Obama Administration Proposes Major Public Transportation Policy Shift

[Ocklawaha]

TOUCHE! D'Artanion...

OCKLAWAHA
that was spiteful

[FayeforCure]

The difference is that no one is feeling better because your child was crying, faye.  That would make us monsters, wouldnt it?

Indeed, babying an elected official while showing no compassion at all for a crying child IS monstrous!!

Glad I know REAL people suffering doesn't matter here, or as Pat Robertson says (about Haiti) are punishment from God.

[Dog Walker]

Faye!  Stephen and Ock may enjoy it, but please do the rest of us a favor and don't post anything about Mica on any thread that is not about Mica directly.  Start a thread titled "Why I hate John Mica and why he is a scumbag" or something similar so we can avoid it.

[Dog Walker]

Stephen, I was being VERY sarcastic.  Should have put in a smiley of some sort.  What would be a good smiley to use for sarcasm?           

[stjr]

We now return to the show in progress......

[CS Foltz]

Well, with Mr LaHood leading the way, he can follow along in the path the MJ Group has cut! Talk is really cheap and the quickest way to assure people but sooner or later, you have to get past the talk stage and actually get something started............maybe even bring it to fruition! Its past time to do something even if its wrong but we need to get started.........Mr LaHood are you reading?

[Ocklawaha]

It looks like LaHood is going to be a good DOT leader, if Amtrak only had leaders coupled with the Obama Dollars, it would be in much better shape.  Ignoring the opportunity to get problems solved, equipment repaired, and new cars and locomotives ordered for over a year, would earn one a boot about 5 inches up the nether regions if I were "fearless leader..." 

Some of the things Amtrak, could of, should of, would of done?

Immediate recall of technicians to the major shop complexes.

Quantize the goal, and crank up the "bad order" car repairs and rebuilds at a fast clip.

Simultaneously order standard consists of new single level viewliner and hi-level superliner cars from proven plans.

No train should be less then daily - each way, resulting in every tri-weekly train going daily.

All current standalone daily train routes, would get a second train, running an approximate 12 hour flip schedule.

All remaining Am-shacks should be closed, and where ever possible, historic downtown stations and terminals used.

GET NEW EQUIPMENT, in broad classes, to allow for more flexibility and customization of train consists, for example:

Order large fleet of MPXpress locomotives for shorter (eastern and midwestern) routes.

Order large fleet of F59PHI locomotives for long distance trains.


Order fleet of Co-Generation/Hybrid Brookville BL20GH locomotives for testing in various services.


Research, development, engineering and ordering of new baggage-crew dormitory cars.


Research, development, engineering and ordering of new dome-lounge cars for east coast trains.

Research, development, engineering and ordering of new super dome (full length) dome cars for western trains.

Research, development, engineering and ordering of new round ended, skytop observation - lounge cars.

Research, development, engineering and ordering of a new class of grill cars.


Research, development, engineering and ordering of new round end, tavern - theater lounge - observation cars.


OCKLAWAHA