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Steel Wheels: July – September 2016
Dear members: By now you will have received your latest Steel Wheels magazine. In the rush to meet the deadline for mailing the conference registration a few errors crept in, for which I apologize. Andy Selden’s excellent account was spoiled somewhat by missing captions. Andy took the photos which are in order of appearance Denver…
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High Speed Rail at Los Angeles Union Station by 2024, not 2029
In a surprise move at the Los Angeles Metro Board Meeting on October 22, 2015, an agenda item was voted on and approved to make changes to the Southern California Regional Interconnector Project (SCRIP). Part of the change will coordinate SCRIP’s construction of run-through tracks at Union Station with the construction at the same time…
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What does the National Transportation Safety Board know that we don’t?
Almost 8 months after the Metrolink accident at Oxnard this year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) asked Metrolink to stop using the Rotem Cab Cars to operate trains in push mode. These cab cars can still be used in passenger service, but leased BNSF freight locomotives will be coupled to the cab cars and…
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Comet Car Access problem? A RailPAC solution.
First Published June 2013 As Noel Braymer has previously reported there is some discontent on the part of the San Joaquin rail board at being allocated two consists of the refurbished “Comet” cars. The two bones of contention? The age of the cars, as which date back to the 70s, and the access via steps…
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What’s Coming and What’s Needed with LA Metrorail
There are now 5 rail transit projects in different states of construction in Los Angeles County. Two projects: the Gold Line extension from Pasadena to Azusa and the Expo Line extension from Culver City to Santa Monica are both now almost finished. Both will have passenger service by early 2016. Also well into construction is…
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Cap and Trade’s effect on California’s Railroads
The State of California’s official policy is to reduce its emission of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. The Governor recently set a new goal to insure the 2050 goal is met by executive order for the State to cut its GHG emissions to 40 percent below those of 1990 by…
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What Online Ticketing can Mean for Rail Travel
For the last few years Amtrak has had online ticketing. This means that when you get your “ticket” from an Amtrak agent, you actually get a piece of paper with a bar code. You could also print out such a “ticket” at home online with Amtrak on your computer. On the train the conductors carry…
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L.A. Welcomes Two New Transit Chiefs
Los Angeles’ two major transportation agencies announced this week the hires of new CEOs to take their respective helms — one involves a new hire from Denver while the other is only moving a few floors up.