HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
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 14:34:57 GMT

In article <1992Aug15.231018.4889@informix.com> aland@informix.com (Colonel Panic) writes:
>In article <5471@transfer.stratus.com> btarbox@sw.stratus.com (Brian Tarbox) writes:
>>Amtrak from Vancouver to San Fran. to Boston.
>
>Really?  I had heard that they had shut the VIA transcontinental service down
>(sorry if this is an old topic here; I've never followed the newsgroup before).
>The PBS series _Travels_ had a two-part feature called "The Last Train Across
>Canada", where they took one of the last possible ocean-to-ocean rail trips.
>(Good shows, BTW; if you missed it, buy or borrow a tape.)  They said that the
>passenger VIA service was shutting down except for a few lengths that would be
>operated as pricey tourist packages.  A couple of friends from Canada more or 
>less confirmed this at the time...

Originally, when CN and CP operated passenger services, they both
had a transcontinental service.  When VIA Rail took over these services,
they continued to operate the two routes.  Most would agree that the CP
route was the more enjoyable and scenic route of the two, but when budget
cuts came, which do you think they did away with?

The PBS series you spoke of dealt with this service that was cut.  There
are plans in the works for a private company to operate a "pricey
tourist package" on the cut route.  In fact, I think it is being developed
by the same guy who charters Concorde flights between Toronto and London.

It is still possible to travel from Halifax to Vancouver by train, but
it requires three trains, Halifax-Montreal (one train a day, six days
a week), Montreal-Toronto (several trains each and every day), and
Toronto-Vancouver (three trains a week).

>
>>I would travel VIA again in a flash and would travel Amtrak again
>>if the alternative was walking.  The difference between the two
>>system was amazing.
>
>Do you have an address or phone number for VIA for info?
>

As for obtaining information, the phone number in Toronto is:

             416-366-8411

This number has a touch-tone accessible information system for
schedules, fares, and other information, but pressing 0 at any time
connects you with a real person to answer questions or make
reservations.


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: ag900@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (David Burris)
Subject: Re: Note on Newport News Wreck
Reply-To: ag900@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (David Burris)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 92 21:20:24 GMT


In a previous article, RMCCU@CUNYVM.BITNET (Robert Chambers) says:

>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
>

OR a deranged railfan wanting a closer look at the Amtrak power!

-- 
ag900@cleveland.freenet.edu

Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: whheydt@pbhya.PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,ba.transportation,talk.politics.misc,talk.environment
Subject: Re: Cost of transit systems vs highways
Date: 14 Aug 92 23:40:29 GMT
Reply-To: whheydt@PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt)
Distribution: na
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA

In article <1992Aug14.231811.3662@pbhya.PacBell.COM> whheydt@PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt) writes:
>In article <l8o70pINNknp@spim.mips.com> mpolen@gelato.mips.com (Michael Polen) writes:
>>But in most of the modern cities (1920's & later?) the concept of one place
>>for shopping, one place for working, and one place for living, never developed.
>>With everyone going to a central core, mass transit (of any kind) has a chance.
>>Bart and CalTrain serve San Francicso for a large number of people.
>>
>>On the other hand, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Portland, Seattle, and Houston,
>>(I am only using places I have lived) have businesses and residences reasonably
>>homogeneously distributed.  You can't have enough rapid transit to go "from
>>everywhere" "to everywhere."
>
>And notice how many companies are moving to places where they don't
>have to pay for the transit subsidies--and thinning the support base
>for the transit systems that are focused on core cities.
>
>You can't (at least in the current political climate) build new
>infrstructure fast enough to keep up with changes in demographics and
>business park construction--and busses are considered exactly
                                           ^n't
>'pleasant' ways to commute. . .
>
>	--Hal
>-- 
>Hal Heydt                    |    "Boycott Time-Warner"
>Analyst, Pacific*Bell        |         --J. Danforth Quayle
>510-823-5447                 |    "... kill all the lawyers."
>whheydt@pbhya.PacBell.COM    |         --William Shakespeare


