Dang, would that be nice! I shouldn't really get my hopes up because those Greenway villains will probably find some kind of way to kill it. But I just can't resist!
@@ldfreitas9437 I still can't believe that Santa Cruz County voters trounced those $%%holes! This really gives me hope. I honestly thought that the money would win this time too. Thank god we have a supermajority of good and sane people here!
Its been a year and We really need to let the RTC know how much We miss the TIG and how badly needed it is, even if only from Capitola to Santa Cruz until the rails are upgrdaed.. I urge You all to write to the RTC today!
To those commenting below, Tig-M also makes an old fashioned looking trolley, the very early 20th Century look that resembles a cable car in SF to an extent. I imagine that Tig-M could also make them look more like 1930's to 1950's trollies, which look like a bus of that era on rail. SF Muni's have those kind of trollies running on the downtown Financial District lines. These, of course, don't need overhead wires!
Some Bay Area transplant millionaire NIMBYs tried to kill this project with a ballot measure. They completely faceplanted and the ballot measure actually overwhelmingly showed that the public wants a railroad built on this right of way. So now the project has the wind at its back and is gathering up funds to finalize planning and start building. They do have a large portion of the plans finalized from previous studies for the rail trail. And they have pretty much everything they need for the trail. So the trail is under construction with preparations to eventually rebuild the rails as well. At the moment, this looks like it's going forward with at the very least a light rail connection. But given that a few similar SoCal projects went with hybrid lightrail/heavy rail vehicles, it is actually conceivable that they will just restore the railroad to full operating capacity including for freight. Simultaneously, Caltrain and/or the Capitol Corridor are being extended to Salinas with a stop in Watsonville. So whether the Santa Cruz portion is just light rail or full heavy rail, eventually there might be a direct rail link from Santa Cruz to the Bay Area and the national rail network.
Why? This thing is literally the future of passenger rail operations. It has all the goodies and looks dropdead gorgeous. As an added bonus, if implemented it will ensure that Roaring Camp can still use the tracks and survive to delight at least another generation of rail fans! You do know that if this thing isn't built it’s most likely caput for Roaring Camp too right? The Greenway villains want the rail gone and they have the money and corrupt influence to make that happen.
@@tankman_tv9332 Doesn't matter. They can be upgraded to class 2 easily enough and for way less than widening the freeway. All that's needed is rock replacement and some ties replacement, and yes, some rail can be replaced with seamless rail here and there, and in fact has been already, on the Murray Street trestle and in Aptos Village.
@@TohaBgood2 plus freight trains are still gonna use the tracks too, Roaring Camp took over all freight deliveries from Watsonville to Davenport last year
That is a very cool scene. I'd guess the videographer set up the cell phone on the tracks, knowing that there was plenty of headroom between the phone and the train.
I love the idea of light rail in the region, but the vehicle looks like a Playmobil "My First Transit System" toy. Please, get something with gravitas.
Funny, most people, like 95% from what I can see, absolutely love this thing. It's literally the future of rail transport wrapped in a neat package. I love it! I would actually dream up various excuses to ride it even I had no business in Capitola or Watsonville.
@@TohaBgood2 For years I've been wanting light rail so I can leave my car at home, walk a quarter mile to a stop at State Park Drive in Seacliff (Aptos), take it to downtown Santa Cruz and get off at a stop at Laurel and Chestnut, walk to Pacific Ave., enjoy an early evening there, and take it home. No looking for parking, feeding the meter, or worrying about getting a DIU driving home at 10pm.
@@ldfreitas9437 Because that's how a civilized person is supposed to be able to live in a small to midsize American town! We used to have these street cars absolutely everywhere! We just need to bring them back, especially in places where the whole town was built around that streetcar line!
@@TohaBgood2 You can find a map on the net of the old Muni San Francisco lines. Now, SF has expanded Muni in the last decade or two, but way back then, one of their lines paralleled SPs down to San Mateo from 4th and Townsend in The City. Also, the lower deck of the Bay Bridge had rail, and the Muni connected with the East Bay's Key System that went into Berkeley and San Leandro from Oakland.
I actually love the way it looks. Looks like a tram should in this century! That being said, this company also makes heritage units that look like SF cable cars. Those will only run hourly tourist trips between Capitola and Davenport on the same tracks. But you can time your business so that you always catch one of the heritage units if you want to.
@@ldfreitas9437 I honestly don't mind the diesel locomotive that much. It's still many times less polluting than having those same passengers drive cars. And it's not even close. The cars are much more polluting than a single diesel train engine. But yes, if we'll have the electric street car/tram running here anyway, I don't see why this couldn't be done.
