HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Joseph Brennan)
Subject: Re: NYC's Transit Police
Reply-To: brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Joseph Brennan)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 18:20:14 GMT

In article <_qrx_5#@rpi.edu> kasprj@rpi.edu writes:

> I was just wondering, what sort of authority are the Transit Police under?
>Are they part of the NYPD, the Transit Authority, or both? Do they have the
>same powers as "regular" city cops? And do they just police the subways, or
>do they have other duties?

The head of the Transit Police reports to the city Police
Commissioner, and the officers are trained at the Police Academy.
Newly trained police are assigned to the city force, the Transit
Police or the Housing Police without choice.  There is talk now of
allowing new officers to pick the force they want; choice was
abolished some years ago because it was noticed that the best recruits
avoided the Transit and Housing forces.  Some say the forces should be
integrated, and transit patrol should just be a rotating assignment for
all police; others say it's specialized work.

Transit Police have full powers of city police, and while they are
normally assigned patrols in the transit system, they can take police
action anywhere in the city.  There is some input from the NYCTA in
terms of where they are assigned and so on, and I am not clear about
how that works.  The tension about the Transit Police assignment is
that so much of the work is security-guard level, like watching
turnstiles and telling people to stop smoking or lying on seats, and 
I wonder myself whether there shouldn't be both guards and police.

As an aside, while I was on Grand Jury duty a few years back, we had a
purse-snatching case in Greenwich Village in which a Long Island Rail
Road police officer made the arrest.  One of the jurors inquired what
the LIRR officer was doing there (miles from LIRR property), and he
replied that he was travelling by marked car from Penn Station to the
LIRR Brooklyn terminal and was flagged down by one of the citizens
running after the thief.  I'm less sure what the status of LIRR police
is, but there seemed to be no problem with this officer being the
arresting officer and bringing the "perp" to the local stationhouse.

> For that matter, are there any good books about the NYC Transit Authority 
>as a whole? I've been really curious as to how the whole thing is organized.

Cudahy's "Under the Sidewalks of New York" is the best general work.

--Joe Brennan

Newsgroups: rec.railroad,soc.culture.canada,can.general
From: dwjz@bnr.ca (Doug Zolmer)
Subject: Re: TTC POP fines (was Railway police in Canada (was NYC's Transit Police))
Reply-To: dwjz@bnr.ca (Doug Zolmer)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Distribution: ont
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 14:12:00 GMT

In article <BruGF6.GpL@helios.physics.utoronto.ca>, sysmark@helios.physics.utoronto.ca (Mark Bartelt) writes:
|> The last I read (just a few weeks ago, though who knows whether the paper
|> had outdated information?), it was $53.75 for not having a POP on the TTC
|> Queen Street car.
|> 
|> This raises a question I've always wondered about:  Why $53.75?  Why not
|> an even $50 (or $55, or $60)?  If it were $53.50, I'd suspect they were
|> charging $50+GST (1/2:-), but $53.75 is just plain weird.  Is it possibly
|> an inflation-indexed value from some past year's base amount?  Anyone know?

Fines in Ottawa are also $53.75, so I assume this is some province-wide
(legislated?) amount.

Incidently, Ottawa has had POP fares on many routes since the local transit
authority (they call themselves `OC Transpo') introduced articulated
buses (about 1982?).  The fare inspectors/POP cops have been accused
numerous times of harassing passengers (especially visiable minorities),
but that's another story.

|> 
|> Mark Bartelt                                                  416/978-5619
|> Canadian Institute for                               mark@cita.toronto.edu
|> Theoretical Astrophysics                             mark@cita.utoronto.ca
|> 
|> "Clothes not busy being worn are busy drying."   -   Dylan, on laundry day

-- 
D.W.J.Zolmer     dwjz@bnr.ca    +1 613 763-8217     Disclaimer: my opinions only
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: ggg9y@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Garth G. Groff)
Subject: Re: unruly behaviour on public transportation (was: Re: Amtrak travel info request)
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 12:37:11 GMT

Your unruly airline passenger was lucky he wasn't put
off the plane before it landed in Cleveland, say at
30,000 feet.
~S
--
Garth (Haridas) Groff
"Not yet famous author"
ggg9y@poe.acc.virginia.EDU         Chant "Govinda Bohlo Hare"
From: PLAWS@UAFSYSB.UARK.EDU (Peter Laws)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: AR->OK->TX->NM->CO->NE->IA->MO->AR
Date: 22 Jul 1992 12:03:59 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

I know, I know we've gone thru this before, but we "just" deccided to do this
trip (in mid-August).  We're going to do the D&S, but I don't want to miss
anything big.  Not that we expect to hit *everything*, but I would like some
ideas. ie: what's in Omaha?  Denver?  Any good mountain passes we should see
in CO?  Thanks in advance!!!

