was more usual for this. In finery forges they were used for drawing out blooms made from wrought iron into more workable bar iron. They were also used for fabricating various articles of wrought iron, latten (an early form of brass), steel and other metals.

One or more trip hammers were set up in a forge, also known variously as a hammer mill, hammer forge or hammer works. The hammers were usually raised by a cam and then released to fall under the force of gravity. Historically, trip hammers were often powered hydraulically by a water wheel.

Trip hammers are known to have been used in Imperial China since the Western Han dynasty. They also existed in the contemporary Greco-Roman world, with more evidence of their use in medieval Europe during the 12th century. During the Industrial Revolution the trip hammer fell out of favor and was replaced with the power hammer. Often multiple hammers were powered via a set of line shafts, pulleys and belts from a centrally located power supply.

China
In ancient China, the trip hammer evolved out of the use of the mortar and pestle, which in turn gave rise to the treadle-operated tilt-hammer (Chinese: 碓 Pinyin: dui; Wade-Giles: tui). The latter was a simple device employing a lever and fulcrum (operated by pressure applied by the weight of one's foot to one end), which featured a series of catches or lugs on the main revolving shaft as well. This device enabled the labor of pounding, often in the decorticating and polishing of grain, and avoided manual use of pounding with hand and arm.

Although Chinese historians assert that its origins may span as far back as the Zhou dynasty (1050 BC–221 BC), the British sinologist Joseph Needham regards the earliest texts to describe the device are the Jijiupian dictionary of 40 BC, Yang Xiong's text known as the Fangyan of 15 BC, as well as the "best statement" the Xin Lun written by Huan Tan about 20 AD (during the usurpation of Wang Mang). The latter book states that the legendary mythological king known as Fu Xi was the one responsible for the pestle and mortar (which evolved into the tilt-hammer and then trip hammer device). Although the author speaks of the mythological Fu Xi, a passage of his writing gives hint that the waterwheel and trip-hammer were in widespread use by the 1st century AD in China (for water-powered Chinese metallurgy, see Du Shi):

Fu Hsi invented the pestle and mortar, which is so useful, and later on it was cleverly improved in such a way that the whole weight of the body could be used for treading on the tilt-hammer (tui), thus increasing the efficiency ten times. Afterwards the power of animals—donkeys, mules, oxen, and horses—was applied by means of machinery, and water-power too used for pounding, so that the benefit was increased a hundredfold.

However, this passage as well as other early references from the Han era may rather refer to a water lever, not a trip hammer. Later research, pointing to two contemporary Han era funeral wares depicting hydraulic hammers, proved that vertical waterwheels were used to power batteries of trip hammers during the Han dynasty.

With his description, it is seen that the out-of-date Chinese term for pestle and mortar (dui, tui) would soon be replaced with the Chinese term for the water-powered trip-hammer (. The Han dynasty scholar and poet Ma Rong (79–166 AD) mentioned in one of his poems of hammers 'pounding in the water-echoing caves'. As described in the Hou Han Shu, in 129 AD the official Yu Xu gave a report to Emperor Shun of Han that trip hammers were being exported from Han China to the Western Qiang people by way of canals through the Qilian Mountains. In his Rou Xing Lun, the government official Kong Rong (153–208 AD) remarked that the invention of the trip hammer was an excellent example of a product created by intelligent men during his own age (comparing the relative achievements of the sages of old). During the 3rd century AD, the high government official and engineer Du Yu established the use of combined trip hammer batteries (lian zhi dui), which employed several shafts that were arranged to work off one large waterwheel. In Chinese texts of the 4th century, there are written accounts of men possessing and operating hundreds of trip hammer machines, such as the venerable mathematician Wang Rong (died 306 AD), Deng Yu (died 326 AD), and Shi Chong (died 300 AD), responsible for the operation of hundreds of trip hammers in over thirty governmental districts throughout China. There are numerous references to trip hammers during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) and Song dynasty (960–1279), and there are Ming dynasty (1368–1644) references that report the use of trip hammers in papermills of Fujian Province.

Although Chinese trip hammers in China were sometimes powered by the more efficient vertical-set waterwheel, the Chinese often employed the horizontal-set waterwheel in operating trip hammers, along with recumbent hammers. The recumbent hammer was found in Chinese illustrations by 1313 AD, with the publishing of Wang Zhen's Nong Shu book on ancient and contemporary (medieval) metallurgy in China. There were also illustrations of trip hammers in an encyclopedia of 1637, written by Song Yingxing (1587–1666).

The Chinese use of the cam remained confined to the horizontal type and was limited to a "small variety of machines" that included only rice hulling and much later mica-pounders, paper mills and saw mills, while fulling stocks, ore stamps or forge hammers were unknown.

Greco-Roman world

The main components for water-powered trip hammers – water wheels, cams, and hammers – were already known in Hellenistic times. Early cams are in evidence in water-powered automata from the third century BC. One Greek automaton in particular, a flute player whose mechanism was described by the Banu Musa but can be "reasonably" attributed to Apollonius of Perge, functions on the principle of water-powered trip hammers.

The Roman scholar Pliny (Natural History XVIII, 23.97) indicates that water-driven pestles had become fairly widespread in Italy by the first century AD:

"The greater part of Italy uses an unshod pestle and also wheels which water turns as it flows past, and a trip-hammer [mola]'."

While some scholars have viewed this passage to mean a watermill, later scholarship argued that mola must refer to water-powered trip hammers which were used for the pounding and hulling of grain. Their mechanical character is also suggested by an earlier reference of Lucius Pomponius (fl. 100–85 BC) to a fuller's mill, a type of mill that has been operated at all times with falling stocks. However, it has been pointed out that the translation of Pomponius' fragmentary text could be faulty, and relies on translating mola, which is often thought to mean either a mill or millstone, to instead refer to a water powered trip hammer. Grain-pounders with pestles, as well as ordinary watermills, are attested as late as the middle of the 5th century AD in a monastery founded by Romanus of Condat in the remote Jura region, indicating that the knowledge of trip hammers continued into the early Middle Ages.

At the Italian site of Saepinum excavators have recently unearthed a late antique water mill that may have employed trip hammers for tanning, the earliest evidence of its kind in a classical context.

The widest application of trip hammers seems to have occurred in Roman mining, where ore from deep veins was first crushed into small pieces for further processing. Here, the regularity and spacing of large indentations on stone anvils indicate the use of cam-operated ore stamps, much like the devices of later medieval mining. Such mechanically deformed anvils have been found at numerous Roman silver and gold mining sites in Western Europe, including at Dolaucothi (Wales), and on the Iberian peninsula,  where the datable examples are from the 1st and 2nd century AD. At Dolaucothi, these trip-hammers were hydraulic-driven and possibly also at other Roman mining sites, where the large-scale use of the hushing and ground sluicing technique meant that large amounts of water were directly available for powering the machines. However, none of the Spanish and Portuguese anvils can be convincingly associated with mill sites, though most mines had water sources and leat systems which could easily be harnessed. Likewise, the dating of the Pumsaint stone to the Roman era did not address that the stone could have been moved, and relies on a series of interlinked probabilities which would jeopardize the conclusion of a Roman dating should any of them unravel.

Medieval Europe

Water-powered and mechanised trip hammers reappeared in medieval Europe by the 12th century. Their use was described in medieval written sources of Styria (in modern-day Austria), written in 1135 and another in 1175 AD. Medieval French sources of the years 1116 and 1249 both record the use of mechanised trip hammers used in the forging of wrought iron. Medieval European trip hammers by the 15th century were most often in the shape of the vertical pestle stamp-mill, although they employed more frequent use of the vertical waterwheel than earlier Chinese versions (which often used the horizontal waterwheel). The well-known Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci often sketched trip hammers for use in forges and even file-cutting machinery, those of the vertical pestle stamp-mill type. The oldest depicted European illustration of a forge-hammer is perhaps the A Description of the Northern Peoples of Olaus Magnus, dated to 1565 AD. In this woodcut image, there is the scene of three martinets and a waterwheel working wood and leather bellows of the Osmund Bloomery furnace. The recumbent hammer was first depicted in European artwork in an illustration by Sandrart and Zonca (dated 1621 AD).

Types
A trip hammer has the head mounted at the end of a recumbent helve, hence the alternative name of helve hammer. The choice of which type was used in a particular context may have depended on the strain that its operation imposed on the helve. This was normally of wood, mounted in a cast-iron ring (called the hurst) where it pivoted. However, in the 19th century the heaviest helves were sometimes a single casting, incorporating the hurst.

