RailPAC Weekly ENewsletter for February 9, 2015 · 4.02.2015  · Essential California: The drought, mass transit and baby Jesus Los Angeles TimesFeb 3, 2015 California's mass transit

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Subject: Metro­North crash, New Amtrak SF Ticket Office, Amtrak Train Days?

From: Rail Passenger Association of California ([email protected])

To: [email protected];

Date: Monday, February 9, 2015 9:34 AM

RailPAC Weekly E­Newsletter for February 9, 2015 Edited by Noel T. BraymerFeel free to forward copies of this E­Newsletter to your friends or someone who canuse this information. If you would like to subscribe to the E­Newsletter just send me your name and emailaddress to [email protected] you'd like to see expanded and improved Rail Passenger Service­Join Us!Membership increases our strength in presenting the case for rail to policymakers at alllevels!

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Not all grade crossings are the same. This is a quiet­zone crossing at San Clemente in Orange County. Toqualify as a quiet zone crossing so trains horns only have to be sounded when someone is in the crossing,the crossings need to be upgraded. As you can see, this crossing has 4 instead of 2 crossing gates. It hasextra fencing to keep pedestrians from trying to beat the train. There are locked gates to keepunauthorized vehicles off of the right­of way. What you can't see are the enhanced electronic signaling totime the gates closure to the speed of the train. Of course even with full grade separation, cars and peoplecan still find ways to get in front of the train. Photo by Noel T. Braymer

Obama's budget earmarks more than $1 billion for California transportationLA Daily News ­ Feb 3, 2015LOS ANGELES ­ President Barack Obama’s newly released budget proposal earmarks more than $1billion for California transportation and construction projects, including $330 million that Los Angelesofficials call crucial to extending the Purple Line from the Mid­City area to Century City, it was reportedtoday.Overall, Obama would spend more than $800 million on transit throughout the state ­­ including $165million to expand the Bay Area Rapid Transit system to San Jose and $150 million toward a light­railproject in San Diego as he tries to make the case that infrastructure spending will propel a fastereconomic recovery.

Essential California: The drought, mass transit and baby JesusLos Angeles Times­Feb 3, 2015California's mass transit systems would be big winners in President Obama's proposed federal budget.The president would earmark $1 billion for various dream transportation and construction projectsincluding:— Subway projects in downtown L.A. and the Westside.

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— Pushing BART into San Jose.— Light­rail expansions in San Diego.— Expanding a North Bay commuter rail line.

$20 million for SMART's Larkspur extension in President Obama's budgetSanta Rosa Press Democrat ­ Feb 2, 2015Funding for an extension of the North Bay’s commuter rail line to Larkspur was included Monday inPresident Obama’s proposed $4 trillion budget, giving the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit authority along­awaited source of capital to complete the southern end of the line.

President Obama's Proposed FY15­16 Budget: $330M for LA SubwaysStreetsblog Los Angeles (blog)­Feb 3, 2015The big news is $100 million for Phase II of the Purple Line. According to Metro’s most recent (late2014) project fact sheet [PDF], the 2.6­mile Westside Subway Extension Phase II was expected to beginconstruction in 2019 and be completed in 2026. The extension will add two new stations: Rodeo/Wilshirein Beverly Hills and Avenue of the Stars in Century City. The fact sheet lists pre­construction activitiestaking place from 2017­2018. It is unclear whether the federal funding might move up this schedule.

Obama to propose foreign profits tax to fund public worksPBS NewsHour­Feb 1, 2015The proposal, one of the main components of the $4 trillion spending plan for the 2016 budget year thatObama will send to Congress on Monday, attempts to tap into bipartisan support for spending on badlyneeded infrastructure repairs and construction.The tax on accumulated foreign profits would be set at 14 percent and due immediately. Under currentlaw, those profits only face federal taxes if they are returned, or repatriated, to the U.S. where they face atop rate of 35 percent. Many companies avoid U.S. taxes on those earnings by simply leaving themoverseas.

Obama proposes $3.99 trillion budget, draws scorn from RepublicansReuters­Feb 2, 2015(Reuters) ­ President Barack Obama on Monday proposed a $3.99 trillion budget that drew scorn fromRepublicans and set up battles over tax reform, infrastructure spending, and the quest to prove whichparty best represents the middle class.

Republicans: Obama budget 'laughable'Politico­Feb 2, 2015For congressional Republicans, President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget is “laughable.” It“shamelessly panders to the Democratic base.” And it’s nothing more than a “lousy Groundhog Dayrepeat.”GOP lawmakers pulled out all the rhetorical jabs as they responded Monday to Obama’s $4 trillion fiscalblueprint, which calls for boosting spending on government programs, doling out tax breaks for themiddle class and ending the much­hated across­the­board budget cuts known as sequestration.

El Monte underpass will relieve freight chokepoint89.3 KPCC­Feb 5, 2015The $76.7 million Baldwin Ave. underpass, one of 20 planned at rail crossings across the San GabrielValley, marks the halfway point in a $1.4 billion makeover of 55 rail crossings by the Alameda CorridorEast Construction Authority. Work on all the crossings is set to be completed within four years. A half­cent sales tax pays part of the cost.

