HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jordan@IMSI.COM (Jordan Hayes)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Rail Access to Airports
Date: 18 Aug 92 15:55:27 GMT
Organization: Investment Management Services Inc., NYC

One I haven't seen mentioned yet: Barcelona.

When I was there (1989?), it was pre-olympics, so there were no
jetways(!) at the airport, but they had a moving sidewalk out to the
train stop.  It's the end of the line, commuter-rail-type, and it makes
three or four stops in the city.  The main train station as well as two
or three minor ones are served.  You can transfer to the local subway
from there.  Very nicely connected.

/jordan
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: ggg9y@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Garth G. Groff)
Subject: Re: Which cars have holding tanks
Organization: University of Virginia
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 12:15:17 GMT

AMTRAK POTTIES

I may have been guilty of believing and spreading erroneous
information about holding tanks on Amtrak cars.  But if so, 
then why are the crews instructed on the PA system to turn
off the toilets when going through certain towns on the
California Zephyr if the toilets don't flush onto the tracks?
Are there any Amtrak employees out there that can straighten
out this question?  Thanks.
~S
--
Garth (Haridas) Groff
"Not yet famous author"
ggg9y@poe.acc.virginia.EDU         Chant "Govinda Bohlo Hare"
From: bob@1776.COM (Robert Coe)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Brakes on SF cable cars
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 21:04:27 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: 1776 Enterprises, Sudbury MA

BRANDT_JOBST/HP1900_01@HPLOMG.HPL.HP.COM writes:
> As I toured SF with a visitor from out of town the other day, I was pleased 
> to see a major technical advance in cable car propulsion. ...
>     [description of new mechanism to prevent the grip 
>      from pulling the cable out of the slot omitted]
> This may not seem momentous but it is such a non obvious and solid solution 
> to an age old problem that I find it a stroke of genius.  With this kind of 
> ingenuity I hope to see a solution to the ineffective emergency brake that 
> has failed nearly every time it was used.

About 30 years ago "Road & Track" magazine did a somewhat tongue-in-cheek
"Road Research Report" on the SF cable car.  (Excellent acceleration up to
its top speed of 9 mph; etc.; etc.)  :^)  Analyzing its braking capability, 
the article noted that a cable car has three separate braking systems, the 
most drastic of which is designed to drive a steel plug into the slot with 
such force that it has to be cut out with a torch.  Is this the one that
failed?  What was the nature of the failure?

   ___            _                                           -  Bob
   /__) _   /    / ) _   _
(_/__) (_)_(_)  (___(_)_(/_______________________________________ bob@1776.COM
Robert K. Coe ** 14 Churchill St, Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776 ** 508-443-3265
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: cal@ee.ryerson.ca (Calvin Henry-Cotnam)
Subject: Re: VIA's excellent, Amtrak sticks bigtime
Organization: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Toronto
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 02:05:00 GMT

In article <16846B86C.M00209@MBVM.Mitre.Org> M00209@MBVM.Mitre.Org writes:
>In article <1992Aug14.162208.4967@gw.wmich.edu>
>31ochs@gw.wmich.edu writes:
>>
>>Just out of curiosity, but does VIA still use the LRC engines?
> 
>I believe they do not, or if they do it's only in very limited places.  The LRC
>trains I have seen recently in Quebec-Montreal and Montreal-Toronto service
>were powered by F40s.  I recall hearing that VIA gave up on the LRC engines as
>being intolerably unreliable.

I must correct you on this, although most of the Quebec/Windsor corridor
is powered by F40PH's, they still use the LRC locomotives.  There was
a period, a little more than a year ago when I thought that they were
discontinued due to no sitings.  However lately I have noticed them
reasonably often.

I take GO transit to work each morning from the GO/VIA Guildwood
station to Toronto Union.  I see various trains going/coming to/from
both Ottawa and Montreal.  I can't say for sure the percentage of those
that I see that are pulled by LRC's but I'd take a rough guess at maybe
only 5 - 10%.  I'll keep my eyes open more and take an informal survey
over the next week.

Calvin Henry-Cotnam, CATE            |    MY CANADA INCLUDES CANADIANS!
Ryerson Polytechnical Institute      | I would really like this to include
Toronto, Ontario, Canada             | Quebec - but I won't hold my breath.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: leveret@warren.demon.co.uk (Nick Leverton)
Distribution: world
Subject: Re: Train from SF to Chicago
X-Mailer: cppnews $Revision: 1.13 $
Organization: Indexed; Access: Random.
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 17:03:43 +0000

Thank you Loren, Todd and Dave for the Amtrak phone numbers.