@@TohaBgood2 I don't think we should copy the streetcars of the 19th century, but I fucking hate the smooth white modern look invading literally every aspect of life
@@romanrat5613 I can sympathize with that ti a certain extent. But equally a lot of people hate the “old and scuffed” 80s aesthetic that everything seems to have around here. You personally don’t mind it, but a lot of people do. You can’t please everybody. The fact is that this thing would be an incredible addition to the transit mix in the county! A lot of people’s lives would become a lot better. Aesthetics shouldn’t hold up the conversation when it comes to meaningfully improving people’s lives.
BS. They make two cars, one with a capacity of 30, which you see on the vid, and another with a capacity of 50. This is for local rail needs, not long distance. For that, Pajaro Junction and Castroville Junction would be were this vehicle could stop for those wanting to go to SF or LA on Cal Train or the Surfrider, and also to return to homes in Santa Cruz or Monterey Peninsula.
@@caltrain908railfan Nope. TIG/m, LLC is based in Chatsworth, California. (LA Area). So these trams are California designed _and built_. They even have a funky little oval test track right on site at the factory in Chatsworth. They're a cool California company that sells their 100% emissions-free trams all over the world.
![[4K] Santa Cruz Main Beach - California - Walking Tour](/img/1.gif)
I went on the Boardwalk to Capitola and back run a week ago. This type of passenger rail service is EXACTLY what Santa Cruz County needs!
I know all those flaggers and the motormen. The demonstration was a success in every way!
People really pulled together to make this happen! Kudos to you all! Is there any chance of another showing? Sadly, I was out of town.
This would be EXACTLY what Santa Cruz needs! And it could connect to Caltrain and Amtrak at Watsonville too
Dang, would that be nice! I shouldn't really get my hopes up because those Greenway villains will probably find some kind of way to kill it. But I just can't resist!
@@TohaBgood2 They lost! F them!
@@ldfreitas9437 I still can't believe that Santa Cruz County voters trounced those $%%holes! This really gives me hope. I honestly thought that the money would win this time too. Thank god we have a supermajority of good and sane people here!
@@TohaBgood2 Yes! We beat those corporate crooks.
@@TohaBgood2 Greenway lost! More than 2/3 voted no!
Its been a year and We really need to let the RTC know how much We miss the TIG and how badly needed it is, even if only from Capitola to Santa Cruz until the rails are upgrdaed.. I urge You all to write to the RTC today!
Great shots!
To those commenting below, Tig-M also makes an old fashioned looking trolley, the very early 20th Century look that resembles a cable car in SF to an extent. I imagine that Tig-M could also make them look more like 1930's to 1950's trollies, which look like a bus of that era on rail. SF Muni's have those kind of trollies running on the downtown Financial District lines. These, of course, don't need overhead wires!
Amazing set of locations!
I think This would be a great addition to santa cruz
nice video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its not a very high capacity more of an awquard street car than a emu. Still would be nice to see it run around the bay from Santa cruz to Monterey
One of the cars they make can hold 50 people, which is more than the current busses.
Awesome
What a gorgeous thing that is! So when will it start running? I want to take a ride!
WOW! Awesome!
I think it should be more like a light rail than streetcar and use larger vehicles with higher speeds than the vehicle shown here.
What's the current status of this?
Some Bay Area transplant millionaire NIMBYs tried to kill this project with a ballot measure. They completely faceplanted and the ballot measure actually overwhelmingly showed that the public wants a railroad built on this right of way. So now the project has the wind at its back and is gathering up funds to finalize planning and start building.
They do have a large portion of the plans finalized from previous studies for the rail trail. And they have pretty much everything they need for the trail. So the trail is under construction with preparations to eventually rebuild the rails as well.
At the moment, this looks like it's going forward with at the very least a light rail connection. But given that a few similar SoCal projects went with hybrid lightrail/heavy rail vehicles, it is actually conceivable that they will just restore the railroad to full operating capacity including for freight.
Simultaneously, Caltrain and/or the Capitol Corridor are being extended to Salinas with a stop in Watsonville. So whether the Santa Cruz portion is just light rail or full heavy rail, eventually there might be a direct rail link from Santa Cruz to the Bay Area and the national rail network.
@@TohaBgood2Any updates yet?