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New York train crash: video footage of accident siteThe Guardian­Feb 4, 2015US police and fire services close the area surrounding the site of Tuesday's collision between a commutertrain and an SUV stuck on a crossing in Valhalla, New York. Six people on the train were killed in theaccident as well as the driver of the car. Media reports say the driver of the car got out briefly to try topush it off the tracks, then got back into the car before it was hit by the train

Investigation Underway in Metro­North Train CrashNew York Times­Feb 4, 2015When a crowded commuter train slammed into a car on the tracks on Tuesday night, it dislodged theelectrified third rail, which, combined with gasoline from the vehicle, created a deadly inferno, federalinvestigators said at a news conference Wednesday evening.“The entire interior of the first rail car was burned out,” said Robert L. Sumwalt, a member of theNational Transportation Safety Board.

UDPATE 6­Electrified rail pierced New York train in crash, official saysReuters­Feb 4, 2015VALHALLA, N.Y., Feb 4 (Reuters) ­ Hundreds of feet of electrified rail skewered the first two carriagesof a New York commuter train in a collision with a car at a railroad crossing, a federal investigator saidon Wednesday, describing the area's worst rail crash in decades.

What We Know About The New York Train Crash SiteFiveThirtyEight ­ Feb 4, 2015Tuesday night’s deadly Metro­North train accident happened at one of the state’s busiest rail crossings....Authorities knew the crossing had the potential to be hazardous. A predictive model developed by theFederal Railroad Administration (FRA) estimated that there was a 3 percent probability of a collision atthe site in any given year. That’s the ninth­highest accident probability of any of Metro­North’s 44 railcrossings in New York and ranks higher than 90 percent of the state’s 2,675 crossings.

Rail crossing accidents decline nationwide, but less so in New York regionNew York Times Feb 4, 2015Accidents at railroad crossings happen with surprising regularity in the region. Since 2003, there havebeen 125 grade­crossing accidents on New Jersey Transit lines, 105 on the Long Island Rail Road and 30on Metro­North Railroad, according to the latest available Federal Railroad Administration data. Morethan half of those 260 accidents resulted in injuries or deaths. In all, 73 people were killed and 148injured....Mr. Ubaldi said he was more concerned with finding out why the woman stopped on the tracks. In such asituation, he said riders should break through the gates if necessary.“The gates are designed to break,” he said. “If you get stuck at the crossing, floor it. Smash the gate. It’sa far less severe consequence than staying on the crossing.”

High­speed rail construction destroys den of protected kit foxSan Jose Mercury News ­ Feb 3, 2015Workers building the rail line's first 29­mile stretch of track inexplicably collapsed and bulldozed over akit fox den discovered last summer near an equipment yard in Fresno without consulting Fish andWildlife officials, state rail officials confirmed Tuesday. There were no foxes in the den at the time.The gaffe violates an environmental agreement the state signed with the federal government beforegetting clearance to build the San Francisco­to­Los Angeles rail line. It became public several weeks aftera high­profile groundbreaking ceremony.

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Proposed high­speed rail could link Dallas, Houston with College Station StopTexas A&M The Battalion­Feb 2, 2015“A usual three­hour trip to College Station for home football games would be cut down travel time to anhour or less,” Boles said. “I could come to a Saturday night game, be back before midnight and not needto spend money on an expensive hotel room. Thousands of potential riders will be traveling fromHouston to Dallas to fill up a 100,000 seat venue — that’s some serious ticket sales for the traincompany.”

Texas Bullet Train Company Announces Possible Dallas Rail Station SitesKERA News ­ Feb 6, 2015“I am excited about high­speed rail moving ahead," Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said in a statement."Both options have the possibility of serving as catalysts for tremendous growth in the city, and I amextremely interested in seeing a deck over Interstate 30, bridging these two vibrant areas of our city andfurther enhancing what could be an iconic addition to the City of Dallas.”

800 pack center against high­speed­rail projectYour Houston News­Feb 3, 2015More than 800 people packed the Lone Star Community Center in Montgomery Monday night to learnwhat they can do to stop a proposed multibillion­dollar high­speed rail route that would cut through WestMontgomery County and connect Houston with Dallas.

China in talks to sell high­speed trains to US: OfficialChannel News Asia ­ Feb 5, 2015BEIJING: State­owned Chinese firms are in discussions to sell high­speed trains to the United States,senior officials said on Thursday (Feb 5), a deal that would be likely to ignite controversy.China's leaders have been promoting the country's fast rail technologies in meetings with foreignpoliticians as they seek to move the country's exports up the value chain, and Chinese companies arebuilding high­speed rail networks in Turkey and Venezuela.

China's $4 trillion Seedfunding for Global Infrastructure BuildoutNext Big Future Feb 7, 2015China is offering to fill the worlds infrastructure gap. This will enable all of the developing world tofollow the China economic development plan. In a few decades, they will have no shortfall intransportation, industry, modern buildings, energy plants, energy grid and other infrastructure needs.China will also help them finance it. China will also have progressively richer trading partners who haveports, roads and rail and warehouses to build or buy what China needs or wants to sell....The high speed rail network will stretch across Europe, Asia and Africa. There will also be a separateSouth America network.

