While the final tariff plan has not been released yet, the White House has said that no countries will be exempt. They may, however relax the tariff for certain industries.
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/politics/trump-tariffs-no-exemptions-1.4561701
I like the point Fox News made (never thought I'd say that) about imposing national security-based tariffs on a close NATO ally and frequent battlefield partner.
Celine Dion has a powerful voice and range, but I do not care for the style of music she produces. Jim Carrey's more recent stuff is not so good, but I quite enjoyed the original Dumb & Dumber and Ace Ventura movies.
Justin Bieber's only redeeming feature is that terrific impression Kate McKinnon does on SNL.
Miningman - will PM you my thoughts on Trudeau, I seem to have derailed this thread enough already.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
According to the Census Bureau, in December '17 (pretty typical month), we imported the following metric tons of steel from selected countries: Canada 448,072, Brazil 321,762, S Korea 174,060, Russia 168,101, China 51,056. The total imported was 2,218,072 tons.
As the Canadian product is the only one that could be coming in by rail, I think there is a negative here for the rails.
SD70DudeRE: tax cuts, the race to the bottom continues. How far will it go, shall both Canada and the U.S. continue until we undercut say, the Cayman Islands? But I can understand wanting to keep things on a relatively even footing between our two countries. That is why I despise other measures the U.S. is currently taking, like re-igniting the softwood lumber fight and the just announced tariffs on imported steel. For a free-market Republican Mr. Drumpf (look it up) sure likes protectionism.
Yeah but he is responding to protectionism and tariffs across the globe which was ignored for too long. As his trade representative pointed out the difference in tarriffs between Canada and the U.S. is usually 5-7% or less in Canada's favor. In China's case it is up to 20-25% in China's favor. Not sure why the tariffs are not more targeted. He is really wanting China and Europe to come to the table as they are the worst offenders, so I suspect he might strike a seperate deal with Canada to remove them from the list of antagonist countries.
Anyways, curious on how this will impact rail traffic or even future rail mergers or how long it will stand without some modification.
It is unfortunate that Canada is getting caught up in Trump's desire to go after China then.
Protectionism and tariffs often have the effect of stifling commerce and raising overall prices, which does not bode well for the railroads.
I imagine KCS and Baja Rail in particular would like NAFTA to remain in place.
May we never again have any law like the Smmot-Hawley Tariff Act put into force again.
https://www.bing.com/search?q=smoot-hawley+tariff&form=EDGSPH&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&refig=fd27ee2d3f9743708ddae8c8d29e05b8&sp=1&qs=AS&pq=smoot-hawley&sc=8-12&cvid=fd27ee2d3f9743708ddae8c8d29e05b8&cc=US&setlang=en-US
The result was disastrous to our economy.
Johnny
SD70DudeSome photos from a fellow who hiked the Desert Line: http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?railroad=Carrizo%20Gorge%20Railroad
http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?railroad=Carrizo%20Gorge%20Railroad
These pictures make the $60M to make the property operatable look like spitting into the ocean and expecting a measurable rise in global sea levels.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACDThese pictures make the $60M to make the property operatable look like spitting into the ocean and expecting a measurable rise in global sea levels.
Yeah in my view a few hundred million at least, if not over a Billion. They need to bypass the Mexican part in favor of a route North of the border as well as straighten out a lot of those curves, replace the viaducts and wooden trestle with something more substantial that can hold wieght as well as reduce the grades.
Just watching the MoW train with the 85 foot flat, that coupler was hard over in its sleave on some of those curves and was just barely making it (which does not bode well for auto parts box cars or auto racks.....at any reasonable speed). None of those tunnels look like they can handle double stacks either. After all the fixing the route isn't going to be as scenic as it was before.
There is also no signaling on the line, no PTC, and no seriously long passing sidings which will ad more to the costs.
Where they might save on money with the rebuilding is nobody really owns that land, it is still largely unclaimed wilderness so they won't spend a lot on land acquisition.
CMStPnP BaltACD These pictures make the $60M to make the property operatable look like spitting into the ocean and expecting a measurable rise in global sea levels. Yeah in my view a few hundred million at least, if not over a Billion. They need to bypass the Mexican part in favor of a route North of the border as well as straighten out a lot of those curves, replace the viaducts and wooden trestle with something more substantial that can hold wieght as well as reduce the grades. Just watching the MoW train with the 85 foot flat, that coupler was hard over in its sleave on some of those curves and was just barely making it (which does not bode well for auto parts box cars or auto racks.....at any reasonable speed). None of those tunnels look like they can handle double stacks either. After all the fixing the route isn't going to be as scenic as it was before. There is also no signaling on the line, no PTC, and no seriously long passing sidings which will ad more to the costs. Where they might save on money with the rebuilding is nobody really owns that land, it is still largely unclaimed wilderness so they won't spend a lot on land acquisition.
BaltACD These pictures make the $60M to make the property operatable look like spitting into the ocean and expecting a measurable rise in global sea levels.
But the prairie dogs and other inhabitants of the land will require a full Enviornmental Review for any improvements that are made.
SD70Dude While the final tariff plan has not been released yet, the White House has said that no countries will be exempt. They may, however relax the tariff for certain industries. http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/politics/trump-tariffs-no-exemptions-1.4561701 I like the point Fox News made (never thought I'd say that) about imposing national security-based tariffs on a close NATO ally and frequent battlefield partner. Celine Dion has a powerful voice and range, but I do not care for the style of music she produces. Jim Carrey's more recent stuff is not so good, but I quite enjoyed the original Dumb & Dumber and Ace Ventura movies. Justin Bieber's only redeeming feature is that terrific impression Kate McKinnon does on SNL. Miningman - will PM you my thoughts on Trudeau, I seem to have derailed this thread enough already.
