Passenger Trains > Trouble With Amtrak

Sorry to read about Gunn. It appears he is a victim of politics, no doubt about it.

The real solution is get government grants for research and development, the same way the military gets money for its projects.

If research was conducted on Hydrogen Power, such as being done at GM and Ford, I believe a viable solution could be reached in developing high powered engines with no reliance on foreign oil. It wouldn't be cheap, but neither is the development of new military equipment but there always seems to be money for that. Just look at the balance sheets for the rail industry and see how much is spent on fuel. It's staggering!

In addition to power plants, there has to be a computerized system to correct the center of gravity on all trains such as in "fly by wire" developments in aircraft. This would increase transit speeds on all forms of rail transit and reduce derailment accidents. This too wouldn't be cheap, but why not? Just needs "money" appropriated for such research and development.

I can see the political arguements against such R&D, but come on, isn't an effecient operating system that will eventually increase profits just as important as developing new weapons, etc?

Whoever takes over as AMTRAK CEO must read the political wind and bend, but push for, and I do mean push for an all inclusive R&D program. If it takes splitting apart the high speed profitable runs, so be it.

Someone needs to take a FRESH approach to the problem.

Hi!

> solution could be reached in developing high
> powered engines with no reliance on foreign oil.

Hydrogen is a solution for air pollution. Making and storing hydrogen takes 3 times the energy as burning oil in an engine.

TB

HI:

As the state of the art is NOW, without further reseach, yes I agree with you. Extracting pure hydrogen from water is more expensive. It would require extensive Research & Development to overcome the problem.

If there was a non-petroleum energy source what do you think it is.

Thanks for reading.

JC

Hi!


> If there was a non-petroleum energy source what do
> you think it is.


There isn't one. Physics is a tough task master. Oil is 3 billion years of chemically stored solar energy. Gonna be hard to beat that!


As an aside, hybrid cars also use more energy than gasoline powered vehicles over a 5 year period, if you count the energy required to produce the vehicle in the first place.

TB

tburzio Wrote:

> As an aside, hybrid cars also use more energy than
> gasoline powered vehicles over a 5 year period, if
> you count the energy required to produce the
> vehicle in the first place.
>
> TB

Not challenging you, just don't understand: can you explain? I was planning on buying a hybrid for my next car.

MG

I've always thought that the answer would be an Amtrak Trust Fund. Similar to the Highway Trust Fund. Fund it well for a year or two, then, leave it alone...completely alone...for a few years. Then, use it as a stable source of funding.

Do I think it is currently politically viable? No. Not with Katrina, Rita, and all the rest going on. But it's the long term answer for Amtrak.