Diesel Electric Trolley Trucks

[fsujax]

Coming soon to LA? Cool.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/05/30/diesel-electric-hybrid-trolley-trucks-to-be-tested-in-la/?intcmp=features

[PeeJayEss]

At an estimated $5-6 million per mile, Siemens’ system costs around one-nineteenth the cost of a traditional electrified railroad.

Just for the wires! They don't seem concerned how much the road below costs. Part of the article they seem to be talking about replacing trucks with these, and in other parts they seem to be talking about replacing rail cars with these. The first sounds okay (though why not just replace trucks with rail cars altogether?), but the second sounds atrocious. These will not release less emissions than rail (per lb or freight), but they would increase our need for road-building and repaving projects.

Its certainly an interesting concept (of course German!), but I don't like the way they are talking about it. Replacing rail cars with these things would be a huge step backward.

[wsansewjs]

I never trust any news article or source from Fox News. It makes me go -__-.

This idea would work for ship ports more effectively. Leave the public transit out of this if they want to replace over the rail with bus.

-Josh

[fsujax]

^^How did I know someone would make a Fox News comment. ha. oh well. Guess I could same the same about the other cable network news stations.

[peestandingup]

At an estimated $5-6 million per mile, Siemens’ system costs around one-nineteenth the cost of a traditional electrified railroad.

Just for the wires! They don't seem concerned how much the road below costs. Part of the article they seem to be talking about replacing trucks with these, and in other parts they seem to be talking about replacing rail cars with these. The first sounds okay (though why not just replace trucks with rail cars altogether?), but the second sounds atrocious. These will not release less emissions than rail (per lb or freight), but they would increase our need for road-building and repaving projects.

Its certainly an interesting concept (of course German!), but I don't like the way they are talking about it. Replacing rail cars with these things would be a huge step backward.

Yeah, I can't figure out which is dumber. These or the auto-driven cars they're trying to cram down everyone's throat with the "cool!" factor. Nevermind the fact that roads are jam packed as it is. And that its basically the same thing as fixed rail in concept, but with little to no benefit to commuters like rail would offer. Meaning all the bad things that go along with the automobile (buying them, maintaining them, fueling them, insurance, the space involved/parking, sprawl, highways, dead city cores, laziness, health issues, unwalkable towns, etc) would remain.

Its like everyone's taken stupid-pills. But hey, this is southern CA. The land that used to have something like 1200 miles of streetcar track & ripped it all up in the name of progress. How's that working out for them? Judging by the air quality, the sprawl & the fact that downtown LA is a festering shithole of a town, not very well.

[Ocklawaha]

Hey Peestandingup, why don't you tell us how you really feel about LA! LOL!

At an estimated $5-6 million per mile, Siemens’ system costs around one-nineteenth the cost of a traditional electrified railroad.

These idiots think that a 'traditional electric railroad' costs $114 million per mile? REALLY? Try a couple million per mile for the electric overhead on existing track, or somewhere between $20-$50 million per mile for new track and electric infrastructure. Also keep in mind that the electric railroad (any rail project) will include the locomotives and any captive or dedicated cars. Fox completely screwed that line up.

All of that being said, the idea has merit. There is no way this is being considered for random over-the-road 18 wheelers. More likely the plan involves a DEDICATED ROUTE, moving containers between the port (San Pedro/Long Beach) to the railroad yards, Union Pacific has their international container support yard in Carson, just north of the port along the 110, Harbor FREEway. Burlington Northern Santa Fe has a massive intermodal yard in Commerce, just south of downtown LA on the 710, Long Beach FREEway. This way they could use the one or two dedicated routes like a truck version of BRT... And don't be surprised when the buses join the parade and offer another ELECTRIC alternative to the mix.

The former Pacific Electric Railroad from LA to Long Beach along Long Beach Blvd, and the former Southern Pacific (Union Pacific) Alameda Street Corridor are already maxing out capacity. Alameda Street route was once a surface line that paralleled the street all the way from LA to the ports. The other line along Long Beach Blvd, has been reclaimed by 'Light Rail' a fancy modern term for the historic interurban's I once rode.

Union Pacific yard in Carson, UP also has a facility off of Lamar Street just east of Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, if the BRT-TRUCK lanes were extended this far it would make it easy to circulate buses into and out of LAUPT.


Burlington Northern Santa Fe, operates this massive 'Y' shaped yard visible under the Long Beach FREEway in Commerce, as one passes from Los Angles southward to Long Beach.


Here are two Pacific Electric 'Blimps' accelerating away from Alameda Street, where they'll cross the Southern Pacific harbor line, on their way to Newport Beach and Balboa. Today this scene isn't recognizable as Alameda straddles the railroad, and the railroad itself is in a trench with between 2 and 4 tracks, busy night and day. Most people in LA today would give their left nut to have that old diagonal route all the way to Newport and Balboa back on track.