Nick.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: cal@ee.ryerson.ca (Calvin Henry-Cotnam)
Subject: Re: VIA's excellent, Amtrak sticks bigtime
Organization: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Toronto
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 14:47:25 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.214414.10188@bnr.ca> christo@bnr.ca writes:
>
>As I understand it, there are special excursions that travel between
>Vancouver and Banff.  Initially this was to be a pricy luxury train,
>but I no longer know what happened with this.
>


There is a private firm that operates an excursion from Vancouver
to Banf, unfortunately the name escapes me at the moment. 

I understand that the trip involves an overnight stay in an hotel,
as there are no sleeping facilities on the train.  This is not too
bad as it results in viewing the scenery in daylight for the whole
trip.

I also read recently in that magazine that is in the seat pouch
on Canadian Airline flights (I was going from Toronto to Thunder Bay
which used to be served by the CP transcontinental route but does not
anymore so this is why I had to fly!!!) that the guy that arranges
the Condorde flights from Toronto to London is refurbashing railway
equipment for use on a luxury transcontinental service.  The article
said that it was to go into service late in 1992 but I have heard
nothing else on this.


Calvin Henry-Cotnam, CATE            |    MY CANADA INCLUDES CANADIANS!
Ryerson Polytechnical Institute      | I would really like this to include
Toronto, Ontario, Canada             | Quebec - but I won't hold my breath.
From: Steve_Hooper@mindlink.bc.ca (Steve Hooper)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: VIA's excellent, Amtrak sticks bigtime
Date: 17 Aug 92 20:59:53 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

Sam, not to disagree with you (in fact, anumber of the things you mentioned
happened to me as well) while riding VIA, but you cannot base your opinions on
that anymore.

As of last year, all "Canadian" trainsets are equipped with ex-CP stainless
steel cars that have been re-built to include showers, Head-End-Power, new
wiring, etc etc and are basically "brand new".  They have done a fantastic job
on them too, so not to plug VIA, but you should try them again some time.


--

 steve_hooper@mindlink.bc.ca   []  Conductor on the High Iron of
 OR      a777@mindlink.bc.ca   []     CP Rail - Cascade Sub
 The Great White North in      []
 Vancouver, BC CANADA          []   Opinions are mine, NOT CP's
Organization: CUNY/UCC VM Systems
Date: Saturday, 15 Aug 1992 23:03:22 EDT
From: Robert Chambers <RMCCU@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Note on Newport News Wreck

Not only that, they also fudged a signal a mile or so away that would
have given indications of the switch..

Sounds like disgruntled ex-employee to me

Robert
From: ehr@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl)
Subject: Re: Tehachapi Re:  High Speed Rail in Southern California
Summary: Other shrines?
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 21:00:07 GMT

In article <1992Aug20.190541.7757@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com>, johnm@hpmcaa (John Mosbarger) writes:
> 
>      Ah, yes, Tehachapi.  One of the top ten Sacred Shrines of Western States
> Railfandom :-).


Okay, I assume that Donner Pass qualifies as one of the ten.  What are 
the other eight?

The question is not entirely facetious.  I now have enough American
Airlines miles for a free trip within North America, and am beginning
to think about possible sites for railroad photography.  (I did
the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder routes this year -- Sacramento-
Portland-Essex, Mt.-St.Paul) .

Since I might as well get maximum value from the free flight, my
preferences would be for the West Coast.  (And, yest, I did Donner
a couple of years ago -- with Richard Steinheimer, no less!)

-- Ernest

-- 

"My other computer is a Nikon N8008." -- Ernest H. Robl
Ernest H. Robl (ehr@ecsvax)  Durham, NC, USA   +1  919   286-3845
                                         FAX:  +1  919   286-1696
From: kwyatt@ccscola.Columbia (Kershner Wyatt)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Comparing other systems to BART
Date: 13 Aug 92 19:59:08 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: NCR Corp, E&M-Columbia, Columbia, SC

In article <166h5uINNshh@agate.berkeley.edu> lazzaro@boom.CS.Berkeley.EDU (John Lazzaro) writes:
>Is the BART fare collection system unique to the BART system? In this
>system, you buy magnetic-coded cards that have a certain value, and
>put the card through a reader at the beginning and the end of the
>trip.  A value is subtracted from the card, depending on the length of

You do the same thing for the DC Metro, and woe be to the person who wonders
what happens to his card when the money is used up going through the turn-
stile.

