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[Anonymous]

if you was put in charge of a major railroads from around the world. what would you do differently and what would you keep the same. if you was in charge of a major railroads from around the world.

[Anonymous]

well, i would start my own and put nuclear powered steam trains on it!!!

[Kevin C. Smith]

Well, if we're looking at this from a sci-fi/alternate universe perspective (that is to say, if I could change history, what would I do differently), in no particular order:

A truly standard track guage, worldwide. I'd probably settle on 2 meters (6' 6"ish) with associated adjustments in loading guage. Electrify, electrify, electrify-wires everywhere I could hang 'em. NO grade crossings. Intermodal passenger stations.

So much for the physical plant. In light of the increase in volume and the shortage of capacity, I'd have (again, here, we're rewriting history) avoided the parallel mergers of the 60's-70's in favor of end to end mergers. The removal of redundant track and other facilities was often hard to impliment to achieve the desired savings and didn't do as much to cut terminal delays (Conrail cut the NYC-Chi routes from 6 to 1 but getting across Chicago is still an ordeal). A half dozen transcons rather than regional monopolies might've worked better.

Labor...The whole issue of train crew size should've been addressed (in my most perfect of worlds) by the 1930's at the latest. Smaller crews on run through freights and fireman on electrics/diesels might not have been such painful issues if we had started on them 60 years earlier.

Probably wandering way far afield of the question but a guy can daydream, can't he?

[PBenham]

QUOTE: Originally posted by alexander13

well, i would start my own and put nuclear powered steam trains on it!!!

And they wouldn't need to have headlights since they'd glow in the dark! But the Co$t![:(] Diesels run $2 to $4 extra large (that's millions to those of you in Rio Linda) each. A nuke powered unit? $10 to 20,000,000 easy! Not to mention having to defend yourself from the lawsuits brought by environmentalist[banghead][censored][censored][%-)][D)]s!

[nssr9169]

SW1s FROM COAST TO COAST........no really all I would chang is the polocy twards railfans..........