Left persists in rail mania

Waterbury Republican-American ^ | November 12, 2011 | Editorial

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[Graybeard58]

Ping to a Republican-American Editorial.

If you want on or off this ping list, let me know.

[hal ogen]

I guess all these LIB-train-loving fools just can't resist the idea of traveling by subsidized train and singing in a hootenanny with passengers they don't know as they travel. Sounds like fun. Just how much would a ticket from LA to SF cost (with subsidies)?????? Probably several thousand each so these 19th century Luddites can enjoy their train.

[Graybeard58]

I rode on a train in 1963, from St. Louis, Mo. to San Antonio, Texas, a day and a half trip. That was all the train I needed for a life time.

[scooby321]

The Amtrak on the eastern corridor has lost money every year.

Why in the world would be building more in less populous areas.

[BfloGuy]

I guess all these LIB-train-loving fools just can't resist the idea of traveling by subsidized train and singing in a hootenanny with passengers they don't know as they travel.

My thoughts are pretty close to yours. It occurred to me that liberals love the idea of all of us traveling together -- just not on a plane. That makes First Class too crowded for them.

[denydenydeny]

So even in the highly unlikely event House Republicans agree put a small fraction of that amount into the bill, Connecticut and California will be left to choose between assuming a far greater share of construction and operational costs or finding more sensible and less expensive ways of dealing with highway congestion.

Which is exactly what New Jersey and Governor Christie ended up doing. The money just is not there. Great editorial.

[hinckley buzzard]

In 1962 I rode the Denver Zephyr from Cleveland to Denver, then the Texas Zephyr to Taos New Mexico. It was a fabulous trip and the sights were something to behold, especially through southern Colorado. Of course I wasn't in some kind of all fired hurry back then, just enjoyed the leisurely pace and the new sights and sounds. I do recall we hit 100 mph through Iowa and Nebraska, which was at night anyway so we didn't miss much.

[boop]

OK, so realistically, someone would drive to the train station in SF, get to LA, and then they’d have to take a VERY expensive taxi ride anywhere they wanted to go. Then take another very expensive taxi ride back to the station. Downtown LA is quite far from anywhere of interest. It is NOT like NYC, where you can walk most everywhere, or grab a subway. This makes NO sense economically for a person to even WANT to take this train. Taking a plane would be much more convenient, faster, and cheaper.

[SteelToe]

It’s a patronage pit for the Unions, nothing more. All under the guise of Railroad construction.

[dsrtsage]

I’ve always kind of wondered. Does anybody know how long it took to build the transcontinental railroad, how much it cost, and who paid for it?

[okie01]

In 1962 I rode the Denver Zephyr from Cleveland to Denver, then the Texas Zephyr to Taos New Mexico.

I've always contended the best way to travel is a good train.

The worst way to travel is a bad one.

[okie01]

Does anybody know how long it took to build the transcontinental railroad, how much it cost, and who paid for it?

First Transcontinental Railroad

[exDemMom]

I guess all these LIB-train-loving fools just can't resist the idea of traveling by subsidized train and singing in a hootenanny with passengers they don't know as they travel.

Some of them *do* like that. But I've talked to others who love the idea of public transit--as long as they don't have to use it themselves.

[Smokin' Joe]

Really, it is a simple thing to figure out.

They can't move the 40 and 8's fast enough to get everyone to camp with the current system.

If it isn't faster, people might figure out what is going on...in time to do something about it.

[dsrtsage]

Thanks for the link. Soooo, looks like a railroad line about 10 times as long across wilderness, very large mountain ranges, crossing large rivers, and deserts, without the benefit of modern machinery to carve out tunnels, build bridges, and cut mountainsides, was completed in 6 years, with private money plus government bonds, (and government land grants...but, not like anybody owned 99% of that land back then, so no eminant domain), with labor shortages because of the civil war to boot. But 30 years and one hundred and eleventy billion dollars for a rail line that nodody will use is pretty impressive

[okie01]

But 30 years and one hundred and eleventy billion dollars for a rail line that nobody will use is pretty impressive.

Only government could do this, you understand...

The private sector is simply incapable of undertaking a task like this...

[GeronL]

lol.

Only government can waste massive amounts of cash on stupid endeavors that will never be worth the price.

True that.

[RedMDer]

FReepathon Day 43!