You can add value to the card as needed as well, by recoding the card (with
the appropriate cash!!!!).  I like that system - beats tokens (one price fits
all) in Atlanta.

Now if you want to get attention, try using the wrong turnstiles and exits.
I still am not sure what happened one day, but it swallowed my card (fine, it
was out of value) then refused to leave me go through.  The Metro police 
were all over the place when the buzzer went off (with me in the middle).

-- 
Kershner Wyatt
kwyatt@ccscola.ColumbiaSC.ncr.com

My opinions are my own and aren't necessarily my employer's.
From: jordan@IMSI.COM (Jordan Hayes)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Rail Access to Airports
Date: 22 Aug 92 13:42:21 GMT
Organization: Investment Management Services Inc., NYC

Loren I. Petrich <lip@s1.gov> writes:

	Washington, DC (National only), Oakland, Boston, and San Jose
	require a short bus ride ...

While waiting for Metro the other day after taking the Delta Shuttle
down for an overnight, I saw a big sign pointed at the Metro platform
saying that they were building a new terminal "to provide direct access
to Metro" and that they'd be done in a year or two.  There's a parking
lot there now.

I've heard rumors about some ideas floated for a MagLev demonstration
loop between BART/Coliseum and the OAK terminals; this would presumably
include the new Amtrak station as well.  I think that it'd be a great
location to add good service at the enormous cost of "research" :-) if
they can find some sucker to foot the bill ...

/jordan
Xref: sparky rec.railroad:6493 dc.general:1872
From: acadams@afterlife.ncsc.mil (Arthur C. Adams)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,dc.general
Subject: Re: DC Metro and RFK Concert
Date: 14 Aug 92 21:49:50 GMT
Distribution: dc
Organization: The Great Beyond

>In article <1992Aug14.133954.22013@wam.umd.edu> chuckm@wam.umd.edu writes:
>
>   I heard on WTOP this morning that Metro is *not* going to
>   run any extra trains or extra hours for this weekends U2
>   concert at RFK.  The concert is scheduled to
>   end at 11:30pm and Metro plans to close at midnight.
>
>   Does anyone have any additional information about this?
>

I called RFK this morning. They said that Metro will stop picking up
passengers at 12:10, and everyone on the trains will be returned to 
their stations. 

I'm planning on leaving the concert about ten minutes early, just to
be sure. I'm not happy about it, but it beats having to take a taxi
all the way back to the Silver Spring metro station. :-(
-- 
The world is not analog. The world is digital,
with an incredible number of bits.
Arthur C. Adams (not the comic-book artist)                        <fnord>
E-Mail acadams@afterlife.ncsc.mil
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,ba.transportation,talk.politics.misc,talk.environment
From: jmc@SAIL.Stanford.EDU (John McCarthy)
Subject: Re: Cost of transit systems vs highways
Reply-To: jmc@cs.Stanford.EDU
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University
	<1992Aug16.144706.19577@ke4zv.uucp>
	<1992Aug19.231824.11906@clipper.ingr.com>
Date: 19 Aug 92 20:56:57

I have a question about SimCity.  I thought about buying it for my son
to play, but I worried about it having propaganda built in.  Does anyone
have any comments about it?
--
John McCarthy, Computer Science Department, Stanford, CA 94305
*
He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense.
From: v106qhlw@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Poster Child Against Meal Plan)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Colors in New York City
Date: 21 Aug 92 15:09:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

Reading over a post from a week or so ago, I was reminded of a quick point
I wanted to make:

On a few lines (the A, F, & R, at least) have turned in their "roll signs"
and front-of-train route designatioins for digital displays of the same.
This wouldn't be so bad except that the LCD (?) displays are black lettering
on a yellow background --- losing the beneficial color coding that seems to
make the system halfway understandable for the less experienced.  Granted,
this newer system (on the newer cars) makes it easier to select different 
terminals or different routes.  There is even the possiblity to include
special messages such as "LAST STOP".  But I for one am upset to see the color
coding of the routes going by the wayside.  I found it to be helpful and easier
to correlate what I was tracing on the map with what was going on in the 
stations.  (Late  nights are always another story.)

