S-Line Rail Transit - brief thoughts

[thelakelander]

1) If the freight rail traffic is fairly heavy and frequent, you would need to run transit service "interspersed" among the freight movements. This would probably limit service frequency to some extent (i.e., lengthen headways), but also the FRA (and almost surely the private railroad) would require FRA-compliant (high buff strength) rolling stock - basically, "heavy" regional rail ("commuter rail") type of equipment.  These days, railroads seem to be starting to demand this, even if the transit service runs on its own separate tracks (e.g., Denver's proposed regional rail to Boulder). Your rolling stock options here would be limited either to "heavy" locomotive + coaches equipment, or some kind of compliant DMU (which are currently not that available in North America - I'll address the issue of Colorado Railcar at another time).

What's the pros and cons of the Colorado Railcar?

[Nawdry]

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Well, just some more assorted thoughts on these issues for what it's worth.

Budd RDCs

I don't know about SPVs - don't know where you would find one, or even if you'd really want to - but RDCs are available, and as far as I'm concerned, an RDC IS "heritage".  It has that classic late-Art-Deco, Streamline Era look.

There are a few running in Canada, and Dallas TRE (Trinity Railway Express) runs them in trains.  Nice photo at:

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?12083

You CAN get these, refurbished (I was quoted about $600K apiece from an outfit in eastern Canada). However, several problems, mainly with ADA compatibility. These are highfloor cars with stepwells.  They can be fitted for high-platform access, but that has its own problems. Remember: The FTA is now insisting on full level boarding!  Also, the doors must be manually opened and closed - requiring train crewmen to do this.  And these are obviously older cars with a lot of "hidden" mechanical problems that tend to emerge in repeated revenue service (as TRE has found out).

Other than those problems these are fine, beautiful cars that perform well and are nice to ride.

Colorado Railcar

I presume "CRC" refers to the Colorado Railcar. These are nicely appointed cars in terms of passenger amenities, but I'm hearing of significant mechanical problems and breakdowns. I would recommended checking with operating and maintenance personnel at Tri-Rail, and also with the maintenance people at TRE, who have evaluated this car.

My hunch is that transit planners and agencies seeking FRA-compliant DMU or DEMU equipment (and even EMUs) are going to find rolling stock coming on the US market from vendors such as Bombardier, Rotem, possibly Stadler, etc.

Heritage Streetcar

Experience in Little Rock and Tampa, particularly, plus the McKinney Ave. line in Dallas, has made me an enthusiastic proponent of heritage streetcar operation.  The Gomaco cars used in Tampa and Little Rock are very nice cars.  Gomaco is turning out replica double-truck Birneys from their assembly line in Iowa at less than $1 million each - a bargain price for a well-performing streetcar.  These can be fitted for higher-speed operation. The Little Rock version also features a bus-type stepwell lift that can be operated by the motorman sitting in place, just like on a bus. Little Rock is planning to use this system and type of rolling stock for what will be, in effect, a Rapid Streetcar extension to the city's airport.

For a photo-essay showing the simple, low-cost design of the Little Rock system, see:

J:\~LH\5-LRN_Project\5-LRN website\web\news\n_lr-stc-photoessay_2006-02a.htm

The APTA Streetcar Subcommittee (of which I'm a member) just finished a meeting in Tampa featuring repeated tours of the streetcar system there. Excellent model for any city. (Tampa uses the pedestal-platform method, with fold-out bridges, for ADA access; also most of it is in reservation, whereas Little Rock's streetcar line is mostly in mixed traffic.)

In any case, what a number of cities (including these) have learned is: get something up and running, even if this means starting small and cheap, and with something a lot less than you ultimately hope to have. Heritage streetcars provide a nice, affordable way to get a foot in the door.

LH

[Ocklawaha]

I've been hearing the same thing on the CRC, troubles run deep... RDC's are certainly older but how tough is Stainless Steel? They seem to last forever with rebuilding, and the new rebuilds are given 20 year life. CRC cost double the price and claims a 40 year life. So is it really double? Another factor is fuel, RDC's are much cheaper on fuel. As they can't quite pull a trailer and hold up in the mechanical end, (in other words they CAN pull the darn things but it will cut the life short). So running two RDC's together doesn't follow that it is DOUBLE the expense and fuel. The first RDC will run at full power and the second at 50-75%. Or both at 75%. Still a savings of nearly 50% in PMPG over the Colorado Car. The CRC has great energy on start up and stop, but what the RDC lacks in jack-rabbit ability, is made up in its classic big train feel and ride quality. The 27 I have found for sale include RDC 1 and 2 models. Remember these were made in all coach, coach-baggage, coach-baggage-mail, baggage, mail-express versions. Some have a 1st class or business class section. The rebuilds I have seen show a car as nice (in my mind anyway) as the CRC. The SPV 2000, the last incarnation of the RDC, I have 3 located so far, in perfect and running condition with parts etc... for $600,000. They were said to address the energy on starting with a full load. Some of the Rebuilds were done in the past with ALCO diesels. Parts are still available for these and frankly, while a dirty diesel on load-up from a dead stop, (she WILL belch out smoke like a steam engine for a few strokes until the cooling fans take charge). But the old ALCO, with one model exception is damn near indestructible and will pull the socks off any other engine of similar power. NASA'S transport crawlers are powered with old ALCO railroad Diesels. So, thinking out loud? Maybe, but if we located 4-8 Alco repowered RDC or SPV's we might also lick the power shortage and get some Amfleet type coaches to match.

I don't know if Nawdry is up on the repowered RDC's, or SPV's but I'll bet he will agree that such a power trade would probably increase power, increase reliability and lifespan, and GREATLY increase the "visitor appeal to our system", ie: railfans will go to the Moon to see or HEAR an Alco diesel. Even non-rail fans, once you hear one, you'll NEVER forget that unique, "coffee pot chug" sound.

Ocklawaha