-- 
Hal Heydt                    |    "Boycott Time-Warner"
Analyst, Pacific*Bell        |         --J. Danforth Quayle
510-823-5447                 |    "... kill all the lawyers."
whheydt@pbhya.PacBell.COM    |         --William Shakespeare
Xref: sparky rec.railroad:6658 ba.transportation:2055
From: johnm@hpmcaa (John Mosbarger)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad,ba.transportation
Subject: Re: Speed of Portland LRVs
Date: 18 Aug 92 21:33:44 GMT
Article-I.D.: hpmcaa.1992Aug18.213344.12751
Distribution: na
Organization: HP Cardiology Business Unit - McMinnville, OR
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

Robert Coe (bob@1776.COM) wrote:
> gnn@wsl.dec.com (George Neville-Neil) writes:
> > Most current LRVs can travel at 55mph, which they do on private rights of 
> > way.  MAX (Portland) is very speedy once out of downtown, ...
> 
> Shortly after the Portland system opened, their LRVs were restricted to 55 
> mph so that cars "racing" them on a parallel freeway wouldn't be tempted to 
> speed.  Does anyone know whether that preposterous policy is still in effect?

     I wondered that, also, so I called MAX and yes, it is.  In fact, at 57
mph, a governor shuts down the train.

> Robert K. Coe ** 14 Churchill St, Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776 ** 508-443-3265

--
John Mosbarger
HP McMinnville, OR
johnm@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: samson@netcom.com (Peter Samson)
Subject: Re: Swiss Railroad Questions
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 04:21:08 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Summary: anywhere & everywhere

In article <1992Aug19.003036.2051@vitsemi.com> Rob Eccles writes:
>I will be spending a week in Switzerland in September.  What are some
>interesting railroads to see or ride?

In addition to all the other fine suggestions:

* Anything with narrow gauge will be fascinating; anything with mountains
will be impressive.

* The Gotthard tunnel route, especially the famed "north ramp" southward
from Luzern to Goeschenen.  The civil engineering feats get more and
more heroic as the valley of the Reuss gets narrower and steeper.  The
information booths at some of the larger stations may still have a
tourist flyer about this line.

* The Loetschberg tunnel route between Spiez and Brig.  Traveling from
Spiez to Brig, sit on the right, and v.v.  The climb alongside the
valley of the Rhone leaving Brig toward Spiez has been compared to
takeoff in a fully-loaded DC-3.

* If you're not yet blase about European train densities, hang around
Zurich Hbf. (main station) for a while.

* Chur is an interesting town (it celebrated its 2000th anniversary a
few years ago) and its station has the interest typical of a gauge-
change point.  (I saw livestock being herded from a narrow-gauge stock
car to a standard-gauge one, for instance.)

* Get a system timetable (Offizielles Kursbuch).  Note not only the
amount of service but also its periodic nature, with the same pattern
repeating every hour through much of the day.

Switzerland is a railfan's paradise!

  --Peter Samson.
From: rambler@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Dan Meyer)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Note on Newport News Wreck(now Lock)
Date: 21 Aug 92 23:25:05 GMT
Organization: People-Net [pnet51], Minneapolis, MN.

One other thing. The lock may be hardened, but the switch is still only
soft iron. 

Remember: " Buffalo never Oink " Seen on a South Dakota travel brocure.
Advertisment: Try the Railway Post Office , a railfan BBS ! (612) 377-2197.
UUCP: {crash tcnet}!orbit!pnet51!rambler
INET: rambler@pnet51.orb.mn.org
From: smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: RR bridges, was Cost of transit systems vs highways
Date: 15 Aug 92 14:20:42 GMT
Distribution: na

In article <2317@tymix.Tymnet.COM>, romeo@niagara.Tymnet.COM (Michael Stimac) writes:
> This is interesting; I've read that it is a general principle of
> civil engineering that a suspension bridge is not a suitable choice
> for a railroad bridge. The Golden Gate bridge is of the suspension
> type.
...
> Does anyone know of any railroad suspension bridges in use today?

