Paul,
Although we have disagreed in the past I hope we can agree to lay aside the titles in agree or disagree on a first name basis.
With regard to the ACA, I appreciate what you say and I think the points you make deserve to me made. So you are absolutely right to make your statements for the record. And for my record, I like the ACA more than I like Amtrak abut I need Amtrak more than I need the ACA.
But as for President Obama's promise of an 800 no. and the navigators, I spent over 40 years working for the Federal Government and I am more than a little skeptical. For all of that nothing would make me happier than for me to be totally wrong and you to be totally right on this issue.
When I look at my experience with government Amtrak is the brightest spot I can think of. If you can recall the sheer dirtiness of trains and stations in the decade before Amtrak (and I sure do) as well as delays, car shortages and other problems for a railroad passenger Amtrak is like dying and going to heaven.
So I think and I hope that we are pretty much in agreement on these two subjects.
As far as driverless cars go, you are an engineer and I am not. But I hope you will excuse me if I don't hold my breath waiting for them.
John
Paul, all I can say is that before Amtrak most of your experience must have been with Penn Central and its predicessors PRR and NYC, although PRR and even PC did keep up some semblence of passenger care on The Broadway. The UP, AT&SF, and IC in particular, did a fine job right up to Amtrak.
I would add to Dave's roll of honor the "Hill lines," at least up to their consolidation as BN in 1970. And of course the Rio Grande.
Southern, no. It was a ruthless cutter and downgrader until it was left with only the Crescent, which it found cheaper to continue running for its PR value than to join Amtrak.
Not that I blame most roads for turning against passenger trains in the end. The trains were eating their lunch. Our difficulty as fans always was that we loved passenger trains AND railroads, which were incompatible after introduction of jets and the interstates.
I was lucky to ride the CZ and Coast Daylight in 1962 in high school. They were fine trains still at that point. Add to that the Afternoon Zephyr in 1970, which was still quite good.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
dakotafred schlimm I think your earlier comment about his usual anti-government agenda was accurate, but then there are so many forum posters with those views. And so many of you other posters sensitive to "agendas" that are nothing more than views differing from your own.
schlimm I think your earlier comment about his usual anti-government agenda was accurate, but then there are so many forum posters with those views.
I think your earlier comment about his usual anti-government agenda was accurate, but then there are so many forum posters with those views.
If the "views" in question involve carrying on non-railroad related political discussions on Trains.com then mark me down as sensitive...(and please note that I am all for discussing and debating government policy towards the railroad industry)
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.