The tilt hammer or tail helve hammer has a pivot at the centre of the helve on which it is mounted, and is lifted by pushing the opposite end to the head downwards. In practice, the head on such hammers seems to have been limited to one hundredweight (about 50 kg), but a very rapid stroke rate was possible. This made it suitable for drawing iron down to small sizes suitable for the cutlery trades. There were therefore many such forges known as 'tilts' around Sheffield. They were also used in brass battery works for making brass (or copper) pots and pans. In battery works (at least) it was possible for one power source to operate several hammers. In Germany, tilt hammers of up to 300 kg were used in hammer mills to forge iron. Surviving, working hammers, powered by water wheels, may be seen, for example, at the Frohnauer Hammer in the Ore Mountains.

The belly helve hammer was the kind normally found in a finery forge, used for making pig iron into forgeable bar iron. This was lifted by cams striking the helve between the pivot and the head. The head usually weighed quarter of a ton. This was probably the case because the strain on a wooden helve would have been too great if the head were heavier.

The nose helve hammer seems to have been unusual until the late 18th or early 19th century. This was lifted beyond the head. Surviving nose helves and those in pictures appear to be of cast iron.

Demise
The steam-powered drop hammer replaced the trip hammer (at least for the largest forgings). James Nasmyth invented it in 1839 and patented in 1842. However, by then forging had become less important for the iron industry, following the improvements to the rolling mill that went along with the adoption of puddling from the end of the 18th century. Nevertheless, hammers continued to be needed for shingling.

title: Trip hammer


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San Diego Trolley

The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The Trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc., is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The trolley operates as a critical component of the MTS, with connections to and integrated travel tickets with the local bus systems.

The Trolley system serves 62 stations, over about 67.9 mi of route, using three primary lines (the Blue, Green, and Orange lines) that operate daily, and a "downtown loop" heritage streetcar line (the Silver Line) that operates on holidays. There is one downtown station where all the lines connect, and 13 other stations that provide transfers to a second line (and two of these also provide connections to commuter rail systems).

The Trolley began service on July 26, 1981, making it the oldest of the second-generation light rail systems in the United States, and the success of the system helped spark a nationwide revival of light rail. In, the Trolley had the highest ridership of any light rail system in the United States, with 38,047,300 annual rides, or about per weekday as of.

History
2023 is the 42nd anniversary of the San Diego Trolley, and the MTS has prepared a brief historical review of San Diego trolleys, and in particular the San Diego Trolley. MTS also has a more extensive slideshow and timeline available. The last day of streetcar operation in San Diego was April 23, 1949. On July 19, 1981 electric railcars returned to San Diego streets on the first modern American light rail system integrated with its bus system.

Early history
Electric rail service in San Diego traces its roots back to 1891 when John D. Spreckels incorporated the San Diego Electric Railway. San Diego's streetcar system had been replaced with buses in 1949, and by 1966 the local bus company, San Diego Transit, was facing a financial crisis and public takeover.

Planning for mass transit in the San Diego region began in 1966 under the auspices of the Comprehensive Planning Organization (CPO, now known as the San Diego Association of Governments, SANDAG), an intergovernmental agency of 13 cities and San Diego County.

Over the next decade, the CPO researched various technologies including improvements to local buses, express buses, heavy rail, light rail, and advanced technologies. The CPO also closely studied the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, then under construction. Ultimately, the early studies went nowhere due to disagreements between stakeholders and a lack of funding.

In 1975, the CPO published the Regional Transportation Plan which included 58 mi intermediate capacity fixed guideway system (an untested technology at the time) at a cost of $1.5 billion.

Metropolitan Transit Development Board
In the early 1970s, three state legislative acts would set the stage for the construction of mass transit in the San Diego region.

Transportation Development Act, signed by Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1971, earmarked 25% of the state sales tax for funding transportation projects, including mass transit. A 1974 amendment to Article 19 of the Constitution of California permitted the use of gas tax revenues, previously reserved for highway construction, for construction of rail systems. Finally, a 1975 law established the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) with a clear mission: design, construct and operate a guideway transit system. The entire process was assigned to MTDB to assure accountability. The legislation was written and supported by State Senator James R. Mills, the President Pro Tem during this period and a strong transit advocate.

The MTDB formally started operations on January 1, 1976. The MTDB's enabling legislation and principles adopted by the Board required the planning give added weight to systems that satisfy a number of criteria: priority consideration for technologies available and in use, a system that is capable of being brought into operation incrementally, and using rights-of-way owned by public entities to minimize construction costs.

In December 1976, the MTDB launched its 18-month Guideway Planning Project to be held in two phases. Phase 1 involved the evaluation of potential corridors based on the CPO's 1975 Regional Transportation Plan and was guided by principles set by the MTDB board: the corridor should extend a long-distance and offer high-speed operation, the system should be at grade in a mostly exclusive right-of-way, capital costs should be low, and operating deficits should be minimized. Phase 1 studied over 100 miles of potential corridors with 45 miles of corridor recommended for further evaluation in Phase 2. At about the same time, a working paper presented an evaluation of four guideway technologies: light rail, two categories of heavy rail, and Automated Small Vehicle Transit.

In August 1977, the MTDB board selected the South Bay region for the detailed Phase 2 study. There would be several potential corridors to consider, including along freeways (Interstate highways I-5, I-8 & I-805 and State Routes 94 & 16), along existing railroad rights-of-way, and arterial roads.

In October 1977 the board selected light rail as the lone guideway transit technology to be studied (it would also be compared to several all-bus alternatives). In making the decision to pursue light rail, the MTBD board said it best followed the principles it laid out as light rail can offer high-speed travel, the right-of-way is flexible, and construction costs can be low when at-grade construction is maximized. The technology was new for the United States, but was well established in Germany.

Hurricane Kathleen
On September 10, 1976, nature intervened, setting off a chain of events that would help decide the corridor to be used.

Hurricane Kathleen destroyed parts of San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway (SD&AE) Desert Line (east of San Diego), which at the time was owned by Southern Pacific (SP) railroad. The SD&AE offered freight service with a line that traveled between downtown San Diego, San Ysidro, northern Baja California (in Mexico), and Imperial County before connecting with the rest of the SP system in Plaster City, California. The hurricane caused $1.3 million worth of damage to the line ($ adjusted for inflation), primarily in Imperial County, east of San Diego. Freight service was suspended, and in light of the extensive damages, SP petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the SD&AE on August 9, 1977.

The MTDB immediately began studying the SD&AE corridor between downtown San Diego and the San Ysidro Port of Entry for joint use by electric light rail and freight trains. In June 1978, the MTDB found the entire joint-use project feasible.

At the same time, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors became concerned about the potential loss of freight service on the SD&AE, which was seen as vital to the county's economic interests and the continued viability of San Diego as a deep-water port. The county commissioned its own study to examine using a portion of the SD&AE tracks for passenger service which would share the track with freight services, the motivation being the transit services could share the costs of maintaining the tracks. San Diego County proposed operating either commuter rail trains or self-powered diesel rail cars.

Initial implementation
In 1978, the Interstate Commerce Commission denied the request to abandon the SD&AE, prompting Southern Pacific to offer the railroad for sale to anyone willing to maintain freight operations on the line. The MTDB stepped in and offered to buy the SD&AE for $18.1 million if the Southern Pacific fully repaired the hurricane-damaged line. The deal closed on August 20, 1979, with the final acquisition occurring on November 1, 1979. The MTDB quickly secured a deal with the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad to continue freight service along the line.

The purchase gave MTDB ownership of two sections of right-of-way that could be used for mass transit: the SD&AE Main Line from downtown San Diego to San Ysidro, and the SD&AE La Mesa Branch from downtown San Diego to El Cajon.

With all the planning in place, construction of the 15.9 mi "South Line" transit corridor (the southern portion of today's Blue Line) was able to begin just one month after acquisition in December 1979 and would be accomplished in two phases.

The first phase of the project cost $86 million, which included the purchase of the SD&AE, 14 light rail vehicles, construction of a single-tracked electrified light rail line along the 14.2 mi SD&AE Main Line and construction of a 1.7 mi section of new street running tracks in downtown San Diego. To control costs, only minor rehabilitation was conducted on the SD&AE corridor, with the MTDB replacing about 40% of the ties, welding the jointed rail, constructing electric catenaries, and installing an absolute block signal system.

Funding for the project came entirely from Transportation Development Act state sales tax and local gas tax revenues. Federal funds were not actively sought due to the locally perceived notion that San Diego would not qualify due to low population densities, uncongested highways, and undefined corridors. In August 1980, the MTDB established San Diego Trolley, Inc. to operate and maintain the new light rail system and on July 26, 1981, service began. Trains operated every 20 minutes (timed to meet at four passing tracks on the single track sections) between 5 am and 9 pm and carried approximately 10,000 passengers a day.