In New York, subway trains go over the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges.
To be sure, both have had structural problems in recent years, but those
have been attributed primarily to their ages and unusual designs, and
to a lack of on-going maintenance during the city's periodic fiscal
problems.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: paull@kingdom.co.uk (Paul Lee)
Subject: Tractive Effort Curves and Formula etc
Reply-To: paull@kingdom.co.uk
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 17:40:00 GMT

Can anybody tell me any good sources for finding out about tractive effort curves,
braking curves resistance curves etc etc or and articles about the mechanics of
running trains. I have quite a lot already but it would be really good to find
out some more.

---


		Cheers,
			Paul Lee (Hoppy)


			Meiko Scientific Ltd.

			Email: paull@meiko.com

		      #                         #      
                      #                         #      
                      #                         #      
                #############             #############
                      #                         #      
                      #                         #      
                      #                         #      
		                                       
                                 #####
                                 #   #
                                 #   #
                                 #####                    _________
                                                         /        /
                                                        /  HIC!  / 
                                                       /________/     
                                                      /      

		#######################################

       HEINEKEN REFRESHES THE COMPUTERS OTHER BEERS CANNOT REACH

From: jburrill@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com (Jim Burrill)
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 19:03:55 GMT
Subject: Re: UP hog train
Organization: Hewlett Packard - Boise, ID
Newsgroups: rec.railroad

 news@mentor.cc.purdue.edu:

>While returning from a vacation in Colorado, I decided to stop in Big Springs
>Nebraska for a little lunch next to the UP main.  About 10 minutes later,
>coming at speeds approaching Amtrak (I think, seeing that I didn't have my 
>handy dandy radar gun) a UP train being pulled by 2 wide cabs blew through.
>The interesting thing about this train was that it was a mixed pig train.
>It had its obligatory piggyback cars but it also had some other interesting
>cars.  Just behind the engines were probably 6-8 green cars labelled HOGX
>each with a ton of live hogs obviously going to market.  I was wondering 
>a  few things about this.


>       First- Is this a common sight on the UP and if so are stock cars making
>       a comeback?
It is my understanding that UP ships hogs to the west coast on a regular basis.
If you follow the UP "Denver Pacific" north of Greeley, CO, you will see some
HOGX cars sitting there. A friend of mine raises hogs, and often they take
them there to be loaded for the trip to LA.


>       Second- Why is UP still bothering with this type of traffic?  Don't they
>       have to water the pigs every so often?        
I understand UP expedites them to their destination before the time limit on
watering and feeding. I'm certain someone else knows how long this is, maybe
36 hours.      

>       Third- Where does this traffic originate from and go to?  I would assume
>       that it is long haul because trucks could more easily carry short haul
>       stuff.
I think the train originates in North Platte, UPville. They pick up cars in 
Cheyenne, and head for LA.
>       Fourth- Was the train going so fast because of the pigs or is this the
>       normal speed limit on the UP in Nebraska?
I think the speed was probably normal for UP. Isn't there some places between
Cheyenne and North Platte where the speed limit for freight is 75MPH? I think
so, and many places in Wyoming the Max speed is 75 for freights. I have been
on the famed "City of Portland" train doing 100 MPH between Granger, WY and
Green River. This was before the Amtrak days. My dad used to have a pass for
travel on UP passenger trains, allowing us to take rather "Cheap" vacations.

Jim Burrill
"On the old OSL in Boise" 




       Paul Larsen
       larsenp@mace.cc.purdue.edu
From: sysop@gallery.UUCP (John Powers)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Which cars have holding tanks
Keywords: holdding tanks
Date: 19 Aug 92 11:35:11
Distribution: world
Summary: ALL except Heritage
Organization: Night Gallery BBS Est. 1985 - OS9 L2 StG (818) 448-8529


In a previous message, "bob@1776.COM" writes:
> ggg9y@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Garth G. Groff) writes:
2>Yes, most Amtrak toilets flush directly onto the roadbed.  Some of the old-
2>er Heritage Fleet cars still have holding tanks (or had until recently), 
2>but the newer equipment lacks them (surprisingly).
> 
> This is nitpicking, I guess, but I don't think the "Heritage Fleet" cars ever
> had holding tanks.  (I'm old enough to have riden in a lot of them long be-
> fore the term "Heritage Fleet" was invented.)  It's the "Amfleet" cars that
> have holding tanks.
> 

 Everything EXCEPT the Heritage equipment have holding tanks.

