tomikawaTT Looking at this scheme from the destination - if the Las Vegas news media have even heard about this, they aren't sharing it with listeners/viewers. Sounds to me like another case of severe wishful thinking. Chuck (Clark County, NV, resident)
Looking at this scheme from the destination - if the Las Vegas news media have even heard about this, they aren't sharing it with listeners/viewers. Sounds to me like another case of severe wishful thinking.
Chuck (Clark County, NV, resident)
Well, I'm visiting Las Vegas right now and was just watching the ch 5 news where they had a big story about it. I actually learned a few more things about it , like you have to be over 21 to ride it.
For motive power, perhaps the should buy locos similar to MetroLink's to cover minimum service. Then on busy weekends, they could lease idle MetroLink equipment.
I'm in Las Vegas right now and I have to say that drive on the I-15 is sure nerve racking and all I could think about was how nice it would be to have taken the train.
I wish it would stop in Barstow because it would be a lot easier and closer for me although I would have to have a reduction in price. I haven't actually looked to see where Fullerton is exactly only that the Los Angles Metro Link meets up with it.
Barstow is a train fans ideal location as far as I'm concerned. I would love t have a place there near the tracks, but the whole place has gone to hell with the economy being so bad. Places are rundown and crime has gone rampant. It is such a shame because Barstow is so rich in railroad history and with UP, BNSF and Amtrak running thru the Barstow station, it a paradise for rail fans.
garyla The nearest comparison might be with the "Reno Fun Train," which has operated over the years from the Bay Area. I don't know how it's doing these days, but I believe that it's still in business after a long time. Anybody have more information on it?
The nearest comparison might be with the "Reno Fun Train," which has operated over the years from the Bay Area. I don't know how it's doing these days, but I believe that it's still in business after a long time.
Anybody have more information on it?
According to the website, it will leave Emeryville on three Fridays in February and in March, and will return the following Sunday (except on "President's holiday" weekend, when it will return on Monday.
Johnny
Deggesty" Is there a separate "departure building?" Are the people responsible afraid to call the station a station?
Funny! I had the same thought. I guess arriving is more fun than leaving? (Although, a few days in Las Vegas is about all that I can take.)
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
vsmith FYI this train does NOT go from LA to Vegas. It will go from DAGGET to Vegas. Where the hell is Dagget? try a couple miles east of BARSTOW, or as we call it Barstool, where the little used trackage from LA to Salt lake City branches off the main line east-west cross country route outside of Barstool. Where the hell is Barstool? try about 2 HOURS outside of LA... So if you live in LA or the Southbay or the OC or the 909 you'll still have to drive 1-1/2 to2 HOURS to a dusty gopher hole of a depot EAST of Barstool, geez your almost halfway to Vegas, the only difference is that you cannot get totally s**tface drunk out of your mind BEFORE you hit Sin City if you have to drive (and want to keep your license [or life]), of course you could take a chauffeured party limo. I can just see the line of fake taxi's waiting at the station to pick up the passed out drunks they will roll off this train into the waiting arms of crims who will be happy to remove their cash, jewelry, credit cards in some back alley before they have even had a chance to hit the casinos. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8896940
FYI this train does NOT go from LA to Vegas.
It will go from DAGGET to Vegas. Where the hell is Dagget? try a couple miles east of BARSTOW, or as we call it Barstool, where the little used trackage from LA to Salt lake City branches off the main line east-west cross country route outside of Barstool. Where the hell is Barstool? try about 2 HOURS outside of LA...
So if you live in LA or the Southbay or the OC or the 909 you'll still have to drive 1-1/2 to2 HOURS to a dusty gopher hole of a depot EAST of Barstool, geez your almost halfway to Vegas, the only difference is that you cannot get totally s**tface drunk out of your mind BEFORE you hit Sin City if you have to drive (and want to keep your license [or life]), of course you could take a chauffeured party limo. I can just see the line of fake taxi's waiting at the station to pick up the passed out drunks they will roll off this train into the waiting arms of crims who will be happy to remove their cash, jewelry, credit cards in some back alley before they have even had a chance to hit the casinos.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8896940
The train goes to Fullerton actually.
Railroad to Freedom
Quoting Don Oltmannd*: "(Train X is calling it an "arrival building") " Is there a separate "departure building?" Are the people responsible afraid to call the station a station?
As to Daggett/Fullerton, it is not surprising if the account was written with the public press, given the great ignorance of railroad operation on the part of the public press. I do not think I will ever forget seeing the FEC called the "train company" and not the "railroad" in the story about a young woman who was running on the FEC's main track--and lost the use of both of her legs.
*sorry, Don; I originally left the last two letters off your name. I have difficulties with people who hear my name as one syllable, and leave the second "e" off. As my wife would say, "If you hear it, you cannot spell it, and if you see it, you cannot pronouce it (omit the "ty"; that is NOT a part of my name).
A few thoughts:
1. Only $10M for the station in Las Vegas. (Train X is calling it an "arrival building") Sound like a reasonable price for a small train station.