In light of the strong ridership, construction of the second phase was started almost immediately, which involved double-tracking the SD&AE corridor and purchasing 10 additional vehicles. Upon completion of double-tracking in February 1983, the total cost of the project was $116.6 million.

The success of the San Diego Trolley would also spark a nationwide revival of light rail in the late 1980s, with lines built in several other mid-sized cities (Buffalo, Denver, Portland, Sacramento and San Jose).

Early expansions
The San Diego Trolley added a second line on March 23, 1986, that shared the same downtown tracks and traveled east to Euclid Avenue on the La Mesa Branch of the SD&AE. The new route was then called the Euclid Line (part of today's Orange Line). This line was extended to El Cajon by June 23, 1989, at which time it was renamed the East Line. Service was expanded beyond the old SD&AE right-of-way when the line was extended further, north, to Santee on August 26, 1995.

The East Line's Bayside Connection extension to the Convention Center and Gaslamp Quarter opened on June 30, 1990. Later in the decade, the South Line was extended to the north, reaching Little Italy on July 2, 1992, and Old Town on June 16, 1996.

The system was further expanded east from the Old Town station as the Mission Valley Line, which opened on November 23, 1997. It proceeded eastward from Old Town to Fashion Valley Mall, Mission Valley Mall, and San Diego Stadium. At the same time, the South Line (which now traveled north of downtown San Diego to Old Town) and East Line of the system were renamed the Blue Line and the Orange Line, respectively.

The Mission Valley East extension, which opened on July 10, 2005, built the only underground station in the system at San Diego State University, as well as its highest elevated station at Grantville. This line was then renamed the Green Line. The line also featured the first low-floor trolley vehicles, that allow passengers to board without climbing stairs and allowed passengers using wheelchairs to use a small bridge plate instead of the slower lifts on the older trains. But, the new vehicles could only operate on the Green Line, forcing passengers heading between Mission Valley and downtown San Diego to change trains in Old Town. (This restriction no longer applies.)

Trolley Renewal Project
In the late 2000s, as parts of the San Diego Trolley approached 30 years old, the system was in need of an overhaul of its oldest facilities. Also, after the success of the low-floor trolley cars on the Green Line, the MTS wanted to operate similar vehicles on all lines.

Officials secured $660 million in funding after the 2008 election as voters passed the TransNet half-cent local sales tax and two statewide transportation bond measures. The project also received funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and federal formula funds.

The "Trolley Renewal Project" would entail several improvements. Each station would get larger shelters to provide more protection from sun and rain, new benches, and digital "next arrival" signs. Worn-out infrastructure was replaced as needed, including rails, ties, catenary wires, power lines and electrical substations. The project also included a new signalling system that would allow two freight trains to operate at night, rather than one.

To enable the switch to a low-floor light rail vehicle (LRV) fleet, platforms at 35 stations would need to be raised from either ground level or sidewalk level (4 in) to 6 in. Stations also needed a new "safety edge tile" with a smooth surface in the center to allow wheelchair ramps to deploy (the existing safety tile would stop ramps from fully deploying). The other complication of the switch to low-floor LRVs was that the traditional Siemens S70, like those ordered for the Green Line, were over 90 ft long, so a three-car train would not fit within downtown San Diego's 240 ft blocks. The MTS teamed up with the Utah Transit Authority, which faced a similar problem with its system. The solution for both agencies was a specialized design Siemens called the S70 US ("Ultra Short") which retains the low-floor design, but would be the same length as the older high-floor vehicles (80 ft).

The MTS and SANDAG agreed to purchase a total of 65 vehicles, which would arrive between September 2011 and January 27, 2015. However, there was not enough funding to replace all 123 high-floor cars at once. The decision was made to retire the original Siemens-Duewag U2 LRVs, and operate three-car trains with the new low-floor LRVs in the front and back, and an older high-floor Siemens SD-100 car in the middle.

In late 2010, work to rebuild the stations started at the Old Town Transit Center and worked south. By September 2, 2012, work was completed on the Old Town and Bayshore lines, allowing for a realignment of service. The Green Line was extended from its former western terminus in Old Town south to 12th & Imperial Transit Center's Bayside Terminal platform, while the Orange Line was truncated to Santa Fe Depot and the Blue Line to America Plaza. The new alignment meant all lines now passed through downtown and created a universal transfer point for all lines at 12th & Imperial Transit Center.

By January 9, 2013, all stations on the Orange Line had been rebuilt, allowing low-floor LRVs to begin service on a second line. Rebuilding of the remaining stations (all on the Blue Line) was completed by January 27, 2015, The project, including remaining station and track renovations, was completed in late 2015.

Mid-Coast Trolley extension project
In 2011, SANDAG received key approval for the Mid-coast extension of the Blue Line, running from the Old Town Transit Center 11 mi north to the University City community, serving major activity and employment centers such as Mission Bay Park, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) campus, three major hospitals on (and adjacent to) the campus, and University Towne Centre (UTC) shopping center. Construction began in October 2016, and train testing on the line began in late June 2021. The Mid-Coast extension opened on November 21, 2021.

The Blue Line was re-extended north from its original northern terminus at America Plaza to run through five existing stations (up to and including its pre-2012 terminus, the Old Town Transit Center), and continuing to nine new trolley stations: Tecolote Road, Clairemont Drive, Balboa Avenue, Nobel Drive, VA Medical Center, UCSD West/Pepper Canyon, UCSD East/Voigt Drive, Executive Drive, and UTC. The northern terminal station, UTC, is part of the UTC Transit Center, at Westfield UTC (a major shopping center) in the University City/UCSD area.

Lines
, trolley service operates on three daily lines: the Blue, Green, and Orange Lines, and traveling through 65 total miles of mostly double-track rail and serving 62 stations. A fourth line, the heritage streetcar Silver Line, operates more limited weekday and weekend service, in a clockwise 'circle-loop' around downtown San Diego only (this is an overlay of existing parts of other lines in downtown).

Stations
The San Diego Trolley system has 62 operational stations serving its four Trolley lines.

Fourteen of the Trolley system's stations operate as transfer stations, which allow passengers to transfer between lines. There is one universal transfer point (i.e. allowing for transfers among all four lines) in the system in downtown San Diego: the 12th & Imperial Transit Center station. The adjacent Santa Fe Depot/America Plaza/Courthouse stations, which are within walking distance of each other, also allow for transfer among the four lines. Six Trolley stations are end-of-line stations. Thirty-seven stations are within the city limits of San Diego, serving various neighborhoods in San Diego; the other stations are located in the cities of Chula Vista, El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, and Santee.

Most of the stations in the San Diego Trolley system are 'at-grade' stations. There are 8 aerial stations, mostly on the newer Green Line. There is just one Trolley station in the system that is underground – the SDSU Transit Center station – also on the Green Line.

About half of San Diego Trolley stations offer free park and ride lots. Most Trolley stations offer connections to MTS bus lines.

Hours of operation
The San Diego Trolley's three main lines operate regular service between 5 am and midnight, seven days a week. Limited service on particular segments is provided before 5 am and after midnight. However, there is no rail service between 2 am and 3:30 am. During these hours when there is no passenger service, freight trains of the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad operate on the trolley's right of way.

Service on the Blue Line operates every 15 minutes, seven days a week, with service every 7.5 minutes during weekday rush-hours; late-night service on this line runs every 30 minutes. The Green and Orange Lines operate service every 15 minutes on Monday–Saturday mid-days, but every 30 minutes on weekend mornings, on Sundays, and during evenings.

Fares and fare collection
The San Diego Trolley operates on a proof-of-payment system. Passengers must have proof of fare (ticket or pass) before boarding. Self-serve ticket-vending machines located at each station sell one-way paper tickets and passes (one day and monthly) on the Pronto Card. (An older fare card that was used was the Compass card.)

Roving transit enforcement personnel conduct random ticket inspections throughout the system. If customers are caught without a valid fare, they may be fined. Based on frequent security inspections, nearly 98% of the 37 million patrons have proper fares.

One-way fares are good for up to two hours from the time of purchase. The fare does include a transfer to other routes, as long as it is within two hours from the time of purchase.

One-day and monthly passes are sold on the Pronto Card. The card itself costs $2, and fares are loaded on to it as needed for the different transit systems within San Diego County (including the San Diego Trolley, MTS Bus, MTS Rapid buses, NCTD Breeze buses, and the NCTD Sprinter (a light rail line in North San Diego County). More expensive premium passes include access to the NCTD Coaster commuter rail service, MTS Rapid Express, and MTS Rural buses.

