The Guinea Pig God

Wanda, of Wanda's Domain fame.

New pictures, part 3

From the northeastern part of the city.

New pictures, part 2

From the Wanda's Domain city center area--I'm currently working on a map of this region that should be up soon!

New pictures

Three road scenes from the mountains north of Wanda's Domain.

Going off topic......

I find myself wanting to go off the topic of this site more...no choice but to start a new blog I guess...

http://alayeina.blogspot.com

Long absence

Sorry about the long time between posts--my life is starting to fill up with a bunch of other stuff right now; I'm not able to devote as much time to my geekdom as I'd like ;-)

Hopefully I'll get something up here again soon!

Way off topic--AIDS LifeCycle 8

Some of you already know that I will be participating in AIDS LifeCycle this year--a 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, raising funds to continue providing free and low-cost HIV-related services at clinics in both cities.  I'm a roadie--volunteering my time behind the scenes to make it all happen rather than biking. 

 

You can check out my personal website here:

 

http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/wenda

 

Also, for those of you in the Southern California area, I will be hosting a special fundraising event on April 16 at Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, on S. Lake Avenue in Pasadena.  From 4-9 p.m., for anyone who presents a flyer, the restaurant will automatically donate 20% of the proceeds from that person's order to LifeCycle.  It's a great way to help out and fill your stomach too if you don't have a lot of spare dough!  The food is great, and it'll taste even better knowing that you're helping a good cause!

AIDS/LifeCycle is a 7 day, 545 mile bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to support critical HIV/AIDS services. Please click the image below to support my participation in AIDS/LifeCycle!

Windrider train

Rendered with DAZ Bryce and Adobe Photoshop.

Windrider Red Line

The Red Line, north to south:

Demarre TC--Mostly residential area; some light retail.  Park and ride with connections to most North Valley buses, and Windrider North Commuter Line station located across the street.  Center island platform.

Route descends a hill slowly on an elevated alignment into the U.C. Wanda's Domain campus.

Impala Highway--University housing and support businesses.  Elevated station with side platforms.

Elevated alignment ends; Red Line continues at surface level through campus along a transit-only street.

U.C. Wanda's Domain--Primary stop for the university, located in the center of the campus quad.  Sidewalk platforms.

Red Line enters an open cut upon leaving the campus.

Gazelle Highway--Mostly university housing.  Sunken station in an open cut with side platforms.

Alignment surfaces again.

Moreno Park TC--Transit-oriented development.  Park and ride with local bus connections.  Center island platform.

Valleyheart TC--Residential area with light retail and offices.  Park and ride with local bus connections.  Side platforms.

The Red Line continues street-running along a transit mall on Caidrain Street.

Stadium--Direct connection to Wanda's Domain Civic Stadium.  Station located directly in front of stadium's main entrance on a transit-only street.  Sidewalk platforms.

Winchester Avenue--Inner-city neighborhood with medium density housing and retail.  Station located on a transit-only street with sidewalk platforms.

Red Line ascends an elevated track.

Lloyd Avenue--Inner-city neighborhood with medium density housing and retail.  Elevated station with center island platform.

The Red Line merges into the median of the California-246 freeway.  Here, the line splits into a one-way loop around downtown Wanda's Domain.

The Red Line Downtown Loop, counter-clockwise:

The southbound Red Line leaves the freeway and dives into a short subway for the next station.

Caidrain Street (southbound only)--Inner-city neighborhood with high-density housing and retail.  Underground station shared with northbound Yellow Line trains; center island platform on left.

Southbound Red Line leaves the subway for another elevated track, crossing the Lancre River.

Civic Center TC (southbound only)--Direct connection to Wanda's Domain City Hall, courthouse, and other municipal government buildings as well as surrounding offices.  Connections to the Wanda's Domain Express Streetcar and many downtown bus lines.  Indoor tri-level shared station built into the City Hall complex; southbound Red Line stops on upper level, northbound Yellow Line on center level, eastbound streetcars on lower (ground) level.

Southbound Red Line merges with the Express Streetcar route along Watermark Street.

Wycombe Street (southbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Street-running shared station with Express Streetcar, sidewalk platforms.

Central Square (southbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Street-running shared station with Express Streetcar, sidewalk platforms.

Financial District (southbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Street-running shared station with Express Streetcar, sidewalk platforms.

Firehouse Center (southbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Street-running shared station with Express Streetcar, sidewalk platforms.

Southbound Red Line and Express Streetcar dive into the main downtown subway loop, merging with the Green and Blue Lines, northbound Red Line and southbound Yellow Line.

Watermark Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

Orinoco Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

Tracks emerge for the Red Line's southernmost stop and layover point.

Marylebone TC--Primarily industrial area, with a large park and ride.  This is one of the busiest, most unique, and, some say, most confusing stations on the Windrider system.  Four light-rail lines, a branch of the streetcar, and more than 20 bus lines all stop here, at surface level, in a large intermingled platform/bus stop zone.  The Green, Blue, and northbound Yellow Lines merge onto a single "traffic circle" track, paved so that buses may drive around the same circle, with a large, circular center island platform for trains, and a concentric, outer circle platform for bus stops.  In the middle of the circular platform is another "station" with side platforms for Red, southbound Yellow Line, and Express Streetcar trains that are laying over at the transit center.  If you must use this station, just grit your teeth, keep your eyes open, listen to announcements, and double-check your bus or train's headsign before boarding to make sure it is going where you want to go.

Red Line trains lay over and reverse direction here, diving back into the subway.

Orinoco Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.

Watermark Street--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

The southbound Red Line and the Express Streetcar branch off and leave the subway here.  Green, Blue, Northbound Red, and southbound Yellow Lines continue.

Garvey Road (northbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

Millenium Quarter (northbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with side platforms.  Mezzanine level with side platforms for transfer to Wanda's Domain Boulevard Streetcar.  

Longship Street (northbound only)--Downtown Wanda's Domain, offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.  

Marina TC (northbound only)--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground bi-level station:  Upper level for eastbound Green and Blue lines, and northbound Red Line.  Lower level for westbound Green and Blue Lines, and southbound Yellow Line.  Surface level connections to downtown buses and Begonia Boulevard Streetcar.

Northbound Red and southbound Yellow Lines branch off, curving sharply north.

Bartholomew Street (northbound only)--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.

Noriensa Street (northbound only)--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.

Keck Street (northbound only)--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Underground station with center island platform.

Route surfaces, continuing onto an elevated track.

Waterfront (northbound only)--Waterfront District; access to the south bank of the Lancre River.  Connection to Wanda's Domain Boulevard streetcar.  Offices, retail, and high-density housing.  Elevated station with center island platform.

Red and Yellow Lines merge into the median of the California-246 freeway bridge over the Lancre River.

Toledo Street (northbound only)--Industrial area on the north bank of the Lancre River.  Freeway median station with center island platform.

Here, the Red and Yellow Lines part ways completely, with the Yellow Line returning to the subway loop, while the northbound Red Line leaves the loop and rejoins its southbound track to return to the University District and Demarre.