PS If only I had bought that _Handy RailroadAtlas_ when I had the chance...


================================================================================
Peter Laws            |"The '90s are gonna make the '60s|    pcl@engr.uark.edu
n5uwy@ka5bml.ar.usa.na| look like the '50s"--D. Hopper  | plaws@uafsysb.bitnet
From: nealg@pokey.sybase.com (Neal Goldsmith)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Was I seeing things?
Date: 27 Jul 92 23:14:52 GMT
Distribution: ba

Monday, July 27.

At a little after 12:00 PM today I was leaving our building in Emeryville 
(which is a half block from the SP line) and my ears heard a steam wistle.

It was too loud to be comming from a ship and as it got louder I also
heard the sound of a steam engine. What? I ran to a place where I could
see the tracks just in time to see a Steam Engine with an orangish side
pulling several matching cars with people in them.

What did I see? And where was it going?

----------------
Neal E. Goldsmith                                       Sybase, Inc.  
nealg@sybase.com                                        1650 65th Street
What I sez is my opinion and not my employers.          Emeryville, CA  94608
                                                        (510) 596-3338
From: yhshowie@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Howard Wharton)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: SUBWAY STORIES
Date: 26 Jul 92 03:37:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

I would like to thank those who answered my post regarding the book
"Subway Stories". Now I have to fing a bookstore in the Buffalo area
that either sell it ( I dout it) or can order it.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich)
Subject: Re: AMTRAK On-time-liness ?
Organization: LLNL
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 18:18:24 GMT

In article <920727104811@cream.ftp.com> jbvb@ftp.com writes:
>In article <1992Jul23.161613.28093@wdl.loral.com> gjs@wdl50.wdl.loral.com (Gregory Scott) writes:

>    ....  The person I talk to tried to schedule me
>    Train 11 San Jose - LA (arriving LA 7:45pm) Train 4 LA - Kansas City
>    (departing LA 8:30pm)....

>The connection may be somewhat tighter now, which implies that the Starlight
>is scheduled later, but I've made it several times in the past few years.

	One thing that will probably interfere with the Coast
Starlight in the Bay Area is the new CalTrain service to Gilroy, which
is now 2 trains/direction/day on commute times. This means that the
two evening trains go out from San Jose to Gilroy and arrive there at
6 and 7 pm. This would be no problem if the line was double-tracked,
but it appears to be single-tracked south of the Tamien station (the
line was double-tracked out to Tamien recently, this being a short way
south of the San Jose Amtrak station). Since a northbound Coast
Starlight is supposed to arrive in San Jose at 7pm or so, there is a
certain possibility of conflict. What is perhaps more significant in
this connection is CalTrain's new management -- Amtrak.

Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: msb@sq.sq.com (Mark Brader)
Subject: Maglev article in Scientific American
Summary: August issue, "Air Trains" by Gary Stix
Organization: SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, Canada
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 92 00:43:34 GMT


 "Henry H. Kolm hates trains.  He bristles when someone has the indelicacy
  to talk about his magnetic flying machine in the same breath as a train.
  It does have a passenger cabin and travels on--or rather over--a track
  of sorts.  Just don't call it a train.  Trains, in Kolm's humble view,
  were the fundamental breakthrough that moved transportation a step beyond
  the stagecoach.  'Tremendous technology for the year 1837,' [he says.]"

This is the opening of an article in the August issue of Scientific
American, titled "Air Trains" and written by Gary Stix.  It covers
technical, political (US only), and economic issues, and I found it fair.
Those of you interested in magnetic levitation will want to make sure
you see it.
-- 
Mark Brader, SoftQuad Inc., Toronto  |	Rocket, 1829: The first 30 mph train.
utzoo!sq!msb, msb@sq.com	     |	TGV-A, 1989: The first 300 mph train.

