Passenger Trains > San Bernardino Depot, spur tracks

SAN BERNARDINO: Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Records, Airlines and Cruises, is acquiring a stake in the private rail service, Brightline. They re-branded as Virgin Trains, USA and launched service this year in Florida. The company is pursuing traditional followed by high-speed passenger rail on weekends between Las Vegas and Southern California as X-Train. They have inquired about storing railcars on the open tracks west of the San Bernardino Depot. The museum at the depot and others also wish to store vintage rail equipment.

According to those who attended the meeting of the public agency who owns the depot, the X-train people never showed up, and it would appear that the way has been paved for the storage of private railcars at the depot. Apparently details still to be hammered out.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/18 08:12 by Alco251.

Storing PV's at the depot won't work. Amtrak doesn't stop there long enough based on the new draconian rules imposed by Anderson.

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Storing PV's at the depot won't work.
Equipment can be stored and displayed easily. Special situations, future easing of rules, running with other railroads or power, may all enable operations. Life changes.

Spikes Wrote:
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> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Storing PV's at the depot won't work.
> Equipment can be stored and displayed easily.
> Special situations, future easing of rules,
> running with other railroads or power, may all
> enable operations. Life changes.

Spikes, please do not confuse andersonb109 with facts.

jst3751 Wrote:
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> Spikes, please do not confuse andersonb109 with
> facts.

So now speculation and prognostication about the future are "facts"? Okay, got it.

jst3751 Wrote:
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> Spikes Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > andersonb109 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Storing PV's at the depot won't work.
> > Equipment can be stored and displayed easily.
> > Special situations, future easing of rules,
> > running with other railroads or power, may all
> > enable operations. Life changes.
>
> Spikes, please do not confuse andersonb109 with
> facts.

Only took three posts until Mr. Anderson (Amtrak) was blamed for "something". Are people slacking off?

Duna Wrote:
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> jst3751 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Spikes Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > andersonb109 Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > Storing PV's at the depot won't work.
> > > Equipment can be stored and displayed easily.
> > > Special situations, future easing of rules,
> > > running with other railroads or power, may
> all
> > > enable operations. Life changes.
> >
> > Spikes, please do not confuse andersonb109 with
> > facts.
>
> Only took three posts until Mr. Anderson (Amtrak)
> was blamed for "something". Are people slacking
> off?

It was only 51 minutes though. Maybe they were all still getting their morning lattes?

Could Metrolink be contracted to haul private cars to Union Station, then leave them for Amtrak?  

My guess is Metrolink is only in the commuter business, but it could help to circumvent the lack will on Amtrak's part to grab cars en route to LAUPT...

 

Jim Montague
IRVINE, CA
Train and Nature photo Art

3751_loony Wrote:
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> Could Metrolink be contracted to haul private cars
> to Union Station, then leave them for Amtrak?  
>
> My guess is Metrolink is only in the commuter
> business, but it could help to circumvent the lack
> will on Amtrak's part to grab cars en route to
> LAUPT...
>
>

That's a question you would have to ask Metrolink. One of the mid-day San Bernardino to Los Angeles runs would be the perfect time to do this. And they could probably make a nickel or two doing it too! 

Metrolink is not interested in moving private cars between San Bernadino and LAUPT.  Cars can be moved in freight service, but it is expensive.

A new CEO takes over Metrolink Jan 2.   Maybe some changes will happen down the road.

She is very pro passenger.  She was my boss for a while at Riverside Transportion Commission.

Alco251 Wrote:
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> According to those who attended the meeting of the
> public agency who owns the depot, the X-train
> people never showed up, and it would appear that
> the way has been paved for the storage of private
> railcars at the depot. Apparently details still to
> be hammered out.

First of all, Brightline/Virgin Trains does have a stake in XpressWest, but last I heard, it has no stake in X Train, a completely different "operation." (there's a reason why I used quotes, so figure it out)

I found a potentially confusing article in Railway Age mentioning both organizations in one article published in September, but careful readers should also come to the same conclusion as I did. But TO has plenty of careless readers.

