Charles A. Turek's Blog: It All Spills Over Onto Goodreads, page 6
January 23, 2013
Amtrak Advertising
I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't share this one with everybody. Click [here] to see it.
December 31, 2012
What About Amtrak?
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about how the economy is going to change Amtrak. Will it be for better or for worse, and what can we who love passenger trains do to make it better? I don't think there's any question that Amtrak will change, as it has for as long as there has been an Amtrak.
In my humble opinion, the economy is not going to get radically better for the next year. It may not get radically worse, but I see nothing on the horizon that spells boom times. So two things are a sure bet for Amtrak: 1. There will be less federal funding. 2. There will be higher fares for everyone.
Let's take number 2 first, because it's a good thing, as old jailbird Martha Stewart used to say. Higher fares without an increase in incremental costs; i.e., same old schedule, no increase in frequency, but Amtrak charges the traveler more to get from Point A to Point B; means Amtrak gets closer to being profitable. However, it also means that Passenger Rail, in general, gets closer to being profitable. Enter private enterprise. Say what you will about the capitalist system. As much as the current regime in Washington would like to regulate big business out of existence, trends in investment are coming back strong in favor of rail - both freight and passenger. If the transportation-consuming public gets used to paying more to ride the rails, the same way it got used to paying over $3 per gallon of gas, then watch out for more investment in privately operated Passenger Rail. As I said, "A good thing!"
On to number 1. In the humble opinion of this rail fanatic, Amtrak, at this point in it's federally-funded life, may not survive a drastic cut in federal funds. Even in a gradually increasing economy, the states that would have to pick up the bulk of the shortfall in federal funding to keep many - if not all - services are cash-strapped and have other agendas. Being politically conservative my self, I've never understood the incredible shortsightedness of politicians who ignore the enormous public benefits of comprehensive transportation policy that includes all modes. Both ends and the middle of the political spectrum seem to be self-destructive in their zeal to show constituencies their so-called principled approach to government. Hogwash! Common sense and historical perspective tell us that Passenger Rail was never the real albatross around the neck of railroad private enterprise, but government intransigence was!
Would the demise of Amtrak be desirable? In short: A resounding NO! There's not a railroad out there that is prepared to take over the route structure and offer the level of service - such as it is - that is today's Amtrak. (A tip of the New Years hat to all of Amtrak's dedicated employees!) Once it's gone, it's going to be that much harder to get something back, in any form. Better for the politicians to recognize Amtrak's value as part of a comprehensive transportation policy that may include fares covering ever more of costs until such time as Amtrak becomes another Conrail. It won't happen, you say? Why not? There was a time not so long ago that I wrote in this blog that Passenger Rail would never be profitable. I don't see it that way any more.
Disclaimer: I write this on 12/31/2012, and the Fiscal Cliff - who I sometimes imagine as some myopic accountant living in a 3-story walk-up in Queens - has yet to be addressed. I don't think any deal that happens after I post this will change what I have written above.
Happy New Year!
+Amtrak
#PassengerRail
© 2012 - C. A. Turek - mistertrains@gmail.com
In my humble opinion, the economy is not going to get radically better for the next year. It may not get radically worse, but I see nothing on the horizon that spells boom times. So two things are a sure bet for Amtrak: 1. There will be less federal funding. 2. There will be higher fares for everyone.
Let's take number 2 first, because it's a good thing, as old jailbird Martha Stewart used to say. Higher fares without an increase in incremental costs; i.e., same old schedule, no increase in frequency, but Amtrak charges the traveler more to get from Point A to Point B; means Amtrak gets closer to being profitable. However, it also means that Passenger Rail, in general, gets closer to being profitable. Enter private enterprise. Say what you will about the capitalist system. As much as the current regime in Washington would like to regulate big business out of existence, trends in investment are coming back strong in favor of rail - both freight and passenger. If the transportation-consuming public gets used to paying more to ride the rails, the same way it got used to paying over $3 per gallon of gas, then watch out for more investment in privately operated Passenger Rail. As I said, "A good thing!"
On to number 1. In the humble opinion of this rail fanatic, Amtrak, at this point in it's federally-funded life, may not survive a drastic cut in federal funds. Even in a gradually increasing economy, the states that would have to pick up the bulk of the shortfall in federal funding to keep many - if not all - services are cash-strapped and have other agendas. Being politically conservative my self, I've never understood the incredible shortsightedness of politicians who ignore the enormous public benefits of comprehensive transportation policy that includes all modes. Both ends and the middle of the political spectrum seem to be self-destructive in their zeal to show constituencies their so-called principled approach to government. Hogwash! Common sense and historical perspective tell us that Passenger Rail was never the real albatross around the neck of railroad private enterprise, but government intransigence was!
