The Rise Fall and Rebirth of US Commuter Rail.
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2023
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Rock island sky blue GP unit- D-Hunt1070 CC BY-SA 4.0
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Metra train- aqua scissors CC BY-SA 2.0
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Ahhh back when a community being online meant it was on the line
They installed a light rail here in the Dallas area about... 15 years ago I think? It has since become very popular for people that work in uptown or downtown often choosing to "park and ride" where they leave their car at the station and hit the rails rather than driving their cars the entire way. I took it all the way through Dallas to the south side where the Zoo is and it was a pretty neat experience especially when it'd pull into the underground stations at the convention center, large office buildings, etc.
Buses have 2 big advantages over commuter trains, one being that electric is part nuclear where diesel buses aren't, and the other is that buses serve poorer people on average than rail, who need it more. So transit dollars should go to diesel buses, especially where the grid is most nuclear.
@@alan6832A very large percentage of commuter rail outside of the northeast corridor, so basically everywhere in the country except for the northeast coast, is diesel powered rather than electric. Talking about services like Amtrak, MBTA, Caltrain, METRA, Trinity Railway Express, etc. etc. As far as busses serving more poverty stricken areas than commuter rail I have a few arguments, one being the New York City subway system and similar services, and the fact that a large percentage of local bus services are owned and operated by city and county organizations that are paid for by tax revenue rather than direct ticket sales which commuter rail often has to survive on. So I argue that the second point is that it's subsidized makes it more focused for the poor rather than the form of the transportation itself.
Also.. why the focus on nuclear power being the enemy? It pollutes FAR less than fossil fuels. Especially coal or, in the case of the bus systems, diesel. And, without researching it first, I would guess that it is responsible for far fewer deaths, either directly related to accidents or the gathering, processing, and consumption of the fuel.
All that aside I think both certainly have their place. Busses can go virtually anywhere provided a mostly paved surface while commuter rail is stuck on, well, the rail so the range of available destinations is far less. To me that is the main advantage that busses have over rail. Accessibility and variety.
Railroad towns and streetcar suburbs will return . There’s two laws that are extremely limiting the rail industry in America that I’d love to here more about which are the SZEA of 1916 and the Esch Cummins act of 1920 thank you loved the video !
Thanks for the video. Loved you brought up New Haven! And the Connecticut Cattle Cars a.k.a. Metro North are rebounding nicely with seats becoming extremely scarce so people have to stand up at Stamford once more.
The railroads' troubles could have been avoided if Congress nationalised all the non-rolling stock infrastructure in the 1950s as part of the interstate highway act.
Transport Fever 2 does a good job of replicating the rise, fall, and rise of American commuter rail.
Oh! I have that game, I guess I should finally get around to playing it.
@@alcobufffunrelated but I wish people would say something than rise fall and rise because it’s repetitive. I think a better version would be rise fall and rebirth.
Trains and interurban trolleys encouraged middle and upper class people to move to the suburbs, but could still get to jobs in the big city.
Online community vs On-Line community
Commuter Rail is still in trouble. Myself and many of my colleagues haven't been to the office more than twice this year. The Internet is the new interstate.
Great video
A very informative video. Thanks for posting.
19:05 I am a bit surprised to see a New Haven-painted Alco RS coupled to shiny new Amfleet cars, but I guess Conrail hadn’t managed to repaint all of them yet when they debuted.
I think that was an excursion run.
I live on the Main line of the NJ commuter rail service here in New Jersey. the service is fairly reliable and very frequent. It's a mixture of GP40, F40, PL42AC, ALP45D diesel/electric locos....old and new.
I purchased one of the airbrushes. Don’t need another airbrush but all the extras make it a steal. Thanks for the heads up.
great work!
Take a shot every time the alco diesel guy says one of the following:
A.K.A.
And/or
As well as
In addition to
Thus
Essentially
Said
Etcetera
Cool video and channel just subscribed
Thanks! Welcome to the channel!
Great video. Good work.
Thank you very much!
They should have just nationalized it and mafe amtrak early
Or just stopped taxing them on their investments and infrastructure
I don't know if you ever mentioned that the Tax Money the railroads were paying on their local infrastructure and right of way was supporting local schools, sherriffs, Fire Departments and other local governments! No Trucks, Airlines or Passenger Cars were forced to pay these taxes on top of the usual taxes. Railroads were excessively burdened which in the pre-ww1 era wasn't a problem since they still owned the majority of passenger and freight business!
No mention of SEPTA or Brightline?! 😯
Oh no you didn’t just film the orange line. How dare you. The nerve.
Would you do a story about the Chicago north western commuter services
I would have to see if i can get the footage, but that sounds like a good idea.
Being a Chicagoan, please do!!👌🏻
The National Rail Museum in Green Bay has one of the CNW bilevel cars in regular excursion service on their loop of track. I've always thought it was really cool to be able to ride on a preserved commuter car.
@@drewzero1 The Illinois Railway Museum in Union Illinois have an whole CN&W bilevel trainset including an cabcar with an CN&W F Unit and an Metra F Unit. Both F Units was CN&W but the Metra one was rebuilt. They also have one of the former BN E Units that was from the CB&Q that pulled former CB&Q Bilevel Coaches into the late 1990s in the Chicagoland area. The BN before also during the merger with the Santa Fe still have some of the old CB&Q Bilevel Coaches since BN owned the equipment and the locomotives leasing them to RTA / Metra till the Retirement of the former CB&Q E Units. Also at the time the CB&Q Bilevel coaches were fluted Budd stainless steel design with the CB&Q in black and unique while the Millwaukee Road's , CN&W's , and Rock Island's Pullman Standard Bilevel coaches were the smooth side and painted in the railroads paint schemes. Then RTA / Metra standardized most of the Bilevel Coaches by having them all fluted stainless steel hence retiring some of the old smooth side Pullman Standard bilevel coaches. Some of the old CB&Q Bilevel Coaches are still in use but with BNSF logos on them. Also for an short while an Japanese company built newer Bilevel coaches and cabcars in Rochelle Illinois for Metra and they have bigger windows than the older fluted stainless steel bilevel coaches and cabcars.
Think about doing one about Canadian Commuter train.
Would need to see if i can get the pics and footage but i will look into that.
@@alcobufffGO transit is one of the Best and they are working on electrification
Nice and sweeeet
Thanks
It's funny to see the Alcodieselguy when so many new engines are built by Siemens. 😂
R.I.P. for all the railroad companies the ICC killed 😂
Covid has been a pretty big setback, however
ICC killed the passenger train?? Taxes killed em
It’s common practice in UK, Australia, Canada and NZ for the ownership of the non-rollingstock railway infrastructure to be owned by a government corporation. Considering this split was done to open up the otherwise 100% state owned to competition with multiple operators. If the burden of maintenance was such an imposte upon the big railway companies in the US - why didn’t they force the big companies to stick to just operating services (freight or passenger) and this would make it much more efficient for operators, and by virtue, also commuters?
American exceptionalism at its dumpster fire worst.
fellow CRIP enjoyer 🫡
Glad you like it! Thanks!