Pronto cards are linked to an account which can store value to be used at any time. The Pronto card uses the "best fare," which is similar to pay-as-you-go. The card will automatically deduct a one-way fare each time it is tapped, and will cap the total fare deducted in a day to the limit of a Day Pass, which is $6. Pronto will also cap the total monthly fare to the same price as a Month Pass, which is $72.

The Pronto card must be tapped on a Pronto Card validator (located just outside the paid area of stations), or the QR code must be scanned from within the Pronto App when entering and transferring within the system in order to be validated.

Ridership
As of the Fourth Quarter (Q4) of 2013, the average weekday ridership on the San Diego Trolley system was 119,800, making it the fourth busiest Light rail system in the United States. Taking overall track length into consideration, the San Diego Trolley transported 2,239 daily passengers per route mile in Q4 2014, making it the twelfth busiest Light rail system on a per mile basis over this time period. Weekday ridership on the Trolley has been relatively high since Q3 2013 (see table at right).

In all of 2014, the San Diego Trolley provided 39,731,900 unlinked passenger transits according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). MTS reported that there were 39,694,197 trips on the Trolley in Fiscal Year 2014 (FY 2014), a 34% increase over Fiscal Year 2013. Of the Trolley's three lines, the Blue Line has the system's highest ridership with 15,094,878 riders during FY 2014, followed by the Green Line with 13,673,926 FY 2014 riders, and the Orange Line with 10,896,289 FY 2014 riders. The Silver Line, operating only mid-days just four days a week (and with some service interruptions during the year), carried 29,104 passengers around the downtown loop in FY2014.

According to figures from APTA, previous to 2014, the San Diego Trolley achieved the highest level of ridership in 2007, when there were 36,386,100 unlinked passenger transits on the system over that entire year. The Trolley system's highest average weekday ridership of 124,300 was achieved in Q3 2007 – this corresponded to 2,323 passengers per route mile daily.

Proposed Balboa Park streetcar line
MTS began work in March 2011 on a study to evaluate the feasibility of reconnecting Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo and downtown San Diego through a fixed-guideway, electrified streetcar line – the final study on the subject was published in October 2012. The project study corridor runs between the City College Trolley Station area, and Balboa Park in the vicinity of the San Diego Zoo. An alignment similar to the proposed one was last served by a streetcar system in 1949 on lines 7 (Park Boulevard-University Avenue to East San Diego) & 11 (Park Boulevard-Adams Avenue to Kensington). The Committee evaluated what types of streetcars to use for this proposed line, the possible options including the recently ordered 57 Ultra Short 2011 S70s in the "Modern Streetcar" category, and the restored PCC Streetcars from the downtown Silver Line in the "Vintage Streetcar" category. The major construction issues were how to cross I-5 without having to reconstruct the entire bridge, and how to make the construction strong enough to support the full weight of heavier light rail trains (for possible line extension). No low-cost solution to this problem was identified. The estimated cost for construction of this line was $68.2 million, with each trolley car estimated to cost between $850,000 (for a restored PCC trolley car) to $3.6 million (for a modern trolley car). Four cars are anticipated for service on this line. No funding sources were identified. No further action on this proposal has taken place since the October 2012 release of the study.

Proposed airport extension
One of the biggest gaps in the San Diego Trolley system is the lack of a connection to the San Diego International Airport. The MTS says the extension presents engineering challenges and would be costly, but the agency's polls and outreach show the extension is one of the most desired projects among the public. Over the years there have been several proposals, with the most serious coming as part of the proposed "Elevate SD 2020" transit tax. That project would have created a new line that connected the airport to both the 12th & Imperial Transit Center and the Old Town Transit Center with a wye spur between the Middletown and Little Italy stations. In April 2020, MTS decided not to pursue the transit tax ballot initiative. However, an extension of the trolley to the airport is included as an alternative proposal as part of SANDAG's Central Mobility Hub project for the airport, which is in the Draft Environmental Impact Report phase.

Connecting service between the Trolley and the airport is provided by local bus Route 992 that serves the Santa Fe Depot/America Plaza transit area. Additionally, the airport runs two shuttles: one that stops at the Old Town station (called the San Diego Flyer), and another that stops a block from the Middletown station (the rental car shuttle). Both have stops at both terminals.

Proposed Purple Line
The Purple Line is a proposed San Diego Trolley line that would run from San Ysidro Transit Center at the United States–Mexico border to Kearny Mesa with a possible extension to Carmel Valley. It would run along, or close to I-805 and I-15.

In April 2011, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) released a draft of its 2050 Regional Transportation Plan, which was approved by the SANDAG Board of Directors on October 28, 2011. An inland Trolley line from San Ysidro to Kearny Mesa, though not yet called the Purple Line, was included in the plan.

In 2016, SANDAG had a measure on the ballot to fund development of the Purple Line. It failed to pass.

In April 2019, the MTS again included the Purple Line in a final version of a November ballot initiative to increase the countywide sales tax by a half-cent to fund future transit plans. In April 2020, MTS decided not to pursue the transit tax ballot initiative.

Cross-Border Trolley and other project at San Ysidro
Although the current Blue Line ends at San Ysidro Transit Center, just north of the Mexico–United States border, future plans for the Blue Line to continue into Tijuana are awaiting approval. If it is to be made, the Blue Line would be extended 1 mile or 1.5 miles on an elevated trackage into a new Tijuana station. This proposal for a "Cross-Border Trolley", supported by SANDAG and officials in Baja California, could take 8 years to complete.

Copper Line
In early 2024, the MTS proposed truncating the eastern terminus of both the Green and Orange lines to El Cajon Transit Center, replacing the easternmost sections of both lines with a Copper Line between El Cajon and Santee Town Center station. If approved, the Copper Line could begin operations as soon as September 1, 2024.

Fleet
The San Diego Trolley operates on all its main lines with an all-Siemens fleet of light-rail vehicles (LRVs). It also runs 2 "heritage" PCC street cars on the Silver Line, a downtown-only circuit on a select schedule.

When the system opened in 1981, the agency purchased a fleet of 71 high-floor Siemens–Duewag U2 vehicles, originally designed for and used by the Frankfurt U-Bahn. At the time, no purpose-built LRVs were being manufactured for the North American market, so the model was adapted for use by San Diego and other transit systems in Canada. The vehicles were built in West Germany, with some assistance from a Siemens facility in Florin, California, a suburb of Sacramento. These cars were withdrawn from service between 2010 and 2015. Eleven of the U2 cars were sold to the new Metrotranvía Mendoza in Mendoza, Argentina in 2010, 29 were retired after the Orange Line was converted in early 2013, and the rest were retired after the Blue Line was converted in January 2015. Six U2 cars have been preserved: car 1001 was retained by MTS for use on the Silver Line, cars 1003 and 1008 were donated to the Southern California Railway Museum, cars 1017 and 1018 were donated to the Western Railway Museum, and car 1019 was donated to the Rockhill Trolley Museum. Car 1035 was sold in late 2020 to the Memphis Area Transit Authority, which operates a vintage-trolley system and intends to use the LRV for testing of modern, higher-capacity vehicles on its Madison Avenue Line.

In 1995, the San Diego Trolley purchased a fleet of 52 high-floor Siemens SD-100 vehicles, an evolution of the U2, but redesigned for the North American market. Starting with this order, all of San Diego's future LRVs would be built in California at the Florin factory.

Starting in 2005, San Diego started shifting to a low-floor fleet. The design of the Siemens S70 vehicles required that stations be designed with slightly higher platforms, so the 11 car fleet could only operate on the newly constructed Green Line. The other limitation of the S70 fleet was that they were about 9.34 ft longer than the SD-100 vehicles, which would make three-car trains longer than a single block in downtown San Diego.

In 2009, San Diego ordered a fleet of 65 specialized Siemens S70 US ("Ultra Short") vehicles, which retain the low-floor design but would be the same length as the SD-100 vehicles.

In 2016, San Diego ordered an additional 45 specialized LRVs, this time the Siemens S700 US, which has a redesigned center section, with longitudinal seating (passengers facing the aisle) instead of the S70's more traditional seating with passengers sitting four-across, facing forward or back, with an aisle in between. This change, was made to eliminate a seating layout that had been criticized as cramped and ease the movement of passengers within that section. The San Diego Trolley ordered an additional 25 S700 US vehicles in 2019; these vehicles were delivered by the end of 2021.

Specifications
Below are the technical specifications of the system's three primary series of light rail vehicles:

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: San Diego Trolley


text:
Confusing similarity

In trademark law, confusing similarity is a test used during the examination process to determine whether a trademark conflicts with another, earlier mark, and also in trademark infringement proceedings to determine whether the use of a mark infringes a registered trademark.

