Passenger Trains > Authorization to Sell Bonds to Fund Calif. toVegas Train Approved

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/vegas-train-approved-record-4-173119106.html

IF they offer really secure, preferably covered, parking in Apple Valley and make the complete experience WONDERFUL, I predict this will be a home run.  Millions in Southern California LOVE to go to LV, but truly HATE the drive--especially the drive HOME!  

I'll be all-in on the bond issue to support steel wheel on steel rail.as I'm sure all of TO will be as soon as we can liquidate all assets.

Wow! This project might actually happen if Las Vegas can avoid being Covid-19 roadkill and actually come back.

Streamliner Wrote:
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> IF they offer really secure, preferably covered,
> parking in Apple Valley and make the complete
> experience WONDERFUL, I predict this will be a
> home run.  Millions in Southern California LOVE
> to go to LV, but truly HATE the drive--especially
> the drive HOME!

On a Friday night Ontario to Apple Valley is already a 2 hour plus exercise in traffic pain. 3 or 4 more hours to Vegas from Apple Valley isn't much worse.
About the biggest bottleneck is Cajon Pass which a Apple Valley to Vegas train will do nothing to address.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/20 22:06 by PHall.

200 mph elecrtified.?    I thought it was going to be like the FL brighline. 

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Streamliner Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > IF they offer really secure, preferably
> covered,
> > parking in Apple Valley and make the complete
> > experience WONDERFUL, I predict this will be a
> > home run.  Millions in Southern California
> LOVE
> > to go to LV, but truly HATE the
> drive--especially
> > the drive HOME!
>
> On a Friday night Ontario to Apple Valley is
> already a 2 hour plus exercise in traffic pain. 3
> or 4 more hours to Vegas from Apple Valley isn't
> much worse.
> About the biggest bottleneck is Cajon Pass which a
> Apple Valley to Vegas train will do nothing to
> address.

Doubling or tripling the drive time isn't much worse? I beg to differ!

pdt Wrote:
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> 200 mph elecrtified.?    I thought it was going
> to be like the FL brighline. 

SoftBank upped the spec's on it so we are talking full-fledged NSR.

When Sir Richard Branson first made the branding deal, he was talking about making the project less expensive, but apparently the real money bag had a different idea.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/20 23:00 by ts1457.

Maybe send a train from LAupt to there to meet... or same train, but pulled by a diesel until it cuts off at the electrified section. How long would that take?

Posted from Android

goduckies Wrote:
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> Maybe send a train from LAupt to there to meet...
> or same train, but pulled by a diesel until it
> cuts off at the electrified section. How long
> would that take?
>
> Posted from Android

more importantly, would the bnsf want another passenger train on their rails?

that said, i enjoyed #"s 35/36 from laupt to vegas because you could relax and AVOID the traffic between victorville and laupt........ 

66



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/20 05:58 by goneon66.

Obviously you would need to give bnsf a vig.

Posted from Android

ts1457 Wrote:
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> Wow! This project might actually happen if Las
> Vegas can avoid being Covid-19 roadkill and
> actually come back.

"socially distancing" and the economic downturn are not in the best interest packing any casino full of people...............

66

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Streamliner Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > IF they offer really secure, preferably
> covered,
> > parking in Apple Valley and make the complete
> > experience WONDERFUL, I predict this will be a
> > home run.  Millions in Southern California
> LOVE
> > to go to LV, but truly HATE the
> drive--especially
> > the drive HOME!
>
> On a Friday night Ontario to Apple Valley is
> already a 2 hour plus exercise in traffic pain. 3
> or 4 more hours to Vegas from Apple Valley isn't
> much worse.
> About the biggest bottleneck is Cajon Pass which a
> Apple Valley to Vegas train will do nothing to
> address.

NO, but when it becomes a reality and is in use, it will then create pressure and make it easier to then either extend or create a train between the greater LA basin and Apple Valley.

Will Vegas become a ghost town never to come back? Or will the eventual resolution of Covid-19 mean it can bounce back? If the latter, why not ramp up a great new transportation capability to be ready for it? Hopefully, Covid-19 will be a distant memory by the time trains are running.

If you are driving from LA, by the time you hit Apple Valley you might as well drive the rest of the way.  You eat up time getting off the freeway, driving to the parking lot, paying for parking, and padding enough time for your train.  As mentioned, Cajon Pass is, and for that matter all of SoCal is an unreliable traffic nightmare. Everyone will probably pad in an hour to be ontime for the train segment.  Then there is getting from the Vegas station to whatever hotel.  If traffic is really a bother you can leave off hours or off days or perhaps fly.  By the time you put this altogether you are probably looking at a more expensive, just as long, if not longer rail journey and you still have to drive almost 1/3 of the way.

At minimum for this to work the train needs to come down to San Bernardino and begin its journey at the Metrolink Station.  Metrolink can capture passengers from throughout its network and reliably transfer them to the LV train at the San Bernadino terminal.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

Skyline Wrote:
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> Will Vegas become a ghost town never to come back?
> Or will the eventual resolution of Covid-19 mean
> it can bounce back? If the latter, why not ramp up
> a great new transportation capability to be ready
> for it? Hopefully, Covid-19 will be a distant
> memory by the time trains are running.

I observed in another conversation that the 'Roaring 20s' came immediately after the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-19. Apparently you and the folks backing this are thinking similarly.

TAW

history sure is interesting, especially when you compare the differences in TODAY'S society from 100 or even 50 years ago............

66

webmaster Wrote:
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> At minimum for this to work the train needs to
> come down to San Bernardino and begin its journey
> at the Metrolink Station.  Metrolink can capture
> passengers from throughout its network and
> reliably transfer them to the LV train at the San
> Bernadino terminal.

50 miles of new railroad to Palmdale and 50 miles of rebuilt railroad to San Fernando may be an unannounced Phase 2. Then, instead of big shiny new WARP 2 railroad through urban development for a handful of trains, the more sane European approach of using the conventional network in/out of the city would apply. I'm sure that nobody with enough bucks to build a railroad 185 miles between Vegas and Victorville thinks the project ends there.

TAW

webmaster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At minimum for this to work the train needs to
> come down to San Bernardino and begin its journey
> at the Metrolink Station.  Metrolink can capture
> passengers from throughout its network and
> reliably transfer them to the LV train at the San
> Bernadino terminal.

SoftBank is clearly thinking past Victorville. I made this reply on another thread:

"stevelv Wrote:
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> ....  Little more info
> here https://www.gobrightline.com/xpresswest
> Steve Benkovitz 
> Henderson, NV

Interestingly, the Las Vegas Fact Sheet which you can download from that site, has dotted lines for two different routes into LA from Victorville.

I think SoftBank's intentions are a HSR network in the Southwest, not just a single line."

I would say that getting to Palmdale and then into LA that way is clearly the second phase.

goneon66 Wrote:
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> history sure is interesting, especially when you
> compare the differences in TODAY'S society from
> 100 or even 50 years ago............
>

I was thinking that about the discussion of the guy getting his shot by standing in front of another guy's well thought out and expensive location. When shots of railfan trips of 50+ years ago are posted, there are often remarks about so many folks wearing suits for railfanning. Everybody appeared to be getting along fine. Nobody hwo was there was describing the me first (or better described me only, maybe) antics that happen now among folks who would have been a) less usual and b) considered Cretins 50 years ago..

TAW