SD70Dude:
Please stick to the topic of railroading. I understand that sometimes there's a political bent to that, but I still ask that you stay within the confines of railroads.
Thank you and enjoy your day.
Ang
Angela Pusztai-Pasternak, Production Editor, Trains Magazine
BaltACDBut the prairie dogs and other inhabitants of the land will require a full Enviornmental Review for any improvements that are made.
Not sure there are prarie dogs on the route, but the bigger downer is that there are no oil wells, only Coyote Wells. Who would ever in their right mind drill for coyotes?
On the other hand, there used to be plenty of roadrunners in the Valley, at least on the west side neighborhoods, or the Westside neighborhood with whch I was intimately familiar.
Take a look at the post above, SD&Urban Exploring for great areial video of the route of the railway, very well done
CMStPnP Just watching the MoW train with the 85 foot flat, that coupler was hard over in its sleave on some of those curves and was just barely making it (which does not bode well for auto parts box cars or auto racks.....at any reasonable speed). None of those tunnels look like they can handle double stacks either.
Just watching the MoW train with the 85 foot flat, that coupler was hard over in its sleave on some of those curves and was just barely making it (which does not bode well for auto parts box cars or auto racks.....at any reasonable speed). None of those tunnels look like they can handle double stacks either.
I finally looked at the referenced video.
It has about ten seconds of drawbar on 89' flat at extreme travel, so it says nothing about the density and length of sharp curves. The business plan is not about handling such long cars. It is about double stacks which run about 55' per well so they will be more forgiving on curves. Remember lots of stack cars go around 10 degree curves on mountain grades with a DPU on the rear every day. That said, I would be concerned about sharper curves, just because I do not know how stack cars would track on them. No one here really seems to know how sharp the curves really are and how many are sharper than ten degrees.
I agree that tunnel clearances are probably inadequate, but my SWAG budget includes money to lower the floor. Noted a lot of timber lining. Over the long run that lining will probably have to be replaced, but is not an issue on opening day.
Mac
PNWRMNM CMStPnP Just watching the MoW train with the 85 foot flat, that coupler was hard over in its sleave on some of those curves and was just barely making it (which does not bode well for auto parts box cars or auto racks.....at any reasonable speed). None of those tunnels look like they can handle double stacks either. I finally looked at the referenced video. It has about ten seconds of drawbar on 89' flat at extreme travel, so it says nothing about the density and length of sharp curves. The business plan is not about handling such long cars. It is about double stacks which run about 55' per well so they will be more forgiving on curves. Remember lots of stack cars go around 10 degree curves on mountain grades with a DPU on the rear every day. That said, I would be concerned about sharper curves, just because I do not know how stack cars would track on them. No one here really seems to know how sharp the curves really are and how many are sharper than ten degrees. I agree that tunnel clearances are probably inadequate, but my SWAG budget includes money to lower the floor. Noted a lot of timber lining. Over the long run that lining will probably have to be replaced, but is not an issue on opening day. Mac
Intermodal - stacks and non-stacks - do not ALL travel in 3 and 5 platform well cars with a short wheelbase - they also travel on 89 foot flat cars. Anytime a drawbar goes to full travel in the draftgear it begins to develop forces to lift and derail the car.
The mountain range North of the border is too rugged to run a line through, which is why the SD&AE went into Mexico, unless there is enough cash to push a series of tunnels through the mountains
BaltACD Intermodal - stacks and non-stacks - do not ALL travel in 3 and 5 platform well cars with a short wheelbase - they also travel on 89 foot flat cars. Anytime a drawbar goes to full travel in the draftgear it begins to develop forces to lift and derail the car.
Balt,
The proponents' business plan is export container loads from Mexico.
I am confident that it is within the power of the Great and Mighty Union Pacific to keep 89' the relatively few 89' container cars in the national fleet off this route.
Does CSX operate stack trains in DPU mode over mountain grades with curves sharper than ten degrees? If so, how sharp?
azrail The mountain range North of the border is too rugged to run a line through, which is why the SD&AE went into Mexico, unless there is enough cash to push a series of tunnels through the mountains
AZrail,
The comment about not going through Mexico was boneheaded for the reason you cite AND because the proposed traffic is Mexican exports in containers. One would obviously want to load that traffic in Mexico.
PNWRMNM BaltACD Intermodal - stacks and non-stacks - do not ALL travel in 3 and 5 platform well cars with a short wheelbase - they also travel on 89 foot flat cars. Anytime a drawbar goes to full travel in the draftgear it begins to develop forces to lift and derail the car. Balt, Does CSX operate stack trains in DPU mode over mountain grades with curves sharper than ten degrees? If so, how sharp?
When I retired CSX was not using DPU on any of 'my' territory which included Sand Patch, 17 Mile, Cranberry and Cheat River grades. My understanding on the territories where DPU was being used, for the most part, intermodal was not being operated - I could be wrong.
I would suspect that the topography of the line would make DPU a bit tricky. One possible fix would be placing frequent lineside repeaters for the DPU signals.
The early advertisements for the SD&A claimed the tunnels were bore with extra clearance to promote ventilation. Don't think it would have been enough for doublestacks.
I have also read about plans over the years to put a connecting rail line between the Tijuana & Tecate and Ensenada. So far there has been nothing but talk.
- Erik
When it comes to building railroads, virtually nothing is actually impossible - if you are willing to provide the necessary finances to make it a reality. If you provide too much money in making it possible, returning a profit on the line then becomes next to impossible.
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