In many jurisdictions this test has been superseded by the concepts of similarity and likelihood of confusion, due to the harmonizing effects of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

Infringement
Where mark X is not identical to a registered trademark, the use of mark X may still amount to an infringement if it is "confusingly similar" to the registered trademark. Mark X may share elements of spelling or style that would lead a reasonable observer to believe the trademarks were related.

For example, in the computer industry, Microsoft has become such a well known trade name and trade mark that other businesses in the industry may want to use the term "micro" or "soft" in their names. As Microsoft generally does not hold exclusive rights in these terms, it would need to establish that any trade names or trademarks which include these terms is confusingly similar to "Microsoft". The reputation attaching to a trademark is also significant, such that "Microsafe" or "Micro Software", although clearly not identical, could potentially be confusingly similar and amount to an infringement.

In addition, the style of a trade mark, such as a logo or font, can become relevant. For example, Microsoft products are distinguished in the marketplace by a consistent font. Competitors may not use the same font on their product, particularly when using a name which would not be confusingly similar except for the use of the font. For example, a brand called "Microsystems" would most likely not be confused with Microsoft. However if Microsystems used the same font as Microsoft, it would be confusingly similar. Some styles, like the script used on Coca-Cola products, are so well known that even a completely different name in a similar script could be held to be confusingly similar.

Cases of this type can be proven by using surveys which show that members of the public who are likely to use the services or goods protected by the trade mark have been confused by it. However, courts can also take judicial notice that an infringing mark is confusingly similar if it is obvious to even a casual observer.

In election law
There are examples of electoral confusion caused by would-be candidates deliberately choosing similar names to confuse the electorate, hence potentially affecting the outcome of an election. For example, in three instances in the United Kingdom during 1994–5: a candidate attempting to stand as a member of the 'Literal Democrat' party (in the UK there is a Liberal Democrats Party), and two instances of candidates standing for the 'Conservatory' party and the 'Conversative' party (against the Conservative Party candidate). All candidatures were rejected by the Returning Officer and the candidates had to stand using more distinguishable party names.

In the 2019 Canadian Federal Election the satirical Rhinoceros Party ran a candidate by the name of Maxime Bernier in the riding of Beauce. The seat was also being contested by the incumbent MP and leader of the People's Party of Canada, Maxime Bernier.

title: Confusing similarity


text:
User:Andypasto

Articles I have written
Port of Melbourne, Cremorne, Victoria, Richmond Power Station, East Melbourne, Victoria, Jolimont, Victoria, FlyBuys, William Pitt (architect), Joseph Reed, William Wardell, Loy Yang Power Station, Nylex Clock, Compass Airlines (Australia), East-West Airlines (Australia), Traralgon, Victoria

Articles I have completely or substantially rewritten
Melbourne Airport, Collins Street, Melbourne, City of Yarra, Laburnum, Victoria, Blackburn, Victoria, Richmond railway station, Melbourne

Articles I've added a paragraph or two to
Ansett, Qantas, Coles Myer, Avalon Airport, Loyalty card, Virgin Blue

Projects for the future
Lieutenant-Governor David Collins, Richmond, Victoria

title: User:Andypasto


text:
File:Burnett Hwy.jpg

Photograph of a Burnett Highway road sign, taken by Graeme Cameron.

title: File:Burnett Hwy.jpg


text:
Qidong, Jiangsu

Qidong is a county-level city under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Nantong in southeastern Jiangsu province, China. It is located on the north side of the Yangtze River opposite Shanghai and forms a peninsula jutting out into the East China Sea. It has a population of 1.12 million.

The center of the city is named Huilong Township. It also has a well-known fishing port called Lüsi town, named after Lü Dongbin, one of the eight immortals, who is said to have visited the place four times. Qidong's Qilong township was formerly a separate island in the Yangtze called Yonglongsha but now forms a pene-enclave on Chongming Island, most of which belongs to Shanghai.

History

The area of present-day Qidong was part of the East China Sea until the Han dynasty, when deposition from the Yangtze River began to form islands, notably including Dongbuzhou ( t, s , p Dōngbùzhōu) at the site of present-day Lüsi.

In the Tang Dynasty, prisoners were sent to Qidong and worked on salt production.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, the first official government, called Lüsi chang, was established.

During the transition period of the Yuan Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, the Yangtze River's main waterway moved northward and resulted in a large area of land loss in Lüsi chang. Lüsi chang was merged into Tongzhou.

Increasing sediment accumulation bordered Qidong with the mainland during the Qing dynasty.

In the first year of the Republic of China, Tongzhou was renamed to Nantong. Later, Qidong was governed by Nantong, Haimen, and Chongming.

On March 1, 1928, Qidong County was established with a population of around 330,000 residents.

By November 1989, significant progress was made in urbanization and the Chinese State Council permitted the promotion of Qidong from a county to a county-level city.

At November 16, 2021, there female secondary students committed suicide, the current circumstances of three girls are not certain.

Administrative divisions
At present, Qidong City has 11 towns and 1 township.
 * 11 towns
 * 1 township
 * Qilong (启隆乡)

Climate
There are four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and a mild winter. During the summer, monsoon lasts for weeks, and there is plenty of rain.

Education
Qidong is famous for its high school. Students from middle schools in Qidong usually get higher grades on the Gao Kao, China's national college entrance examination. Qidong has five public middle schools: Qidong Middle School, Huilong High School, Dongnan Middle School, Shiyi Middle School, and Lüsi Middle School. Among these schools, Qidong High School is the most prestigious. Qidong High School was established in 1928 and has been one of the best middle schools in Jiangsu province ever since. Over ninety percent of graduates from Qidong Middle School attend first-class universities every year.

Language
People living in Lüsi town (Lusze) speak a different dialect—known as the Lüsi or Tongdong dialect —from most other residents, who generally speak Qidong Dialect. The two dialects are considerably different, and thus they are not mutually intelligible. Because most economical, educational, and governmental activities are held in the city capital Huilong, where Qidong Dialect is prevalent, many residents of Lüsi have learned to understand and even speak the majority dialect.

Qidong Dialect is a dialect of Wu Chinese. Some people consider it similar to Shanghainese, also a dialect of Wu Chinese. It is almost the same as the dialect spoken in Chongming District, which is under the administration of Shanghai.

Both of the two dialects belong to the Northern Wu. However, because of cultural differences between the two places, there still exist non-intelligible usage mostly in vocabulary.

Infrastructure
Qidong Grand Theater: Qidong Grand Theater is located on the east side of Jianghai South Road and both sides of Qiantang River Road. It has a 1200-seat grand theater and a 408-seat small theater. The stage process design and mechanical equipment configuration of the grand theater can meet the requirements of various large-scale operas, dances, ballets, concerts, large-scale comprehensive literary and artistic performances while taking into account the conference function. The small theater can meet the needs of various purposes, such as small art performances, small drama performances, conferences, and so on.

Ningqi Railway: The railway is 365 km long, connecting Nanjing to Qidong. It connects the Xinchang Railway and Ningxi Railway, and strengthen the cargo transportation capacity between East China and West China. Qidong railway station has passenger services.

Chongqi Bridge: Chongqi Bridge is a river crossing channel connecting China to Shanghai and Jiangsu Province, located at the Yangtze River estuary. It was completed in 2011. Chongqi Bridge links Qidong with Chongming County and also downtown Shanghai, reducing the driving time from three hours to one hour. Qidong can be reached from Shanghai Pudong Airport within 45 minutes without traffic congestion.

Yuan Tuo Corner: It is China's largest freshwater wetland reserve. The Yangtze River entered the sea from here, and the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea are also Separate here.

Economy

Local industry focuses on pharmaceutical production, computer accessory production, and chemical fertilizer production.

Qidong is an offshore engineering & construction hub hosting companies like COSCO, SINOPACIFIC, Specialty Process Equipment Corporation (SPEC), Shanghai Zhen Hua Heavy Industries (ZPMC) Qidong Marine Engineering Company Limited (formerly DAODA Heavy Industry) and several other heavy industry, shipyard & fabrications facilities.

Major agriculture crops produced in the area include wheat, corn, soybeans, peanuts, yams, and cotton. The climate is suitable for pears, peaches, oranges, and watermelons.

Fishing is a major source of income for some rural residents.