 The Amfleet have them, the Superliners have them and the Horizon sets have
 them.

 Gee, that must be why it says, "Do not flush wwhile the train is standing in
 a station" on EVERY heritage toilet.

                            - John
--

   ....and you thought you had problems.

 StG: sysop@gallery  UUCP: sysop@gallery.UUCP or
 ...{elroy.jpl.nasa.gov}!wvus!abode!gallery!sysop

                 - John Powers
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: CZ94 <CZ94@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA>
Subject: Re: VIA's excellent, Amtrak sticks bigtime
Organization: McGill University
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 14:25:26 GMT

In article <1992Aug15.231018.4889@informix.com> aland@informix.com (Colonel Panic) writes:
>In article <5471@transfer.stratus.com> btarbox@sw.stratus.com (Brian Tarbox) writes:
>>I just returned from a circle America trip:
>>VIA rail from Montreal to Vancouver,
>>Amtrak from Vancouver to San Fran. to Boston.
>
>Really?  I had heard that they had shut the VIA transcontinental service down
>(sorry if this is an old topic here; I've never followed the newsgroup before).
>The PBS series _Travels_ had a two-part feature called "The Last Train Across
>Canada", where they took one of the last possible ocean-to-ocean rail trips.
>(Good shows, BTW; if you missed it, buy or borrow a tape.)  They said that the
>passenger VIA service was shutting down except for a few lengths that would be
>operated as pricey tourist packages.  A couple of friends from Canada more or
>less confirmed this at the time...

This is a nightmare come true for the VIA marketing department.  I
hear that they've pressured PBS to stop showing this film, because
it hurts sales.

VIA Rail's service was cut in half on Jan. 15, 1990, but it was *NOT*
ended entirely.  There used to be daily service between Vancouver
and Toronto or Montreal, with a choice of two routes (CN or CP)
between Vancouver and Winnipeg.  Now you can only go from Vancouver
to Toronto, only over one route (CN), and only 3 days/week.

There used to be daily service between Montreal and Halifax over
two different routes, one down the St. Lawrence River, and one through
northern Maine.  Both these routes are still running, but on
alternate days, one Mon,Thurs,Sat, and the other Sun,Wed,Fri (no
train on Tuesday).

You can still go from Halifax to Vancouver, changing trains twice,
in Montreal and Toronto.

Many other routes were cut, but many others remain, too.  I can
supply more details on request.
>
>Do you have an address or phone number for VIA for info?

VIA used to have 1-800 numbers in the USA, but I think these were shut
down at the time of the cutbacks in 1990.  The VIA timetable now says,
"For VIA train information or reservations in the USA, please contact
your Travel Agent."  Most travel agents probably don't know much
about trains anymore, so you may want to look for one that special-
ises in railways.  One I know of is

Rail Travel Center
9 Congress St.
St. Albans, VT  05478
1-800-458-5394

I've never dealt with them, so this isn't an endorsement.  The owner,
Carl Fowler, seems very well informed on VIA's operations.
VIA has local numbers in some Canadian cities,
and 1-800 numbers elsewhere in Canada.  I can post the numbers if
anyone needs them.

VIA's address is:

VIA Rail Canada Inc.
P.O. Box 8116
Station "A"
Montreal, Quebec
H3C 3N3

Tom Box
CZ94@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA
From: demarsee@wrdis01.af.mil (Darryl Marsee)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Trains to the Airport (was Re: From Penn Station to JFK)
Date: 13 Aug 92 18:45:28 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: 1926CCSG Robins AFB

>By the way, does Altanta's MARTA trains go into the airport there??

Yes.
     _______________    _________________________________   ____________
 c--/[] \__________ |  |         Darryl E. Marsee        |   |  <__>  |
i|_(___#___________\|i | demarsee@logdis1.wr.aflc.af.mil |  i|________|i
+#`o=o'#`---^-'`o=o'#++~~`o=o'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`o=o'~~++#`o=o'`o=o'#+
From: raveling@Unify.com (Paul Raveling)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: CSRM news, August 10 edition
Date: 14 Aug 92 19:43:12 GMT
Organization: Unify Corporation (Sacramento)


	First a followup to Nolan Hinshaw's followup on the last
	CSRM news...  At this time I know nothing much about Jamestown's
	plans or SRR #30.  If it proves opportune my wife & I will
	stop in @ Jamestown in a week, returning from a high Sierra
	pack trip, and will look for a good info connection there.