I'm glad that the line is being used again but I'm not so happy whats using it
Why? This thing is literally the future of passenger rail operations. It has all the goodies and looks dropdead gorgeous. As an added bonus, if implemented it will ensure that Roaring Camp can still use the tracks and survive to delight at least another generation of rail fans! You do know that if this thing isn't built it’s most likely caput for Roaring Camp too right? The Greenway villains want the rail gone and they have the money and corrupt influence to make that happen.
@@TohaBgood2 I know
It just feels weird that such a new vehicle is running on tracks this old
@@tankman_tv9332 Doesn't matter. They can be upgraded to class 2 easily enough and for way less than widening the freeway. All that's needed is rock replacement and some ties replacement, and yes, some rail can be replaced with seamless rail here and there, and in fact has been already, on the Murray Street trestle and in Aptos Village.
@@TohaBgood2 plus freight trains are still gonna use the tracks too, Roaring Camp took over all freight deliveries from Watsonville to Davenport last year
How did you film under the tracks?
That is a very cool scene. I'd guess the videographer set up the cell phone on the tracks, knowing that there was plenty of headroom between the phone and the train.
I love the idea of light rail in the region, but the vehicle looks like a Playmobil "My First Transit System" toy. Please, get something with gravitas.
Funny, most people, like 95% from what I can see, absolutely love this thing. It's literally the future of rail transport wrapped in a neat package. I love it! I would actually dream up various excuses to ride it even I had no business in Capitola or Watsonville.
@@TohaBgood2 For years I've been wanting light rail so I can leave my car at home, walk a quarter mile to a stop at State Park Drive in Seacliff (Aptos), take it to downtown Santa Cruz and get off at a stop at Laurel and Chestnut, walk to Pacific Ave., enjoy an early evening there, and take it home. No looking for parking, feeding the meter, or worrying about getting a DIU driving home at 10pm.
@@ldfreitas9437 Because that's how a civilized person is supposed to be able to live in a small to midsize American town! We used to have these street cars absolutely everywhere! We just need to bring them back, especially in places where the whole town was built around that streetcar line!
@@TohaBgood2 You can find a map on the net of the old Muni San Francisco lines. Now, SF has expanded Muni in the last decade or two, but way back then, one of their lines paralleled SPs down to San Mateo from 4th and Townsend in The City. Also, the lower deck of the Bay Bridge had rail, and the Muni connected with the East Bay's Key System that went into Berkeley and San Leandro from Oakland.
not really digging the whole futuristic look. Paint it red and it'll look much better
I actually love the way it looks. Looks like a tram should in this century! That being said, this company also makes heritage units that look like SF cable cars. Those will only run hourly tourist trips between Capitola and Davenport on the same tracks. But you can time your business so that you always catch one of the heritage units if you want to.
@@TohaBgood2 Heck, why not make those for the Beach Train too, and then no diesel locomotive necessary to bring tourists to the Boardwalk.
@@ldfreitas9437 I honestly don't mind the diesel locomotive that much. It's still many times less polluting than having those same passengers drive cars. And it's not even close. The cars are much more polluting than a single diesel train engine.
But yes, if we'll have the electric street car/tram running here anyway, I don't see why this couldn't be done.
@@TohaBgood2 I don't think we should copy the streetcars of the 19th century, but I fucking hate the smooth white modern look invading literally every aspect of life
@@romanrat5613 I can sympathize with that ti a certain extent. But equally a lot of people hate the “old and scuffed” 80s aesthetic that everything seems to have around here.
You personally don’t mind it, but a lot of people do. You can’t please everybody.
The fact is that this thing would be an incredible addition to the transit mix in the county! A lot of people’s lives would become a lot better. Aesthetics shouldn’t hold up the conversation when it comes to meaningfully improving people’s lives.
Low capacity
Nonsense. You can couple more cars than one and still use only one driver for double or triple the capacity of a bus.
BS. They make two cars, one with a capacity of 30, which you see on the vid, and another with a capacity of 50. This is for local rail needs, not long distance. For that, Pajaro Junction and Castroville Junction would be were this vehicle could stop for those wanting to go to SF or LA on Cal Train or the Surfrider, and also to return to homes in Santa Cruz or Monterey Peninsula.
destroy this now
Why?
Then you're no rail fan, so shut the Trump up!
@@TohaBgood2 cuz its from ohio
@@caltrain908railfan Nope. TIG/m, LLC is based in Chatsworth, California. (LA Area). So these trams are California designed _and built_. They even have a funky little oval test track right on site at the factory in Chatsworth.
They're a cool California company that sells their 100% emissions-free trams all over the world.