Notable people

 * Shen Hongbing
 * Chen Yu'ao

Qidong protest
The Qidong protest happened in July 2012. It was a violent environmental protest against an industrial waste pipeline. A Japanese company called Oji Paper Company constructed a paper mill in the city of Nantong, Jiangsu. The wastewater from the factory would be emitted to the coast of Qidong. The rumors said that the Japanese company bribed the mayor, and the wastewater was going to pollute the drinking water of Qidong. In 2012, the Chinese have anti-Japanese sentiment because of the Senkaku Islands dispute, and the anti-Japanese demonstrations were breaking out country-wide. About 10,000 Qidong citizens ran out to the street and joined the protest, they crashed the cars and threw stones into the government building. Then approximately 1,000 protestors rushed into government buildings and smashed everything they could see. They also found fine liquors, condoms, and expensive watches in the building. The protest ended after a few days because of government intervention. Riot police were called in, and they stopped the demonstration in one day. In the following days, the organizers of the demonstration were arrested.

title: Qidong, Jiangsu


text:
WGC Invitational

The WGC Invitational was a professional golf tournament that was held in the United States. Established in 1999 as a successor to the World Series of Golf, it was one of three or four annual World Golf Championships (WGC) until 2021, when the number of WGC events was reduced to two.

Under sponsorship agreements, the WGC Invitational was titled as the WGC-NEC Invitational (1999–2005) and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational (2006–2018). During this time, it was hosted at Firestone Country Club in Ohio, except for 2002 when it was hosted at Sahalee Country Club in Washington. With a change of sponsor in 2019, the tournament became titled as the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and was relocated to at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.

The WGC Invitational was sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money was official money on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Tiger Woods had the record number of wins with eight. The winner received a Wedgwood trophy called The Gary Player Cup.

Sponsorship
From 1999 through 2005, the WGC Invitational was sponsored by NEC. NEC had also sponsored the World Series of Golf from 1984 to 1998. The tournament changed sponsorship in 2006, with Bridgestone taking over as title sponsor. As a part of the sponsorship agreement, the event continued to be held at the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. In August 2013, the Bridgestone sponsorship was extended through 2018.

The 2018 event was the last held in Akron. In 2019, FedEx became the title sponsor and relocated the tournament to Memphis, Tennessee.

Venues
Prior to 2019 the event was hosted at the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, with one exception – the 2002 event, which was played at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington. Between 2019 and 2021, the tournament was held at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.

Qualifying criteria
The event had a field of about 75 players, roughly half the number for a standard professional golf event. Invitations were issued to the following:
 * Playing members of the last named Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup teams (whichever was played last).
 * Players ranked among the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking (one week and two weeks prior to event).
 * Tournament winners of worldwide events since the prior year's tournament with an Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating of 115 points or more.
 * The winner of one selected tournament from each of the PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour and two selected tournaments from the Japan Golf Tour.

From 1999 to 2001, only the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams were eligible and the field was about 40 players. Prior to 2011, both Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams were eligible.

World Series of Golf
From 1976 through 1998, the PGA Tour event at Firestone Country Club was the "World Series of Golf," and was sponsored by NEC beginning in 1984. It was founded as a four-man invitational event in 1962, comprising the winners of the four major championships in a 36-hole event. the competitors played in one group for $75,000 in unofficial prize money, televised by NBC.

In 1976, it became a 72-hole, $300,000 PGA Tour event and its field was initially expanded to twenty; the victory and $100,000 winner's share went to Nicklaus. The largest first prize at a major in 1976 was $45,000 at the PGA Championship.

The World Series of Golf quickly became a leading event on the tour. For many years a victory in it gave a 10-year exemption on the PGA Tour, the same as was granted for a victory in a major championship at that time, and twice as long as is given even for winning a major now. The field consisted of the winners of all the high status men's professional golf tournaments around the world in the previous twelve months. This was quite different from the criteria for the WGC Invitational listed above, but produced much the same sort of global field.

title: WGC Invitational


text: Category:2006 in music

title: Category:2006 in music


text:
Broken Social Scene (album)

Broken Social Scene is the third studio album by Broken Social Scene, released on October 4, 2005. In addition to the musicians who contributed to the band's prior release You Forgot It in People, new contributors on Broken Social Scene include k-os, Jason Tait (The Weakerthans) and Murray Lightburn (The Dears).

The initial domestic pressings of the album were issued with a seven-track bonus EP, EP to Be You and Me, a play on Marlo Thomas' children's record album Free to Be... You and Me. The Japanese release is still issued with the EP. The vinyl pressing was released on two records, the first three sides being the album and the fourth being the EP.

The album was certified Gold in Canada on September 14, 2012.

Background
The album was originally to be titled Windsurfing Nation. Additionally, the original artwork was to be a cartoon rendition of Pangaea, which was later scrapped in favor of the current artwork drawn by lead singer Kevin Drew.

The song "Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)" refers to Canadian novelist Ibi Kaslik, a friend of the band. It is also suggested that Broken Social Scene is used as basis for a band that appears in Kaslik's second novel The Angel Riots, about a rising indie rock band from Montreal. Kaslik attended the Etobicoke School of the Arts with members of the band and helped them on their first tour of Canada and the United States. Although Kaslik stated "It's definitely based on a world that I know", she brushed off claims that the connection goes very deep, saying "it would be mistaken and scurrilous to try to identify individual people". She warns against "scouring the pages for thinly disguised characterizations of [...] Kevin Drew, [...] Emily Haines or [...] Amy Millan".

Awards and reviews
At the 2006 Juno Awards, it won the award for Alternative Album of the Year. It was also shortlisted for the 2006 Polaris Music Prize.

However, the album divided critics more than its predecessor, 2002's You Forgot It in People. Whereas the earlier album had received almost universal critical praise, Broken Social Scene's looser, less structured songs were praised by some critics, but derided by others as self-indulgent and sloppy. Nevertheless, the album reached the number-one position on American college charts and received widespread critical acclaim in the UK. As of 2008, sales in the United States have exceeded 108,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

EP to Be You and Me
Despite the EP having a limited release, two music videos were made for the songs, "Her Disappearing Theme" and "Major Label Debut (Fast)".

Singles

 * 1) "Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)" b/w "All the Gods" (2005, 7")
 * 2) "7/4 (Shoreline)" b/w "Stars and Spit" (2006, 7")
 * 3) "7/4 (Shoreline)" b/w "Stars and Spit" & "Death Cock" (2006, CDS)
 * 4) "Fire Eye'd Boy" b/w "Canada vs. America (Exhaust Pipe Remix)" (2006, 7")

Personnel

 * Kevin Drew
 * Brendan Canning
 * Andrew Whiteman
 * Charles Spearin
 * John Crossingham
 * Evan Cranley
 * Justin Peroff
 * James Shaw
 * Feist
 * Emily Haines
 * Jessica Moss
 * Ohad Benchetrit
 * Martin Davis Kinack
 * Torquil Campbell
 * Jo-ann Goldsmith
 * David Newfeld
 * Julie Penner
 * Jason Tait
 * K-os
 * Murray Lightburn
 * Noah Mintz
 * Louise Upperton

In popular culture
The instrumental introduction to "7/4 (Shoreline)" is used as the theme music for CBC Radio One's Mainstreet programme broadcast on CBHA in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

title: Broken Social Scene (album)


text:
Talk:Andrew Vachss

Untitled
Added his new novel, "Two Trains Running," plus the 1994 "Predator: Race War" graphic novel and his 1979 textbook "The Life-Style Violent Juvenile: The Secure Treatment Approach." The last of these, I added into the section that was titled "Other novels" and retitled that section "Other Books;" I also marked that textbook as nonfiction so there'd be no confusion (though the title's so different there shouldn't be for anyone familiar with his work).

Biafra
It would be nice if someone who knows a bit more about Vachss than I do could add a paragraph on the time he spent in Biafra - it seems to me that that's a reasonably important part of his life that shouldn't go unmentioned. Thanks. :) -- Schnee (cheeks clone) 13:59, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
 * I added an external link to an article on Vachss' work in Biafra. I agree that this mention should be expanded. I am working on a fuller biographical narrative, with more discussion of his work in child abuse. It should fit nicely with the section Zeroz added on Vachss' work with therapy dogs.Golemarch 06:09, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

--

I disagree with the handle of "Private investigator" when describing the main character of Burke, Burke is a career criminal who has done time and is to most intents and purposes a fugitive. He does act to some extent as a vigilante who specilizes in the finding and punishment of peadophiles. I think the term private investigator has conotations with law enforcement and gum shoes which is def not true of Burke. "Martinb"

Could we have a little more criticism of Vachss?

 * Someone deleted this comment. In the discussion section comments should remain whether we like them or not. Piercetp 06:13, 10 April 2006 (UTC)

An opinion is one thing, but if a person asserts that "Mr. X did this bad thing," then there had better be some proof beyond the bald assertion. If not, "open source" can quickly degenerate into "libel without consequences." Wikipedia has already run up against that situation already.

If the factual value of this site is to be respected, it must guard against obvious planting of libel by individuals with a personal agenda. Libeling someone a "known liar" in a forum, which libel is then available for "citation," is exactly the way lies get perpetrated.