	News excerpted from the California State Railroad Museum's
	internal newsletter, the CSRM Inside Track, follows.
	Everything is a direct quote except the item titles and
	anything I've interjected in square brackets.


    A cable for 4449
    ----------------

	We helped SP 4449 get out of town on the 27th...loaning them
	a speed recorder drive cable from AT&SF 5021 for their return
	to Portland.  4449's cable broke between Oakland and Sacramento.


    Work in progress
    ----------------

	Kudos to Dick Hulbert and crew...the engines in our Santa Fe
	"A" and "B" units now both run!  [At last!  Not just another
	pretty face wearing a warbonnet!]

	At the shop...all drivers are out from under UP 4466 for
	welding and turning.

	Still occupying SP's locomotive paint shop...our UP EC-1
	track evaluation car has been primered.  SP locomotive painting
	is being handled under contract by a firm in Pueblo, Colorado.

	Our contractor's making great progress on installing grade
	crossing protection equipment at Sutterville Road and South
	Land Park Drive...we're well ahead of schedule!


    East bay stops for the Capitols
    -------------------------------

 	Within the next year, new station stops will be added on Amtrak's
	Sacramento-San Jose "Capitols" at Hayward and Fremont.  At
	present there are no stops between Oakland and San Jose.


    Look who's 40 now!
    ------------------

	Our heartiest congratulations to Museum Director Walter Gray
	who attained the age of 40 Saturday!

	[This is for the benefit of all those on the net who ask me
	to pass on greetings to Walter; it seems like an amazing
	number of railfans knew him "when he was a snotty-nosed kid" :-)]


------------------
Paul Raveling
Raveling@Unify.com
From: Steve_Hooper@mindlink.bc.ca (Steve Hooper)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: Maximum age for cars
Date: 22 Aug 92 21:55:50 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

> Evan L. Werkema writes:
> 
>   I don't know what the absolute age for a revenue car is, but I'd guess
> non-revenue equipment (e.g.: Maintainence of way) can be run as long as the
> railroad is willing to keep it up to standards.  ATSF is still using tanks
> in MW service that were built in the teens and two classes of flatcars built
> in 1910!  Most of these cars have an "R" after their number indicating
> restrictions due to factors listed beside the "R" such as age, frame, trucks,
> yoke, etc.


These old cars cannot be interchanged.  I do not know the exact number of years
and restrictions applied, but these cars are only allowed to be used on the
owner's railway.


--

 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
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: banarji@unixg.ubc.ca (Ajai Banarji)
Subject: Thanks to the Britrail experts
Originator: banarji@unixg.ubc.ca
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 19:26:20 GMT

		Thanks to the Britrail experts

	This is to thank the numerous people who replied.
	One last question-is the "official" British Railways timetable
available anywhere in North America? Our library does have Thomas Cook's
timetable which covers most of the details which one would want, but it does
not seem to cover less important places like Stevenage.
	I checked with the Britrail International office at Toronto, but they
said that the timetable is only available in Britain.
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
From: wb8foz@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (David Lesher)
Subject: Re: NYCTA - to JFK (was Re: From Penn Station to JFK)
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 00:59:27 GMT

Others said
# As Caro tells the story, Moses had this, er, *thing* about mass transit
# (odd for a man who never learned to drive), and simply built the road with
# Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority funds -- and without a wide median --
# while the pro-transit forces were pleading their case before the Mayor and
# Board of Estimate.

This sounds like Cleveland. The {long gone now} County Engineer, also
the Party Chairman, would not HEAR of a wide medium when I-90 was being
planned & built. Some might say that was due to his relationship with
the contractors building the roads, and developers that just happened
to own the land........

I hope they have to pave his gravesite for a parking lot.
--
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
Xref: sparky rec.railroad:6494 ba.transportation:1985 talk.politics.misc:39803 talk.environment:3256