Mark Foggin
University of Buffalo
From: ggg9y@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Garth G. Groff)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Tehachapi Re:  High Speed Rail in Southern California
Date: 21 Aug 92 12:03:27 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia

RAILROAD SHRINES

I would like to nominate Cajon Pass.  Great action with UP and
ATSF sharing double track with the SP just a few yards away.
Also don't forget Sullivan's Curve a few miles below the pass.
Westbound trains make a spectacular sweep into a cut.  I took
my second best picture ever then of four ATSF engines on a
fast freight at the curve.
~S
--
Garth (Haridas) Groff
"Not yet famous author"
ggg9y@poe.acc.virginia.EDU         Chant "Govinda Bohlo Hare"
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: wb8foz@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (David Lesher)
Subject: Re: Comparing other systems to BART
Reply-To: wb8foz@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu (David Lesher)
Organization: NRK Clinic for habitual NetNews abusers - Beltway Annex
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 00:51:29 GMT

Others said
# I know that
# |> the collection system is one place where Metro didn't learn from
# |> BART and therefore repeated some mistakes which BART had fixed
# |> before Metro was built.
# 
# Can you elaborate?  

Well, not sure if this is one of those, but Metro has been getting hit
with counterfeit bills in their farecard machines.  The term
"counterfeit" is generous - ISTM that Xerox copies work! WMATA has been
yanking all the old machines and installing the new ones; no setback in
itself - the new ones take $10's $20's.

This per my memory of a Post article.
--
A host is a host from coast to coast..wb8foz@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu
& no one will talk to a host that's close..........................
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: banarji@unixg.ubc.ca (Ajai Banarji)
Subject: Calling Amtrak from Canada
Originator: banarji@unixg.ubc.ca
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 20:26:22 GMT

		Calling Amtrak from Canada

	Although the Amtrak catalog says that Canadian customers can call
them on 1-800-4AMTRAK, this seems to have changed recently. When I called
this number from Vancouver a few days ago, I was told to call 
1-800-USA-RAIL. Thus the 800 number is now the same whether you are
calling from the US or Canada.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: rl@ferris.cray.com (Randy Lambertus)
Subject: Re: _Scientific American_ profiles Maglev Trains
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 20 Aug 92 11:25:51 CDT

In article <9208201530.AA02564@asia.fai.com> vaughnw@asia.fai.com (Vaughn Wolffe) writes:
>
> (stuff deleted...)
>
>encourage greater ridership. Besides as you were already told the TGV
>people have analyzed the SF-LA route, have determined that they could
>run at a profit charging 2/3 the air fare to capture 50% of the 
>ridership.
>
> (other stuff deleted...)
>
>   Vaughn Wolffe        vaughnw@hadar.fai.com
>
>

 When you quote '2/3 the air fare', which value do you place on it. The 
"full' normal fare, or the 'supersaver' lossleader fares which only
come out during fare wars?

Randy Lambertus               Cray Research, Region 4            rl@uk.cray.com
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-- 

Randy Lambertus               Cray Research, Region 4            rl@uk.cray.com
*******************************************************************************
   \                            ___________________
Xref: sparky rec.railroad:6578 ba.transportation:2028
From: lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,ba.transportation
Subject: Re: RR bridges, was Cost of transit systems vs highways
Date: 17 Aug 92 21:06:46 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: LLNL

In article <1992Aug17.101708@wsl.dec.com> gnn@wsl.dec.com (George Neville-Neil) writes:
>In article <1992Aug15.051323.19656@s1.gov>, lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich) writes:

:|: 	I'm mentioning weights here because I wonder if weight is the
:|: big problem with trains on suspension bridges.
:|: 
:
:BTW When specifying train weights the important number is tons/axle.

:I.e. if the F40 has four axles (I never remember this) it's loaded
                     ^^^^^^^^^^
                     That is correct.

:at 80tons/4 axles 20tons/axle, which isn't that heavy compared to something
:like a GP7 which is 30tons/axle.

	Comparisons: A BART car (32 tons, 4 axles) weighs in at 8
tons/axle, while a UTDC SCC LRV (45 tons, 6 axles) weights in at 7.5
tons/axle. The two would not make too much difference in bridge
loading, aside from the larger overall size and greater speed of a
typical BART train. 