(comment deleted)
 * —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.110.137.227 (talk) 18:32, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

This is the last warning you will receive for your disruptive edits. The next time you violate Wikipedia's biographies of living persons policy by inserting unsourced defamatory content into an article or any other Wikipedia page, you will be blocked from editing Wikipedia. Golemarch (talk) 19:59, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

 * Golemarch. I have read the policy on the biographies of living persons. I do not consider these edits to be defamatory, disruptive or irrelevant. Where do we go to discuss this. Plh25.003:51, 24 December 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Plh25.0 (talk • contribs)

Inspired a porn star to name herself after him
I don't really think this is worth mentioning on Andrew's main page, but I read recently that American Pornt actress Inari Vachs named herself after Mr. Vachss because he is her favorite author.

I couldn't help but find that strange, considering the subject matter of his publications--71.198.200.222 18:43, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

 * On the other hand, Vachss is no prude. He's even been interviewed by Playboy, after all. His books have plenty of adult sexual relationships, and he writes with a lot of empathy for adult sex workers, who have made hard choices with their lives. So I’m not at all surprised that a porn actress would find his writing very meaningful to her. Vachss has said in plenty of interviews that he doesn’t oppose adult pornography at all.  What he is against is child pornography, which is of course a type of child abuse, and the commercialized picture of a crime. Golemarch

Actually Vachss works are more graphic and sexually explicit than Playboy is. Perhaps, and this is not uncommon in the industry, perhaps the porn-star in question has a personal history of sexual abuse (I do not know. I am not saying this is the case. I am saying it is one possible explanation for why she chose this name and may admire Vachss.)

Eyepatch: correction
Removed false statement concerning Vachss "never wearing eyepatch in court." Statement is "attributed" to an interview on PBS with Terry Gross. First, Terry Gross is an interviewer for the Fresh Air program on National Public Radio, not PBS.

Andrew Vachss does wear his eyepatch in court, and has been observed (and reported as wearing it during different trials) by journalists in publications as disparate as Pursuits (http://www.vachss.com/av_articles/rtcl_prst.html) and The London Guardian (http://www.vachss.com/av_articles/rtcl_wkgd.html). Both those articles were written *after* Mr. Vachss' interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air, which was in 1988.Golemarch 00:25, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

 * Anyone know how he lost his eye? It would be interesting, and at least a date should be put in. It's just too mysterious... Es-Won 02:38, 12 June 2007 (UTC)

Appointment of Law Guardian in New York
Removed false statement: "The state of New York has an unusual law: in any divorce, child-custody, or other case where the interests of a child are at stake, a separate lawyer must represent the interests of the child. This attorney is not chosen by the adults interested in the case, but is paid by them."

The passage contains several material misstatements. First, the appointment of the "separate lawyer," (who is called a "law guardian") is mandated *only* in cases brought under Article III, VII, or X of the Family Court Act. These are the articles concerning delinquency, abuse/neglect, and related matters (such as removing the child from the home due to imminent danger, extension of foster care, or permanent termination of parental rights, child removed from home under emergency circumstances). Appointment of a law guardian also occurs for certain "family offenses" which may affect a child, for example, intra-family violence between the child's parents. See McKinney's Cons. Laws of NY, Book 29A, Family Ct. Act § 249.

However, New York law DOES NOT require appointment of a law guardian in a divorce/child custody case. The court *may* appoint a law guardian such cases, at its discretion. For example, appointing a law guardian in a contested adoption is common.

Last, NY law is "unusual" ONLY in that it requires appointment in ALL abuse/neglect matters. Many states do not provide lawyers for children in abuse/neglect matters. In contrast, *all* states appoint counsel in delinquency cases. Golemarch 21:49, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Batman: The Ultimate Evil
Removed the following from the Vachss biography, because it reads more like a book review, than pertinent to his biography:

''In one novel outside the Burke series, Vachss gives a related spin to the motivations of the comic book hero Batman. Other sources have related that the parents of young Bruce Wayne (who was to become the Batman) had been killed by a criminal; in Batman: The Ultimate Evil, Vachss reveals that the Batman's mother was a social worker investigating — with little help from police agencies — a group of Gotham City pedophiles. She was getting close to having enough evidence to stop them when nameless assassins shot her and her husband. Years later the Batman, as Wayne, signs up for a sex-tourism charter trip run by the same old gang, then Batman swings into action, with local help, when he finds what the gang are up to in Thailand.''

''This Batman novel came out about the same time as the Don't! Buy! Thai! campaign began, encouraging people to boycott all products of Thailand until the Thai government did something effective to stop the trade in prostituted children — or sex slaves — that has been present in that country for years and involves prosperous foreign tourists. One result of this trade is that a few wealthy tourists and many poor children become HIV-positive; eventually, most develop AIDS. An appendix to the novel discusses the sex trade, the foreign firms that profit from it, and the boycott. In one paragraph, Vachss quotes a sex-tourist in a Lauda Air commercial: "Got to run — the girls from the Bangkok Baby Club are waiting…"''

Would fit better at a page for the book.

 * Moved the Batman material to the stub for Batman: The Ultimate Evil.

Dogs of the Zero
You don't mention the Vachss's dog program, started by Andrew's wife Alice. The program uses "therapy dogs" to help the victims of child sexual abuse. Children who cannot relate to adults will relate to the dogs. The only dog was Sheba, a retired seeing eye dog who found a second career "guiding children out of a type of darkness far more frightening than blindness." —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.252.160.226 (talk) 19:10, 31 March 2007 (UTC).

 * Sheba may have been the only dog in *that* program, but how many people have dogs named *after* them, dogs who go on to set the standard for child protection in court cases? Go to http://www.vachss.com/dogs/vachss_dog.html for the story of German Shepard "Vachss."

 * Added material concerning advocacy against dogfighting, training therapy dogs, and opposition to breed-specific bans. Will add references, etc. as you mentioned above ZeroZ 02:32, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Andrew Vachss Underground
Removed incorrect item placed in Graphic Novels/series section that stated that "Andrew Vachss Underground" was an "anthology miniseries with various other writers". "Andrew Vachss Underground" was a Dark Horse series, each volume of which contained one text-only story by Andrew Vachss. Although the series title contains his name and the name of the Underground universe in which many of his sf/fantasy short stories were set, Andrew Vachss had no other input in the series. He did not choose the other stories in each volume, he did not select the illustrators of those stories, he did not collaborate on any of the other stories or illustrations, and he was not consulted on the conformity of the other stories to the "Underground universe" he created. Unlike Batman: The Ultimate Evil, Cross, or Predator: Race War, all of which were graphic adaptations of short stories/novels written by Andrew Vachss, "Andrew Vachss' Underground" contains no graphic adaptation or illustration of any Vachss work. It is for this reason that the item cannot be listed under Graphic Novel/series. The four Vachss stories contained in "Andrew Vachss Underground" have been collected in Born Bad; additional Vachss stories set in the Underground universe are contained in Everybody Pays.  Golemarch (talk) 23:44, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

But it still carries his name and contained content of his, even if it was only one story. I don't agree with it being removed, but I might be biased because I was the one who added it. Nevertheless, I still think it should be mentioned in some context. FearEmbodied (talk) 05:51, 20 June 2008 (UTC)

bias of article
This article's neutrality is being discussed at WP:AN/I. flaminglawyerc 04:44, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

 * Lifting the bias tag. The AN/I discussion closed some months ago.  I've run a check; all the facts given in this article are properly cited and none of the statements about the subject or his work violate WP:NPOV. Dupuy78 (talk) 14:30, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

moved Pansy material
Hello, Aaajade! I like your material about Pansy -- I just moved it to the wikipedia article on the Burke Series, where I hope you will add more details about Burke. The Andrew Vachss article is a bio and focuses on the author himself. Thanks! Golemarch (talk) 08:40, 16 March 2010 (UTC)

What injuries?
The first paragraph under Biography reads as follows, "There he worked to find a land route to bring donated food and medical supplies across the border after the seaports were blocked and Red Cross airlifts banned by the Nigerian government; however, all attempts ultimately failed, resulting in rampant starvation. After he returned and recovered from his injuries, Vachss studied community organizing in 1970 under Saul Alinsky." So it describes his work in Biafra, and then mentions recovering from unspecified injuries. It would be helpful to specify what injuries were sustained and how. Dewey Finn (talk) 15:48, 18 October 2011 (UTC)

I agree. That section stands out like a red thumb. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 73.225.121.94 (talk) 15:58, 6 January 2017 (UTC)

Veil's Visit moved to Short Story Collections listing
Hi, PKDASD: it looks like you've done a lot to update Joe Lansdale's entry and links, which is terrific. But your addition of Veil's Visit to the "Novels" section of Andrew Vachss' entry isn't really appropriate. I had given a brief explanation in the edit summary the first time, but since you have recreated your change, I want to explain the problem in more detail.