This article is in the public domain.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: SDupa@xview.csuohio.edu (Scott Hewis)
Subject: Re: Via,Amtrak on train security?
Organization: Cleveland State University - Telecomm 
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 17:19:54 GMT

In article <5036@transfer.stratus.com> btarbox@sw.stratus.com (Brian Tarbox) writes:
>From: btarbox@sw.stratus.com (Brian Tarbox)
>Subject: Via,Amtrak on train security?
>Date: 22 Jul 92 15:03:07 GMT

>I'm taking a cross-country trip on Via and Amtrak (first class!)
>this week and started wondering about the security of my personal stuff.
>Do cabins lock?  If not, how do you keep your cameras, etc. safe, other
>than taking them with you all the time?  Thanks for the help.


Having riden both Amtrak and VIA numerous times, both first class and coach
(Bedroom F is the ONLY way to fly), I have never had a propblem with my 
personal gear, including still and movie cameras and video camcorders.
When leaving my gear in my room I do tuck it under the bed or put it on a
top shelf so it will be out of sight, out of mind.  The only time(s) I took
my camera(s) was when I was shooting film/tape.
Though I can't really prove it, the car attendents seemed to keep an eye on
things in their cars to prevent "mischief" from happening.
Have a grand trip.

Scott
--------------------------------------
* Scott Hewis; Telecom Specialist    *
* Cleveland State University         *
* email c/o scott@asgard.csuohio.edu *
--------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: dave@opus.csd.uwm.edu (Dave Rasmussen)
Subject: Re: Scanner freq's for Empire Builder?
Originator: dave@opus.csd.uwm.edu
Reply-To: dave@opus.csd.uwm.edu
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 19:17:27 GMT

From article <1992Jul27.114014.4009@news.uakron.edu>, by r1plr@vax1.cc.uakron.edu (Peggy L Richards):
> 
> 
> We're going to ride the Empire Builder at the end of this week and
> we can't find any scanner frequencies.  Please post if you have info
> regarding E.B., Soo Line, Burlington Northern, etc. freq's.
> 
>  Thanks for your time and screen,
>   r1plr@vax1.cc.uakron.edu

sooline: 160.770
	 161.520
BN	 161.100
	 161.160
There are probably more but these are the two main road channels along 
the route.
From: Nigel.Allen@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Nigel Allen)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,soc.culture.canada,can.general
Subject: Railway police in Canada (was Re: NYC's Transit Police)
Date: 22 Jul 92 11:52:19 GMT
Organization: Echo Beach

In Canada, the major railways (CN and CP) each have their own police forces.
The [Canadian] federal Railway Act says that railway police are real police
within their
jurisdiction (the act uses the term "constablewick", which I have seen
nowhere else), defined as railway property and/or within a quarter-mile of
railway property. 

The Toronto Transit Commission does not have uniformed security personnel,
except for fare inspectors, who check that people travelling on "honour
system" lines (currently only streetcar services operating on Queen Street)
have valid transfers or passes, and issue $53 summons to people who cannot
prove they paid. GO Transit and some other transit authorities with
"honour system" routes also have fare inspectors.
 
STCUM, the Montreal Urban Community Transit Corporation, has uniformed
security personnel. I am not sure whether they are considered "real"
police or not, but one hears the usual stories about STCUM security and
Montreal police behaving improperly towards young people, especially blacks.
 
In Britain, the British Transport Police serve both the British Rail
system and the London Underground. Before the 1948 amalgamation and
nationalization of the British rail system, each railway had its own
police force, I understand. The British Transport Police also policed some
government-owned ferry and bus services until the services were sold to
private-sector operators.

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: ggg9y@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Garth G. Groff)
Subject: Re: Amtrak travel info request
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 12:14:05 GMT

Lee:

You may find Chicago Union Station a tedious place.  The several
times I have lain over there I was tempted to stash my stuff and
walk downtown.  Unfortunately, they don't have lockers.  They will 
store your bags for $1.50 each!  And the line to get them back
is incredibly long.  Since I always travel with pack pack and soft
grip, my touring Chicago is out.  

Food service there is pretty bad and very expensive.

If you have non-reserved coach seating, you will probably want to 
get into the line at the gate at least 45 minutes before train time.
Otherwise, no windows.  I also found that people were incredibly 
rude about crowding into the line.

The best part of the terminal is the building itself, particularly
the grand concourse.  They have done a lot of renovation the past
three years and it is probably one of the finest stations I have
ever seen (except for Washington).