Why would Brightline want to use the spur tracks at San Bernardino? Lots of suckers in this thread.

LA Rail was present at that meeting.  They are interested in the possibilities of storing their private cars at San Bdno to escape the ridiculous rents Amtrak in charging in LA.  Amtrak was collecting over $25,000 a month just in parking fees for private cars in LA but they have increased the rent and there are now just 6 cars left in LA, and four of them are leaving soon.  One wonders if Amtrak will point to this as a markeing triumph......after they collect just $4800
 a month after the 1st of the year.

Norm

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

aronco Wrote:
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> LA Rail was present at that meeting.  They are
> interested in the possibilities of storing their
> private cars at San Bdno to escape the ridiculous
> rents Amtrak in charging in LA.  Amtrak was
> collecting over $25,000 a month just in parking
> fees for private cars in LA but they have
> increased the rent and there are now just 6 cars
> left in LA, and four of them are leaving soon. 
> One wonders if Amtrak will point to this as a
> markeing triumph......after they collect just
> $4800
>  a month after the 1st of the year.
>
> Norm

What is the source of these figures?

Lots of numbers being thrown about, very few citations.

Duna Wrote:
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> aronco Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > LA Rail was present at that meeting.  They are
> > interested in the possibilities of storing
> their
> > private cars at San Bdno to escape the
> ridiculous
> > rents Amtrak in charging in LA.  Amtrak was
> > collecting over $25,000 a month just in parking
> > fees for private cars in LA but they have
> > increased the rent and there are now just 6
> cars
> > left in LA, and four of them are leaving
> soon. 
> > One wonders if Amtrak will point to this as a
> > markeing triumph......after they collect just
> > $4800
> >  a month after the 1st of the year.
> >
> > Norm
>
> What is the source of these figures?
>
> Lots of numbers being thrown about, very few
> citations.

Are you that dump, or just naive?

Norm is directly involved and has first hand knowledgeable about PV car parking at LA. He happens to own a PV car currently stored there.

Now lets see if you will be a man and own up to your senseless accusation.

jst3751 Wrote:
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> Duna Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > aronco Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > LA Rail was present at that meeting.  They
> are
> > > interested in the possibilities of storing
> > their
> > > private cars at San Bdno to escape the
> > ridiculous
> > > rents Amtrak in charging in LA.  Amtrak was
> > > collecting over $25,000 a month just in
> parking
> > > fees for private cars in LA but they have
> > > increased the rent and there are now just 6
> > cars
> > > left in LA, and four of them are leaving
> > soon. 
> > > One wonders if Amtrak will point to this as a
> > > markeing triumph......after they collect just
> > > $4800
> > >  a month after the 1st of the year.
> > >
> > > Norm
> >
> > What is the source of these figures?
> >
> > Lots of numbers being thrown about, very few
> > citations.
>
> Are you that dump, or just naive?
>
> Norm is directly involved and has first
> hand knowledgeable about PV car parking at LA. He
> happens to own a PV car currently stored there.
>
> Now lets see if you will be a man and own up to
> your senseless accusation.


Asking for facts gets the cankles up?

No source  = doubt.

Show the source, end the doubt.

Duna Wrote:
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> Show the source, end the doubt.

Norm is the source, that ends the doubt.

jst3751 Wrote:
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> Duna Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Show the source, end the doubt.
>
> Norm is the source, that ends the doubt.


Indeed, for the True Believer in the Holy Rail, facts have no place. Faith is all.

jst3751 Wrote:
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> Norm is the source, that ends the doubt.

You may have to show photos of yourself with Norm to prove THAT, haha. I've ridden on his PV before, and yup, I've met the man. Plenty of TO members are directly or indirectly involved with PVs, who don't need convincing that Norm isn't making stuff up.

Sometimes, you can't waste your time trying to convince people who must have everything "cited" (spoon-fed). They can choose to figure this out on their own time.