Unfortunately, the number of COVID-19 deaths is greater and is still rising. I think that all of us know somebody who has at least contracted the disease.
Question: Which do you think is greater?
1. The number of railroad ties for one track between Wilmington, Delaware and Washington, D.C.; or
2. The number of covid-19 deaths in America as of January 19, 2021?
*************
Hint: 3,250 ties per mile; 111 miles distance.
Flintlock76And cancel all the inaugural balls and celebrations as well, assuming COVID hasn't killed those already.
I believe they already have, the mall etc. will be closed to discourage people to mingle and create a super-spreader event. Don't think there will be any inaugural balls or anything.
Having the inauguration outdoors is kind of a Catch-22 now...having it outside is more dangerous as far as working to prevent an assassination attempt, but makes it safer in regard to preventing Covid-19 spread compared to being indoors.
Brian Williams reported last night that Biden will not ride Amtrak to DC, as originally planned.
I think a bit of defiance on Mr. Bidens part is exactly what's called for.
Otherwise, he might as well be sworn in by a private invitation-only ceremony inside the Capitol rotunda. And cancel all the inaugural balls and celebrations as well, assuming COVID hasn't killed those already.
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York1 John
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Even trying to hold an outdoor inauguration safely is a challenge thanks to these organized, seditious gangs and their rightist pals.
After the insurrection on January 6, taking a train to the Inaugural would constitute a crazy risk.
Well that's too bad. Personally I think a bit of boldness on Joes part might have made a good impression, by that I mean take a little bit of a risk but not a crazy risk, but what do I know? Talk is cheap as they say.
Yeah, the Secret Service would freak out a bit, but good people that they are if they had their way the president would never leave the White House basement bunker, or if he did he'd ride around in a Abrams tank.
According to the AP, President Elect Biden will not be taking Amtrak to his inauguration because of security concerns.
WOW! Will be an interesting Inaguration. Maybve, they'll layspecial tracks,right up to the Pennasylvania Ave,. Reviewing Stands...No expense being spared, and all!~
I am certain the Railfans will be surely, wound tight...and he denizens of Washigton and D.C. will be almost orgasmic...
For the seventy to eighty million folks who voted for
'The Other Guy' ; Maybe, not so much...
"... There will be no Joy in Mudvill,etc..."
It's easy to put PTC on a steam locomotive. Particularly if, like 5550, it has an air throttle as well as an air reverser.
If it was easy in 1925, I assure you it's easier now.
Cost-effective... that's a different story. But use of OTS components, SDR reprogramming, etc. implies very little added cost over the B52-hammer costs already allocated to the PTC equipment and connections.
About the hardest part is putting the appropriate instrumentation in to have the very 'front' of the locomotive being the datum for normal operation, but I believe the system has built-in offset capability to tune this for forward or backward movement of even long locomotives and tenders.
rdamon Flintlock76 Yes, I know the steam engines suggested don't have PTC either, but the use of those was only us dreamers fantasizing a bit. Did they equip 4014 with PTC or did they use a trailing unit?
Flintlock76 Yes, I know the steam engines suggested don't have PTC either, but the use of those was only us dreamers fantasizing a bit.
Yes, I know the steam engines suggested don't have PTC either, but the use of those was only us dreamers fantasizing a bit.
Did they equip 4014 with PTC or did they use a trailing unit?
As far as I know only the trailing unit had PTC.
I've also heard trailing units referred to as "panic diesels" but that's another story.
n012944 charlie hebdo Probably most people don't care what method President Biden uses, but on here one hopes we can still express our opinions without such testy comments. So you hope that you can express your opinion, but someone can't express their opinions on what you said?
charlie hebdo Probably most people don't care what method President Biden uses, but on here one hopes we can still express our opinions without such testy comments.
Probably most people don't care what method President Biden uses, but on here one hopes we can still express our opinions without such testy comments.
So you hope that you can express your opinion, but someone can't express their opinions on what you said?