Would the demise of Amtrak be desirable? In short: A resounding NO! There's not a railroad out there that is prepared to take over the route structure and offer the level of service - such as it is - that is today's Amtrak. (A tip of the New Years hat to all of Amtrak's dedicated employees!) Once it's gone, it's going to be that much harder to get something back, in any form. Better for the politicians to recognize Amtrak's value as part of a comprehensive transportation policy that may include fares covering ever more of costs until such time as Amtrak becomes another Conrail. It won't happen, you say? Why not? There was a time not so long ago that I wrote in this blog that Passenger Rail would never be profitable. I don't see it that way any more.
Disclaimer: I write this on 12/31/2012, and the Fiscal Cliff - who I sometimes imagine as some myopic accountant living in a 3-story walk-up in Queens - has yet to be addressed. I don't think any deal that happens after I post this will change what I have written above.
Happy New Year!
+Amtrak
#PassengerRail
© 2012 - C. A. Turek - mistertrains@gmail.com
November 12, 2012
There's Always Somebody
At the risk of using a bit of awkward English in my title, I couldn't find better words to express a phenomenon that we see in America that happens every time a business or organization appears to be down for the count.
In the case of Passenger Rail, it's taken long enough. Virtually from the inception of Amtrak, I have hoped for somebody who can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, and who might just put Passenger Rail in America back on the right track. (I'm just full of them - these railroad cliche metaphors.) I'd even gotten to the point where, about when I started this blog, I was willing to state as a conclusive fact that nobody will ever make money running passenger trains.
I hope two ventures prove me wrong. The first is that made by FEC (aka Florida East Coast Industries) to run passenger trains from south Florida to Orlando. See All Aboard Florida. These guys have scads of money to spend, and aren't going to do it without the hope of making more in the process.
The second is the reanimation of the rail route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in the new and improved format of HSR. XpressWest and Las Vegas Railway Express, Inc. have competing visions of what this service could or should be. Given the enormous investment needed for a brand new HSR route for most of the way, I'd sat that LVRE's incremental, one-at-a-time train-on approach is the most likely to succeed. XpressWest may require a huge capital infusion from government to get theirs off the drawing board.
But in either case, the American optimist is quite alive and well and looking at ways that, even in our down economy, Passenger Rail could make some money for some and provide a huge dose of transportation service and pleasure for many.
I am Mister Trains.
©2012 - C. A. Turek - mistertrains@gmail.com
In the case of Passenger Rail, it's taken long enough. Virtually from the inception of Amtrak, I have hoped for somebody who can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, and who might just put Passenger Rail in America back on the right track. (I'm just full of them - these railroad cliche metaphors.) I'd even gotten to the point where, about when I started this blog, I was willing to state as a conclusive fact that nobody will ever make money running passenger trains.
I hope two ventures prove me wrong. The first is that made by FEC (aka Florida East Coast Industries) to run passenger trains from south Florida to Orlando. See All Aboard Florida. These guys have scads of money to spend, and aren't going to do it without the hope of making more in the process.
The second is the reanimation of the rail route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in the new and improved format of HSR. XpressWest and Las Vegas Railway Express, Inc. have competing visions of what this service could or should be. Given the enormous investment needed for a brand new HSR route for most of the way, I'd sat that LVRE's incremental, one-at-a-time train-on approach is the most likely to succeed. XpressWest may require a huge capital infusion from government to get theirs off the drawing board.
But in either case, the American optimist is quite alive and well and looking at ways that, even in our down economy, Passenger Rail could make some money for some and provide a huge dose of transportation service and pleasure for many.
I am Mister Trains.
©2012 - C. A. Turek - mistertrains@gmail.com
September 26, 2012
Vacation is Good For The Soul
This post is a little about Passenger Rail and a lot about what you can learn by simply taking a vacation once in a while. Okay, I'll admit that the vacation was rail oriented, but that doesn't matter. Railroads are everywhere, and you will encounter them even if your vacation plans don't include any. If you are a "traveler" or a "vacationer," that's okay, too. If you keep your eyes open, you'll start to enjoy railroads.
Now to this vacation just completed: The objective of the vacation was to travel from our home in Albuquerque, NM, to see UP 844 in Ogden, UT. The special Union Pacific train has been traveling a lot this year, celebrating the 150th anniversary of UP and doing public relations with shippers and employees and just making friends. And boy does UP know how to make friends.
First, UP is safety conscious above all else. Their steam crew courteously keeps the unaware and the innocent from getting hurt. They make friends while doing it. They do not order people around, but they do make sure that everyone that gets near this big steam engine and its train is safe. Second, UP is generous. Sure, they want to sell souvenirs in the gift shop, but they gave away a helluva lot of stuff, and they did it willingly and freely. Third, if you have never seen UP's train, to see what passenger railroading once was and could be again, you've got to get a look at it. Granted, UP will not give public tours of the whole train, but the outside speaks of the opulence and grace within. Fourth, for the tree-huggers among you, they run the steam locomotive on biodiesel. UP is environmentally conscious.
