Heliomass
@heliomass.com
🇨🇦🇬🇧 ex-Londoner in Montreal. It’s an experience.
Transit / retro gaming / politics / cats
Runs mainly on Yorkshire Tea and root beer.
Blog: https://heliomass.com
Correspondent at @lonrec.bsky.social
Creator of @mtltransitstatusen.bsky.social
Transit / retro gaming / politics / cats
Runs mainly on Yorkshire Tea and root beer.
Blog: https://heliomass.com
Correspondent at @lonrec.bsky.social
Creator of @mtltransitstatusen.bsky.social
So apparently Friday was the coldest morning of the year, so naturally I spent the AM hours taking a hike through one of the city’s urban parks.
#Montreal
#Montreal
January 31, 2026 at 9:16 PM
So apparently Friday was the coldest morning of the year, so naturally I spent the AM hours taking a hike through one of the city’s urban parks.
#Montreal
#Montreal
Can confirm the departure screens on the REM are showing completely inaccurate info.
At Sunnybrooke, the next train showed as 6 mins as one was arriving.
At Pierrefonds, the screens show 0 minutes for the next two trains with no sign of one arriving.
It’s surprising how bad they are at this.
At Sunnybrooke, the next train showed as 6 mins as one was arriving.
At Pierrefonds, the screens show 0 minutes for the next two trains with no sign of one arriving.
It’s surprising how bad they are at this.
January 30, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Can confirm the departure screens on the REM are showing completely inaccurate info.
At Sunnybrooke, the next train showed as 6 mins as one was arriving.
At Pierrefonds, the screens show 0 minutes for the next two trains with no sign of one arriving.
It’s surprising how bad they are at this.
At Sunnybrooke, the next train showed as 6 mins as one was arriving.
At Pierrefonds, the screens show 0 minutes for the next two trains with no sign of one arriving.
It’s surprising how bad they are at this.
For no reason at all, a few photos of Edinburgh taken (I think?) from Carlton Hill.
January 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM
For no reason at all, a few photos of Edinburgh taken (I think?) from Carlton Hill.
If anyone was wondering, the departure board at Gare Centrale still shows the Mascouche Line, in spite of it now not running into the station any longer. No services to show now of course! It wouldn’t be bad if they instead displayed REM departures in that space.
January 30, 2026 at 2:23 AM
If anyone was wondering, the departure board at Gare Centrale still shows the Mascouche Line, in spite of it now not running into the station any longer. No services to show now of course! It wouldn’t be bad if they instead displayed REM departures in that space.
Say what you like about the REM, it is one of the most fun transit systems on the continent. I mean look at how close the trains can run together! It’s full of surprises.
#Montreal
#Montreal
January 26, 2026 at 11:48 PM
Say what you like about the REM, it is one of the most fun transit systems on the continent. I mean look at how close the trains can run together! It’s full of surprises.
#Montreal
#Montreal
You know what? I just like it when it snows and the temperature is cold enough to keep the roads coated with a compacted layer of snow. Just looks cosy.
January 26, 2026 at 6:25 PM
You know what? I just like it when it snows and the temperature is cold enough to keep the roads coated with a compacted layer of snow. Just looks cosy.
Nice. There’s a similar thing on London’s DLR.
January 26, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Nice. There’s a similar thing on London’s DLR.
As part of my winter management strategy, I'd split winter into three chapters (early, mid and late).
Please to find out this morning we're now into late-winter!
Please to find out this morning we're now into late-winter!
January 25, 2026 at 4:24 PM
As part of my winter management strategy, I'd split winter into three chapters (early, mid and late).
Please to find out this morning we're now into late-winter!
Please to find out this morning we're now into late-winter!
You’ve got to love realtime Wikipedia article updates.
January 19, 2026 at 5:06 PM
You’ve got to love realtime Wikipedia article updates.
It’s weird visiting a new station which has cross platform interchange between two such vastly different eras of rail transit.
Only a glass wall separates these two transit worlds.
Only a glass wall separates these two transit worlds.
January 15, 2026 at 1:37 AM
It’s weird visiting a new station which has cross platform interchange between two such vastly different eras of rail transit.
Only a glass wall separates these two transit worlds.
Only a glass wall separates these two transit worlds.
This is reassuring! It seems they’re not going to try and shoehorn the alignment into existing rail corridors in Montreal. A new tunnel is the logical option.
A reverse into Gare Centrale with a trip around the mountain would have been dreadful.
en.consultation.altotrain.ca/reinventing-tr…
#Alto
A reverse into Gare Centrale with a trip around the mountain would have been dreadful.
en.consultation.altotrain.ca/reinventing-tr…
#Alto
January 15, 2026 at 1:18 AM
This is reassuring! It seems they’re not going to try and shoehorn the alignment into existing rail corridors in Montreal. A new tunnel is the logical option.
A reverse into Gare Centrale with a trip around the mountain would have been dreadful.
en.consultation.altotrain.ca/reinventing-tr…
#Alto
A reverse into Gare Centrale with a trip around the mountain would have been dreadful.
en.consultation.altotrain.ca/reinventing-tr…
#Alto
Seriously Apple. You used to ban rival web browsers from the App Store because they could potentially show adult or illegal images. But I guess in reality you only ban apps for anti-competitive reasons.
Anyone who thinks big tech can regulate itself or act ethically is deluding themselves.
Anyone who thinks big tech can regulate itself or act ethically is deluding themselves.
January 10, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Seriously Apple. You used to ban rival web browsers from the App Store because they could potentially show adult or illegal images. But I guess in reality you only ban apps for anti-competitive reasons.
Anyone who thinks big tech can regulate itself or act ethically is deluding themselves.
Anyone who thinks big tech can regulate itself or act ethically is deluding themselves.
I still refuse to believe 92 of my colleagues waste their time playing LinkedIn games. The world isn’t that messed up.
January 8, 2026 at 2:50 AM
I still refuse to believe 92 of my colleagues waste their time playing LinkedIn games. The world isn’t that messed up.
Meanwhile in Montreal, a city which gets a lot more snow than cities in the Netherlands…
January 7, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Meanwhile in Montreal, a city which gets a lot more snow than cities in the Netherlands…
Do your worst ice storm; I’m ready for you.
December 28, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Do your worst ice storm; I’m ready for you.
Mince pies for breakfast? Don’t mind if I do!
December 24, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Mince pies for breakfast? Don’t mind if I do!
Weekend project: The wires may be arranged like a rat king, but the retro station is up and running! The Commodore and Atari had been out of commission for too long. But yeah, that wire situation 😅
#RetroGaming #Atari #Commodore
#RetroGaming #Atari #Commodore
December 22, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Weekend project: The wires may be arranged like a rat king, but the retro station is up and running! The Commodore and Atari had been out of commission for too long. But yeah, that wire situation 😅
#RetroGaming #Atari #Commodore
#RetroGaming #Atari #Commodore