2. Let's see... we had Amtrak's trains to Atlantic City. Failed - never could get good marketing deals to compete with buses from Phila for day trips or good deals for weekends from Springfield/NYC and Richmond/Wash DC. Casinos tried it themselves with NJT's ACES trains - failed. Tried to sell party atmosphere, but was really wasn't anything special. Will Train X stand a chance?
3. If Train X works out, and the FEC actually gets going on it's proposal, where does this put Amtrak?
vsmith,
I agree about fishing for investors and claim no knowledge about excess capacity of LA basin rail routes.
Power could be provided by any of the three parties. If I were putting the deal together I would do my own HEP car. Then contract with either BNSF or UP to supply power, which would obviously run through. Another alternative, if neither wanted to supply power, would be to purchase a unit or two of my own and swap horespower hours with one or the other. Last choice buy two units of my own and let them sit on the off days. Contract maintenance with either railroad or independent contractor.
In comparison with the other hurdles this thing faces, power should rank far down the list.
Mac
PNWRMNM vsmith, Your link did not work so I went back to the original citation. Accroding to it you are "sort of" correct. The deal announced is on the UP between Dagget and LV. The train is supposed to start from Fullerton. I do not know my LA geography well enough to remember if both the ATSF & UP served Fullerton in days of yore. Obviously the promoters will have to deal with BNSF to get to Dagget. As Yogi said, "It aint over till its over!" Mac
Your link did not work so I went back to the original citation. Accroding to it you are "sort of" correct. The deal announced is on the UP between Dagget and LV. The train is supposed to start from Fullerton. I do not know my LA geography well enough to remember if both the ATSF & UP served Fullerton in days of yore.
Obviously the promoters will have to deal with BNSF to get to Dagget. As Yogi said, "It aint over till its over!"
An over the air newscast story of this tagged the terminus being Dagget, we'll have to see where it actually ends up.
Fullerton? I'll believe that when I see it, that's one of the busiest corridors on the west coast. They would be very lucky to get the southernmost terminus as far as San Bernardino. Victorville would be most likely the farthest they could get and even that would be a trick given the amount of traffic on that line. Its only one train each way but even that would be a trick to fit in.
And who's engines would pull this? Would the Class 1's be contracted to do so or would they own their own locomotives? If contracted, it left Fullerton on BNSF trackage would they have to change engines once they reached UP tracks? So far I see this is alot of hyperbola with little to back it up. Where will the trains be serviced and stored at each end between runs? Lots of issues remain before this will fly. Someone is fishing for investors.
Have fun with your trains
jclass http://www.vegasxtrain.com/index.html Interesting. This isn't about competing for basic transportation. It's about creating a new "universe". Refreshing.
http://www.vegasxtrain.com/index.html
Interesting. This isn't about competing for basic transportation. It's about creating a new "universe". Refreshing.
Oh YES! Now that’s what I’m talking about. You just can’t get this in any plane or bus. Some people spend more than this for a night in a hotel when all they do in that room is sleep. At least here you can have some fun, Yea.
This is what they were talking about on the radio, but I had not seen the photos or heard the whole story.
I imagine it will most likely be for those who don’t like flying or those like me who just enjoys riding trains. I myself don’t fly unless my job forces me to because I just can’t stand those working for TSA.
I’ve thought about taking the bus, but it wasn’t a very good experience the last time I rode the Greyhound. Although I would if one were close by. My old boss used to take some sort of charter bus that he enjoyed, but I think they went out of business because I haven’t been able to find anything.
The train is a little expensive and I wouldn’t do it too often, but then I don’t go to Vegas that often either.
SleeperN06 Sam1 Here is a link to the story that appeared in the Los Angeles Times Business section on November 22nd. Copy it and paste it into your browser. http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-x-train-vegas-california-20121123,0,1295767.story The launch date will be in 2013 if all goes according to plan. Hey thanks that's great! I sure hope its a hit.
Sam1 Here is a link to the story that appeared in the Los Angeles Times Business section on November 22nd. Copy it and paste it into your browser. http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-x-train-vegas-california-20121123,0,1295767.story The launch date will be in 2013 if all goes according to plan.
Here is a link to the story that appeared in the Los Angeles Times Business section on November 22nd. Copy it and paste it into your browser.
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-x-train-vegas-california-20121123,0,1295767.story
The launch date will be in 2013 if all goes according to plan.
They are going to have some stiff competition. Southwest Airlines offers 33 flights a day from Los Angeles area airports to Las Vegas with fares beginning at $76. The flying time is a tad over an hour. Greyhound has five express buses a day with fares beginning at $19. The scheduled time is just a bit over five hours.
The service will give travelers to Vegas an opportunity to travel in luxury and begin partying as soon as they board the train. It will be interesting to see whether there is a large enough market to sustain such a service.
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C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
I heard of a Party train from Los Angles to Las Vegas on the radio and was looking for more information about it. Does anybody know of it? I heard that it was going to be about a $100 one way and only make one trip a day, but it includes 1 meal and a drink. I heard arrangements with Up has already been made but don’t know when it will actually run.
I have plans to drive to Las Vegas tomorrow for a few days and I think it would be a really fun trip to take a train someday. It cost me a $100 in gas for a round trip, so another $100 wouldn’t be too bad.
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