On the trains themselves, you will find that the seats are barely
tolerable, the food in the snack car is gross and high priced, the
food in the diner is adequate and even higher priced, the windows
are spotted with crud and most of the restrooms will be dirty/no
working.  But if you are like me, you'll love the trip and be ready
to go again.  As my ex used to say, "An adventure is an inconvenience
rightly viewed." (Probably not original).

Oh, yes.  Short of getting a sleeper, there is no place for a 
"romantic" interlude.  Save it for a hotel later.

~S
--
Garth (Haridas) Groff
"Not yet famous author"
ggg9y@poe.acc.virginia.EDU         Chant "Govinda Bohlo Hare"
From: forags@yogi.berkeley.edu (Al Stangenberger)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Push-Pull Service: Which Way do the Locomotives Point?
Date: 23 Jul 1992 15:45:42 GMT
Organization: U.C. Forestry & Res. Mgt.
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: yogi.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Jul22.135636.29866@bony1.bony.com> billg@bony1.bony.com (Bill Gripp) writes:
>
>I believe that the Santa Fe or some other western road may have experimented
>with passenger cars have two cars riding on 3 trucks.  

Southern Pacific's Coast Daylight coaches were in pairs which shared a common
center truck.  The Daylight's diner was a 3-car (2 shared truck) setup with
a dining room car on each end and a large kitchen in the center.


-- 
Al Stangenberger                    Dept. of Forestry & Resource Mgt.
forags@violet.berkeley.edu          145 Mulford Hall - Univ. of Calif.
uucp:  ucbvax!ucbviolet!forags      Berkeley, CA  94720
BITNET: FORAGS AT UCBVIOLE          (510) 642-4424  FAX: (510) 643-5438                      
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: dawdy@tellabs.com (Dan Dawdy)
Subject: No Horns Allowed (was Re: accidents at level crossings)
Keywords: accidents
Organization: Tellabs, Inc., Lisle, IL
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 12:58:38 GMT

>5) The trains did NOT blow their horns to signal their
>approach to the crossing.
>
>>I find this hard to believe. I've never heard of a railroad which
>>did not have the Rule 14(l) which mandates sounding the horn or
>>whistle while approaching and crossing any grade (level) crossing.
>>I also doubt that there is any state in the US which does not
>>have a state law requiring the same thing.
>

I came into this thread late and maybe it's been covered,
but here in the Chicago area many suburbs do not allow horns
at crossings.  Below is taken from the Burlington Northern
Special Instructions Chicago Region.

	11. Between LaVergne and Naperville, Illinois, inclusive
	do not sound crossing whistle signal as prescribed by 
	Rule 15(1), unless emergency requires, except when
	passing or meeting or about to pass or meet a train
	at or in the immediate vicinity of grade crossing,
	under such circumstances that the second train will
	obscure, in whole or in part, the view of the first 
	mentioned train to persons who may be about to use the
	crossing.

I should point out that all the crossings from the City out
to Naperville are protected by gates.  Just goes to show...
never say never ;-)

Dan Dawdy

dawdy@tellabs.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: 11jodom@gallua.gallaudet.edu
Subject: Re: DC Transit--NOT!
Organization: Gallaudet University
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 18:00:38 GMT

In article <9207260049.AA23652@cs.utexas.edu>, PLAWS@UAFSYSB.UARK.EDU (Peter Laws) writes:
> Thanks to James and all the others who took the time to answer my questions
> about metro.  I especially enjoyed the ascii system map!
> 
> 
> ================================================================================
> Peter Laws            |"The '90s are gonna make the '60s|    pcl@engr.uark.edu
> n5uwy@ka5bml.ar.usa.na| look like the '50s"--D. Hopper  | plaws@uafsysb.bitnet




	My pleasure to help you.   I hope u noticed the WMATA address I wrote
down if you have any further questions to as metro.   They may even send a 
pocket-sized subway map if you request it, I think.    

	Yeh, I thought it would be a challenge to try to layout the metro's
system map on this computer.  Now, if we can try New Yawk's humongous system!

