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Heads Up Western NYers - Train Derailment

EspressoBuzz

By EspressoBuzz,
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EspressoBuzz Newbie

EspressoBuzz

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I am a big train affectionado and have ridden many scenic railroads and high speed and/or long distance passenger trains here and abroad. The shame of the American railroad system which was second to none in the early 1900's is that through mutual collaboration between all the truck and car companies they effectively killed long distance passenger train travel and left a gasping heavily subsidized freight system. Semi trucks especially cause more damage to the roads they use than the road maintenance tax they pay incorporated into their fuel. If (a big if) trains were more heavily used for long distance hauling the result would be more privately owned local haulers operating out of major train hubs, freight cost would be lower as well as fuel consumption and lower road maintenance cost, greater highway safety.

 

 

 

 

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wildcat junkie Contributor

wildcat junkie

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Sounds like "shovel Ready" work Osama....I mean Obama allegedly focused on several years ago. 

If he did ask for it, do you think the conserve-a-turds in congress would approve?

 

Besides, the rails aren't publicly owned like the roads. Just one more example of how privatizing isn't necessarily the best way to run & maintain large infrastructure systems.

 

In most other countries, their vastly superior (to ours) rail systems are the product of "socialism". 

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Five Seasons Grand Master

Five Seasons

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If he did ask for it, do you think the conserve-a-turds in congress would approve?

 

 

despite what many feel about his attitude, one of Trump's big pushes is infrastructure. If you listened to his speech last night, he makes a very good case that both parties want it done and we need to do something about it. And if we both want it, what's stopping us? It'll create jobs and improve our country.

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Culvercreek hunt club Enthusiast

Culvercreek hunt club

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If he did ask for it, do you think the conserve-a-turds in congress would approve?

 

Besides, the rails aren't publicly owned like the roads. Just one more example of how privatizing isn't necessarily the best way to run & maintain large infrastructure systems.

 

In most other countries, their vastly superior (to ours) rail systems are the product of "socialism". 

Remind me again which party had control of both the House and Senate during Obama's first two years?

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philoshop Newbie

philoshop

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despite what many feel about his attitude, one of Trump's big pushes is infrastructure. If you listened to his speech last night, he makes a very good case that both parties want it done and we need to do something about it. And if we both want it, what's stopping us? It'll create jobs and improve our country.

 

The difficulty is that any spending bill that works its way through Congress ends up with so much 'pork' attached to it that the original project, and its intent, is essentially lost by the time it comes to a vote. Both parties are to blame for these kinds of shenanigans. The difference between the Socialists and the Conservatives is that the Socialists don't care about how much "extra" something costs the taxpayers.

This doesn't work on the level of the individual Democrat though, because I tried to add the cost of a $15k new/used truck on the bill for a $12k bathroom remodel I did last year just to make a point with my customer. I put him in the role of the taxpayer while I played the role of the federal government. We got a good laugh out of it and he bought me dinner, but he also understood what I was getting at.

Line item veto power would help tremendously to solve the "pork problem", and to keep budgets focused on their original intent, assuming that someone is in charge who actually understands that there is a problem.

 

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EspressoBuzz Newbie

EspressoBuzz

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Do you watch "trains & Locomotives" on RFD network?

 

I can sit & watch steam locomotives run for hours.

 I don't get that network as far as i know, but i do watch train shows when they are on. Last summer we took the Bernina Express to San Moritz past alpine glaciers and lakes up grades i wouldn't have believed until i saw them.

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wildcat junkie Contributor

wildcat junkie

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 I don't get that network as far as i know, but i do watch train shows when they are on. Last summer we took the Bernina Express to San Moritz past alpine glaciers and lakes up grades i wouldn't have believed until i saw them.

If you have DirecTV, it's channel 345. RFDTV.

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G-Man Veteran

G-Man

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I am a big train affectionado and have ridden many scenic railroads and high speed and/or long distance passenger trains here and abroad. The shame of the American railroad system which was second to none in the early 1900's is that through mutual collaboration between all the truck and car companies they effectively killed long distance passenger train travel and left a gasping heavily subsidized freight system. Semi trucks especially cause more damage to the roads they use than the road maintenance tax they pay incorporated into their fuel. If (a big if) trains were more heavily used for long distance hauling the result would be more privately owned local haulers operating out of major train hubs, freight cost would be lower as well as fuel consumption and lower road maintenance cost, greater highway safety.

Working for a class 1 railroad, the whole thing cones down to $$ massive layoff of maintainers, track workers to save the bottom line. There was a time after contain was broken up that csx did no montane at all because contain over maintained the track, that led to massive slow orders and eventual action taken by the fra. We have reached that point again....
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G-Man Veteran

G-Man

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Fast trains would use improved rail technology.

This is true but there are no row,all track that passenger runs on is owned by freight companys... we will never have high speed rail as Eisenhower left that couse long ago when he backed the road interstate system.
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G-Man Veteran

G-Man

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Fast trains would use improved rail technology.

This is true but there are no row,all track that passenger runs on is owned by freight companys... we will never have high speed rail as Eisenhower left that couse long ago when he backed the road interstate system.
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