	The GP7 would seem to be typical of the heavier freight
locomotives; one with 6 axles and weighing 200 tons will having 33
tons/axle. A fully loaded freight car with 4 axles and containing 70
tons has 17.5 tons/axle; if it contains 100 tons, then the figure is
25 tons/axle.

	A LRV or a BART train will clearly present significantly less
bridge load than a diesel-powered passenger train or a freight train.
Xref: sparky rec.railroad:6465 ba.transportation:1964 talk.politics.misc:39458 talk.environment:3243
From: M00209@MBVM.Mitre.Org
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,ba.transportation,talk.politics.misc,talk.environment
Subject: Re: Cost of transit systems vs highways
Date: 13 Aug 92 21:01:36 GMT
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford MA 01730

In article <FP8DPB2w165w@1776.COM>
bob@1776.COM (Robert Coe) writes:
 
>beyond that, Boston (the city with whose situation I'm most familiar) has
>found that the opening of a new subway station invariably results in an in-
>crease in pedestrian traffic and land values in the vicinity of the station.
>"Where people want to go" is to some extent driven by where the transit sys-
>tem goes.
>
That has been the universal experience in Toronto, from the opening of the
original Yonge Street Subway through every extension since.  When the Subway
started running, pedestrian traffic, local business and land values have always
increased.  The development around Eglinton when the original line opened was a
phenomenon that wasn't anticipated by the planners, but has since been repeated
with every new addition to the system.
 
 
Len Bachelder        Archives Committee, Boston and Maine RR Historical Society
MITRE Corp.           Secretary, Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts
Bedford MA 01730      Member, 470 Railroad Club
<M00209@mbvm.mitre.org>
 
"Amazing love, how can it be that Thou, my God, should'st die for me!"
                                                 - Charles Wesley
From: scott@svl.cdc.com (Scott Gerken)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Steam Excursion San Jose - LA Sept 12-13
Keywords: SP2472
Date: 21 Aug 92 22:25:26 GMT
Distribution: na

gjs@wdl50.wdl.loral.com (Gregory Scott) writes:

>In article <170hu4INN6ii@agate.berkeley.edu> forags@yogi.berkeley.edu (Al Stangenberger) writes:
>>The Golden Gate Railroad Museum is sponsoring a steam excursion from San Jose,
>>CA to Los Angeles.  The train will depart on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 12,
>>1992, make an overnight stop in San Luis Obispo, and arrive in Los Angeles in
>>the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 13.  Tickets may be purchased for the entire
>>2-day trip, or for either one-day segment.
>>
>Will there be a return trip? If so when and do you have any details?

No ther will not be a return passenger trip.  There is a special train that
is going to be pulled around the different parts of the country.  Where I'm
not sure and I think the train will contain public exhibits with some kind
of environment theme.  This special train will originate in LA with the
2472 pulling it northward to the bay area (Oakland CA I think).  There will be
two or three layover days between LA and Oakland so that the public can see
the exhibits.  From Oakland the special will continue on it's trip with a
diesal pulling it and the 2472 returns home to San Fransisco.

The above is all I can remember from talking to some people with the Golden Gate
Railroad museum about a month agoe.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: johna@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (john.a.welsh)
Subject: Re: ``Railroad Days'' on the Black River and Western
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 14:07:47 GMT
Summary: More on historic interchanges



Len had mentioned an old Lehigh Valley connection at Flemington, NJ.
It came in on the side of the station where the run-around is done.
I had wondered about the brick wall by the road just past the end
of the line beyond the station, and it turns out that that was the LV
connecting line.  For those not that familiar with the place, Flemington
has an area of small shops called Turntable Junction.  This is along
a curved set of tracks that runs to 3 Bridges and is an old CNJ line.
The main tourist train runs from Ringoes to Flemington (and another
one runs less frequently the other direction to Lambertville).  This
is the old PRR line.  The train runs around at Flemington on the
straight PRR (and presumably also the LV interchange/run around
yard) track.

New Jersey has a great deal of abandoned railroad lines! I find
it amazing that so many lines were built and then later torn up.
Paved roads and taxes did them in.  Just look at old maps of the
counties of Morris, Sussex and Monmouth and note what is no
longer there.

Newsgroups: rec.railroad