Veil's Visit is a short story, and is identified as a short story by both Lansdale (http://joelansdale.blogspot.com/2009/09/veils-visit.html) and Vachss (http://www.vachss.com/av_books/short_stories/veils_visit.html). Vachss has written literally hundreds of short stories, many of which are collected in print editions. "Veil's Visit," the short story, is one of many stories collected in a book of shorts called Veil's Visit: A Taste of Hap and Leonard.

Leaving it in the "Novels" section is misleading because it gives the impression that there is a *novel* with that title. I am therefore deleting the line from the "Novels" and adding Veil's Visit: A Taste of Hap and Leonard to the "Short Story Collections" section of the Vachss entry. I'll put this up on your Talk page as well. Golemarch (talk) 08:00, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

"Biography" section
This is an idiotic section name, because this entire article is a mini-biography of its subject. Based on its content, it should be retitled Career.

But it should also say what he is doing now. Perhaps he is retired from everything but writing?Daqu (talk) 19:21, 10 July 2014 (UTC)

Don't Buy Thai
Andrew Vachss has stated in interviews and contemporaneous writings that the Don’t! Buy! Thai! boycott was ended in 2000 after the Thai government changed its laws and its enforcement to curb the prostitution of children in that country. Werldwayd’s edits say that “frustrated by the lack of traction …Vachss and most of those involved abandoned the boycott.” This statement is in violation of BLP, as it is contentious, unsourced, and potentially libelous. Per BLP, I have reverted the edits to remove this material.

Vachss has supported numerous social campaigns and grassroots movements over the years. Aside from BLP violation, the edits give a false importance to one (rather old) drive, over more-recent and current campaigns. Will put together material on several more (National Child Abuse Prevention Act, DBT, state intrafamilial CSA bills, Legislative Drafting Institute for Child Protection) and add to the entry, to give fuller information. 66.210.63.210 (talk) 19:45, 3 July 2017 (UTC)

Rhymes with "tax", or IPA?
I know that the former presents as a verbatim quote; but wouldn't an exact phonemic transcription for "Vachss" (/væks/) be more in line with Wikipedia's standards? Which would be preferable? As for the reference, could it be tagged to such a transcription? Blue Caper  (talk) 10:27, 9 May 2020 (UTC)

title: Talk:Andrew Vachss


text:
Thomas E. Gaddis

Thomas Eugene Gaddis (September 14, 1908 – October 10, 1984) was an American writer most noted for his biography, Birdman of Alcatraz (1955), about convicted murderer Robert Stroud. It was adapted as a 1962 film of the same name, starring Burt Lancaster.

Early life and education
Born in Denver, Colorado, Gaddis attended local schools before college.

Career
In his early career, Gaddis served seven years as a Los Angeles probation officer and taught adult classes at night school for around 12 years. He wrote many non-fiction books, mostly biographies.

He wrote Birdman of Alcatraz (1955), for which he was well-known. He also wrote about another convict, in Killer: A Journal of Murder (1970), co-written with James O. Long, about serial killer Carl Panzram.

Birdman of Alcatraz
Gaddis published Birdman of Alcatraz in 1955. It is considered one of the nation's notable prison biographies. He explored the life of Robert Stroud, a grandson of a federal judge. Stroud was convicted of murder in Alaska and first sentenced to Leavenworth Federal prison in Kansas. After stabbing a guard to death in prison, Stroud was sentenced to life imprisonment in solitary confinement.

While in solitary in Leavenworth, Stroud became an expert on birds. He cared for them in his cell and learned independently about how to treat their diseases. He wrote Stroud's Digest of the Diseases of Birds in Leavenworth from 1939 to 1941. After he was transferred to Alcatraz, he was not allowed to keep any birds.

Gaddis's book was loosely adapted as the 1962 film Birdman of Alcatraz, starring Burt Lancaster as Stroud. Gaddis was portrayed by Edmond O'Brien.

Gaddis is known for the following quote: ""Alcatraz, the federal prison with a name like the blare of a trombone, is a black molar in the jawbone of the nation's prison system.""

Later career
Later in life, Gaddis worked as an educator at Reed College from 1962 to 1965, as well as a court consultant and psychologist, in addition to writing.

Death
Gaddis died in Portland, Oregon, on October 10, 1984, at age 76.

title: Thomas E. Gaddis


text:
Burnett Highway

The Burnett Highway is an inland rural highway located in Queensland, Australia. The highway runs from its junction with the Bruce Highway at Gracemere, just south of Rockhampton, to the D'Aguilar Highway in Nanango. Its length is approximately 542 kilometres. The highway takes its name from the Burnett River, which it crosses in Gayndah. The Burnett Highway provides the most direct link between the northern end of the New England Highway (at Yarraman, 21 km south of Nanango) and Rockhampton. It is designated as a State Strategic Road (part of Australia’s Country Way) by the Queensland Government.

State-controlled road
Burnett Highway is a state-controlled regional road, most of which is rated as "state-strategic". It is defined in six sections, as follows:
 * Number 41A, Nanango to Goomeri, state-strategic.
 * Number 41B, Goomeri to Gayndah, state-strategic.
 * Number 41C, Gayndah to Monto, state-strategic.
 * Number 41D, Monto to Biloela, state-strategic.
 * Number 41E, Biloela to Mount Morgan, regional and state-strategic.
 * Number 41F, Mount Morgan to Rockhampton, regional.

History
In January 2013, Cyclone Oswald caused flood damage to the road and a partial closure between Bouldercombe and Mount Morgan, which took longer than a year to repair.

Roads of Strategic Importance upgrade
The Roads of Strategic Importance initiative, last updated in March 2022, includes the following project for the Burnett Highway.

Intersection upgrade
A project to upgrade the intersection of the Burnett Highway with Gayndah-Mount Perry Road and Wetherton Road, at an estimated cost of $875,000, is expected to be completed in late 2022.

Replace bridges
A project to replace the bridge over Three Moon Creek, at a cost of $18 million, was completed in August 2021.

A project to replace the bridge over North Kariboe Creek, at a cost of $7.2 million, was completed in September 2021.

Strengthen and widen bridge
A project to strengthen and widen the bridge over Callide Creek, at a cost of $3.9 million, was due for completion in early 2022.

List of towns on the Burnett Highway
From north to south
 * Bouldercombe
 * Mount Morgan
 * Dululu
 * Jambin
 * Biloela
 * Thangool
 * Monto
 * Eidsvold
 * Mundubbera
 * Gayndah
 * Ban Ban Springs
 * Goomeri
 * Nanango

Intersecting state-controlled roads
In addition to the Bunya, Wide Bay, Isis, Dawson and Leichhardt Highways, the following state-controlled roads, from south to north, intersect with the Burnett Highway:
 * Kingaroy–Barkers Creek Road
 * Murgon–Barambah Road
 * Kilcoy–Murgon Road
 * Kilkivan–Tansey Road
 * Murgon–Gayndah Road
 * Gayndah–Mount Perry Road
 * Mundubbera–Durong Road
 * Eidsvold–Theodore Road
 * Wuruma Dam Road
 * Monto–Mount Perry Road
 * Gladstone–Monto Road
 * Cania Dam Road
 * Gavial–Gracemere Road

Murgon–Barambah Road
Murgon–Barambah Road is a state-controlled regional road (number 437), rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS). It runs from Kilcoy–Murgon Road in to the Burnett Highway in, a distance of 14.1 km. It does not intersect with any state-controlled roads.

Wuruma Dam Road
Wuruma Dam Road is a state-controlled district road (number 4511), rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS). It runs from the Burnett Highway in to the Wuruma Dam Campground in the locality of, a distance of 28.8 km. It does not intersect with any state-controlled roads.

Cania Dam Road
Cania Dam Road is a state-controlled district road (number 4715), rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS). It runs from the Burnett Highway in to Cania Dam in the locality of, a distance of 24 km. It does not intersect with any state-controlled roads.

Gavial–Gracemere Road
Gavial–Gracemere Road is a state-controlled district road (number 450). It runs from the Bruce Highway in to the Capricorn Highway in, a distance of 10.8 km. It crosses the Burnett Highway in.

A project to widen part of this road to four lanes was completed in April 2023.

Gallery
 File:Burnett Highway, near Binjour QLD 1.jpg|Burnett Highway near Binjour (NW of Gayndah)

title: Burnett Highway


text: User talk:69.104.179.179

title: User talk:69.104.179.179