:)



Newsgroups: rec.railroad,soc.culture.canada,can.general
From: sysmark@helios.physics.utoronto.ca (Mark Bartelt)
Subject: TTC POP fines (was Railway police in Canada (was NYC's Transit Police))
Reply-To: mark@cita.toronto.edu
Organization: University of Toronto Physics/Astronomy/CITA
Distribution: ont
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 13:35:29 GMT

[ Calvin Henry-Cotnam ]

| GO's authorities, known officially as the GO Transit Enforcement Unit and
| unofficially as the POP Cops (POP is the Proof Of Payment fare system),
| are (if I'm not mistaken) actual peace officers similar to other police.
| Although they do not carry firearms, they do carry billy clubs.
|
| If caught without proof of payment, the fine is $78.75 now, and I think
| it is the same on the TTC as mentioned above.  This is a provincial
| offences ticket that is issued just like a speeding ticket or a ticket
| for drinking (alcohol) in a public place.

The last I read (just a few weeks ago, though who knows whether the paper
had outdated information?), it was $53.75 for not having a POP on the TTC
Queen Street car.

This raises a question I've always wondered about:  Why $53.75?  Why not
an even $50 (or $55, or $60)?  If it were $53.50, I'd suspect they were
charging $50+GST (1/2:-), but $53.75 is just plain weird.  Is it possibly
an inflation-indexed value from some past year's base amount?  Anyone know?

Mark Bartelt                                                  416/978-5619
Canadian Institute for                               mark@cita.toronto.edu
Theoretical Astrophysics                             mark@cita.utoronto.ca

"Clothes not busy being worn are busy drying."   -   Dylan, on laundry day
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: cal@ee.ryerson.ca (Calvin Henry-Cotnam)
Subject: Re: New Signals on NEC Mainline ?
Organization: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Toronto
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 03:46:00 GMT

In article <BrrErx.Hy0@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> roma@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Jon Roma) writes:
>
>Upon encountering a signal with one or more lamps dark, the engineer must
>normally treat the signal as displaying the most restrictive aspect possible
>given the lights that are displayed.
>

In addition to this, once the condition is reported, the signal-master
must treat the situation as if the signal is displaying the LEAST
restrictive aspect.  This means that the signal-master must move
quickly to have the situation corrected.

Cal.

Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: roma@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Jon Roma)
Subject: Re: Local laws apply?(was Re: Horn-blowing)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 05:08:09 GMT

derek@wubios.wustl.edu writes:

>>> Jack Hamilton writes:

>>> I've heard about laws like this, and I've always wondered: how do local
>>> communities have control over the behavior of trains?  ICC or FRA rules
>>> would override local laws.

>  Not necessarily; there are towns in Missouri that have been known to
>stop trains and issue tickets because they were going over the speed
>limit. The track is certified FRA 79, but the town speed limit takes
>precedence (I think this town's limit was 40.) UP pays the fine.

In Illinois, the state commerce commission has exclusive power to regulate
train speeds (within the federal constraints, of course).  Illinois
railroads thus no longer have to deal with absurd local speed regulations.

Mississippi, however, is notorious.  Lots of 10 mph speed limits for 500
yards or so of city limits, then right back up to 79 mph.  Very wasteful.
-- 
Jon Roma
Computing and Communications Services Office,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Internet:  roma@uiuc.edu      	UUCP:      uunet!uiucuxc!uiuc.edu!roma
From: cam@castle.ed.ac.uk (Chris Malcolm)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: _Scientific American_ profiles Maglev Trains
Date: 31 Jul 92 09:54:05 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

In article <JTURNER.92Jul30172300@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu> jturner@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Jeffrey Turner) writes:

>	MAGLEV is ridiculously expensive to build and run.
>First you have to put the "tracks" which contain electro-
>magnets their whole length up on very gently curved pylons
>(read BIG $ for right of way) with refrigeration units
>running the whole length (for the superconducting magnets,
>so the electric bill won't be astronomical...

Well this is a very expensive way of doing MAGLEV, but it's not the
only way. Why not check out some of the existing simple MAGLEVs that
have been running successfully for years?
-- 
Chris Malcolm    cam@uk.ac.ed.aifh          +44 (0)31 650 3085
Department of Artificial Intelligence,    Edinburgh University
5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh, EH1 2QL, UK                DoD #205
From: PLAWS@UAFSYSB.UARK.EDU (Peter Laws)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: DC Transit--NOT!
Date: 25 Jul 1992 19:49:39 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

Thanks to James and all the others who took the time to answer my questions
about metro.  I especially enjoyed the ascii system map!


================================================================================
Peter Laws            |"The '90s are gonna make the '60s|    pcl@engr.uark.edu
n5uwy@ka5bml.ar.usa.na| look like the '50s"--D. Hopper  | plaws@uafsysb.bitnet