Aside for those of you who have ever been tempted to protest a new rail line due to how ugly it might be: A trip up Route 6 over Soldier Summit with the old Denver & Rio Grande (now UP) reminds one how beautiful a railroad snaking through the mountains can and will always be. The highway paralleling the railroad is far uglier and takes up far more of the limited area between high canyon walls.
On the way up to Ogden, we decided to "surface road" it through Salt Lake City and the large metro area that appears to run from Provo all the way up to Ogden and beyond. We got to see the latest in light rail systems in Utah Transportation Authority's TRAX system, which is expanding quickly. And, right up the way from where UP parked the steam loco, FrontRunner, which reminds me of Albuquerque's RailRunner Express, made its northern terminal stop.
I hope I've given some of you reason to believe that rail, and Passenger Rail in particular, is on its way to new and better things.
©2012 - C. A. Turek - mistertrains@gmail.com
Now to this vacation just completed: The objective of the vacation was to travel from our home in Albuquerque, NM, to see UP 844 in Ogden, UT. The special Union Pacific train has been traveling a lot this year, celebrating the 150th anniversary of UP and doing public relations with shippers and employees and just making friends. And boy does UP know how to make friends.
.png)
First, UP is safety conscious above all else. Their steam crew courteously keeps the unaware and the innocent from getting hurt. They make friends while doing it. They do not order people around, but they do make sure that everyone that gets near this big steam engine and its train is safe. Second, UP is generous. Sure, they want to sell souvenirs in the gift shop, but they gave away a helluva lot of stuff, and they did it willingly and freely. Third, if you have never seen UP's train, to see what passenger railroading once was and could be again, you've got to get a look at it. Granted, UP will not give public tours of the whole train, but the outside speaks of the opulence and grace within. Fourth, for the tree-huggers among you, they run the steam locomotive on biodiesel. UP is environmentally conscious.
Aside for those of you who have ever been tempted to protest a new rail line due to how ugly it might be: A trip up Route 6 over Soldier Summit with the old Denver & Rio Grande (now UP) reminds one how beautiful a railroad snaking through the mountains can and will always be. The highway paralleling the railroad is far uglier and takes up far more of the limited area between high canyon walls.
On the way up to Ogden, we decided to "surface road" it through Salt Lake City and the large metro area that appears to run from Provo all the way up to Ogden and beyond. We got to see the latest in light rail systems in Utah Transportation Authority's TRAX system, which is expanding quickly. And, right up the way from where UP parked the steam loco, FrontRunner, which reminds me of Albuquerque's RailRunner Express, made its northern terminal stop.
I hope I've given some of you reason to believe that rail, and Passenger Rail in particular, is on its way to new and better things.
©2012 - C. A. Turek - mistertrains@gmail.com
July 8, 2012
How Long Would It Take Today?
This is an instructive game to play, and the title of a tabular piece in the most recent (August 2012) issue of Trains Magazine written by Fred W. Frailey.
As a game, it can really bring home the impact of government regulation and intervention in all sorts of things. In the case of Mr. Frailey's piece, its about building a transcontinental railroad, and is written on the 150th anniversary of the Union Pacific Railroad. Mr. Frailey posits that, instead of the 7 years that it took (1862-1869) to build the Union Pacific, today it would take from August 1, 2012 until May 2069, about 57 years.
Tongue in cheek, he throws in all the possibilities: Federal court intervention, ten years for an environmental study, EPA intervention, both Democrat and Republican intransigence, environmental activist intervention, endangered species, and forest fires. In this scenario, it takes until 2057 just to break ground. You know what, although this piece reeks of sarcasm, I think it is closer to the truth than not.
As a matter of fact, this kind of thing reminds me so much of what goes on in New Mexico, and in Albuquerque in particular, that I am doing this same post on my political barb blog, Turn Right At Albuquerque.
©2012 - C. A. Turek - mistertrains@gmail.com
As a game, it can really bring home the impact of government regulation and intervention in all sorts of things. In the case of Mr. Frailey's piece, its about building a transcontinental railroad, and is written on the 150th anniversary of the Union Pacific Railroad. Mr. Frailey posits that, instead of the 7 years that it took (1862-1869) to build the Union Pacific, today it would take from August 1, 2012 until May 2069, about 57 years.
Tongue in cheek, he throws in all the possibilities: Federal court intervention, ten years for an environmental study, EPA intervention, both Democrat and Republican intransigence, environmental activist intervention, endangered species, and forest fires. In this scenario, it takes until 2057 just to break ground. You know what, although this piece reeks of sarcasm, I think it is closer to the truth than not.
As a matter of fact, this kind of thing reminds me so much of what goes on in New Mexico, and in Albuquerque in particular, that I am doing this same post on my political barb blog, Turn Right At Albuquerque.
©2012 - C. A. Turek - mistertrains@gmail.com
It All Spills Over Onto Goodreads
I've tried several titles for this blog, and this is the one that seems most pertinent at present. I write and blog about many things, and manage many sites to the end that it helps market my books. T
...more
- Charles A. Turek's profile
- 16 followers