Sure, go ahead as you already have, hopefully minus the vulgarity. I never said you or anyone else could not express their thoughts. Just follow the rules, don't engage in ad hominem attacks and attempt to not put words in others mouths as you also just did with a faux question.
An "expensive model collector"
Shock Control Is there an existing B&O Capitol with E units for power? That's what he should ride!
Is there an existing B&O Capitol with E units for power? That's what he should ride!
Not that I'm aware of, but there is Bennett Levin's Pennsy E8's. The downside is they're not set up for PTC and Bennett's not going to spend the money to do so, so they're sidelined for the time being.
There's also an F unit done in classic B&O colors on a tourist 'road in West Virginia who's name escapes me at the moment, but I seriously doubt it's set up for PTC as well, it never leaves home rails.
Unless I miss my guess - 45 was never on a train either through his original campaign and for the time he has been in office.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Probably most people don't care what method President Biden uses, but on here one hopes we can still express our opinions without such testy comments. And I agree that it is safer in a potentially dangerous DC to use a helicopter or one of the presidential limos for transportation.
I like the image of Joe riding a new Acela to take the oath at the inauguratiion but not this year. When crazies storm the Capitol, deficate in its halls, steal documents and Pelosi's gavel, kill a Capitol policeman etc. It is not wise to tempt those who would do that, so not this year.
I go on record in complete agreement with Flintlock and n012944.
n012944Do foamers really think regular people care that much about trains?
Real foamers don't CARE what other people think about trains!
NKP Guy, I LIKE your first two suggestions, but could live with the third.
And no, I don't think the rest of the world gives a flying (ahem) at a rollin' doughnut about what train Joe rides to DC, for a variety of reasons.
NKP guy Third preference: Mr. Biden's train is pulled by the best up-to-date equipment Amtrak has. Which will look to the rest of the 21st century passenger train world as if Mr. Biden is arriving in Washington in a coach drawn by six bay horses with postilions. In other words, once again the world sees what we all know: Even on the NEC, to say nothing of the LD network, we are no longer "the Standard Railroad of the World," as we used to be and ought to be. Myself, I'd like to be proud of our state-of-the-art passenger trains, and I'm willing to pay my taxes to have the government invest in them. So I wish Amtrak and Mr. Biden a happy and fruitful next four years.
Third preference: Mr. Biden's train is pulled by the best up-to-date equipment Amtrak has.
Which will look to the rest of the 21st century passenger train world as if Mr. Biden is arriving in Washington in a coach drawn by six bay horses with postilions. In other words, once again the world sees what we all know: Even on the NEC, to say nothing of the LD network, we are no longer "the Standard Railroad of the World," as we used to be and ought to be. Myself, I'd like to be proud of our state-of-the-art passenger trains, and I'm willing to pay my taxes to have the government invest in them.
So I wish Amtrak and Mr. Biden a happy and fruitful next four years.
It is amusing to think that in this pandemic world, with the major change at the White House, that one would think the "rest of the world" would give a crap about the kind of train President Elect Biden shows up in.
Do foamers really think regular people care that much about trains?
If Amtrak has an operational new Acela trainset or two, that would be my first choice: 21st century equipment as we move forward.
Flintlock76 They should rent #90 from the Strasburg Railroad to pull the train. NO-ONE's going to harm a train with a steam engine on the head end! Well, maybe Jesse James would, but he's dead!
They should rent #90 from the Strasburg Railroad to pull the train. NO-ONE's going to harm a train with a steam engine on the head end! Well, maybe Jesse James would, but he's dead!
Let's have a little fun with this, Flintlock.
First preference: Mr. Biden's train is pulled by a fully-restored GG-1, which was made that way in less than a week by the application of old fashioned American know-how and our famous can-do spirit; vintage private cars make up the train.
Second preference: Mr. Biden's train is pulled by NKP 765, making a very grand entrance into Union Station, redolent of the America of when he and many of us here were young, enthusiastic, anything-is-possible kids; vintage private cars comprise the train.
Flintlock76 They should rent #90 from the Strasburg Railroad to pull the train. NO-ONE's going to harm a train with a steam engine on the head end!
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