Mexico Forced to Cut Budget Due to Low Oil PriceteleSUR English ­ Feb 2, 2015The drop in international oil prices has forced Mexican authorities to implement dramatic budget cuts,including a highly anticipated public high speed rail project. ...The China Railway Construction Company (CRCC) was planning to participate in bidding for the projecta second time. In late 2014, the Chinese led consortium had won a previous bid for US$4 billion to buildthe railway which was planned to connect Mexico City and the city of Queretaro.

China demands recompense after Mexico suspends high­speed rail scheme Global Construction Review­Feb 3, 2015The Chinese government has called on Mexico to respect the legal rights of Chinese firms after the

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Mexican finance ministry suspended the now­infamous $3.7bn high­speed rail project.

Amtrak train breaks down on way to ChicagoWLS­TV­5 Feb 3, 2015The 338 Hiawatha Service from Milwaukee was stopped near Pleasant Prairie for more than three hoursbefore another locomotive began pushing the train to Chicago.The trip normally takes about an hour and twenty minutes. Amtrak said there were 70 people on board.Passengers on board said there were power problems and the bathrooms were not usable.

Hundreds of passengers stranded on Amtrak train without heatBoston Globe­Feb 6, 2015An Amtrak train that departed from Boston Friday morning broke down just outside of New Haven,stranding hundreds of passengers without heat for more than an hour, officials said.The train left South Station at 9:30 a.m., and broke down six miles west of New Haven at 12:45 p.m.,said Christine Leeds, a spokeswoman for Amtrak. There was a mechanical problem with the mainlocomotive that powered the train, she said.

Mudslides halt Amtrak trains, affecting riders in Vancouver, Seattle ...OregonLive.com­Feb 7, 2015EVERETT, Wash.­­ Several mudslides Saturday on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks inthe Seattle region have shut down Amtrak passenger train traffic between Seattle and Everett andRidgefield and Vancouver until Monday, said a spokesman for BNSF.

Coming Soon: Amtrak Train DaysIn the past seven years, over 300 communities in all 50 states have celebrated their love of trains onNational Train Day. This year, Amtrak is expanding the celebration to better support all communities andevolve it into a traveling, community­centric experience under the new name of Amtrak Train Days.

Senator Durbin Meets With Amtrak President And Board Chariman ...eNews Park Forest­Feb 6, 2015With Congress preparing to consider a legislation to reauthorize Amtrak, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D­IL) met yesterday with Amtrak President Joe Boardman and Chairman of the Board Anthony Coscia todiscuss the continued growth of passenger rail service, and the importance of robust federal support forour national transportation network.

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s executive order puts Huntley Amtrak project on holdNorthwest Herald­Feb 7, 2015HUNTLEY – A $223 million plan that puts Huntley along a revived Amtrak passenger rail line has beenderailed until Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner completes his review of all major state constructionprojects.Gov. Bruce Rauner’s executive order puts Huntley Amtrak project on holdThe executive order Rauner signed during his first day in office freezing discretionary state spending andbarring agencies from awarding contracts without his administration’s approval indefinitely delays theIllinois Department of Transportation’s agreement with Union Pacific Railroad to restart Amtrak servicebetween Chicago and Rockford.

Indiana lone holdout in long­term deal for Amtrak linesThe Elkhart Truth­Feb 7, 2015INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A long­term deal to keep an Amtrak passenger line running betweenIndianapolis and Chicago is still in the works nearly a year and a half after a congressional deadline.

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Intermodal transit hub in Cleveland on radar of RTA, city, Amtrak ...cleveland.com­Feb 2, 2015CLEVELAND, Ohio ­­ A long­held dream to build an intermodal transportation center that would be ahub for local buses and rapid transit, Amtrak trains and Greyhound service is inching closer to reality.The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and the city of Cleveland are preparing to strike anagreement for a joint study of whether rail and bus operations could be united under one roof in a transitcenter near Lake Erie.

THE EATBEAT: Amtrak food options minimal but hearty for weary ...Grand Forks Herald­Feb 4, 2015Some people dream of elegant dinners on cruise ships far out at sea. Others fancy dinner in the diner on atrain.One of them is my nephew, Harley Hansen (HH), who, from time to time, takes a ride on the Amtrak.He's a Californian who is likely to travel by train across the country and enjoy the dining. But he flieshome.

San Francisco Amtrak Station Will MovePosted by Mike BarnbaumEffective Sunday, March 1, 2015, five Amtrak Routes (Pacific Surfliner, San Joaquin, Capitol Corridor,California Zephyr, and Coast Starlight) will be affected by stop and schedule changes in San Francisco,California due to the relocation of the staffed Amtrak ticket office from 101 The Embarcadero (FerryBuilding) to 200 Folsom Street (San Francisco Temporary TransBay Terminal).

T&I Committee unveils passenger­rail reform billProgressive Rail Roading ­ Feb 6, 2015House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R­Pa.) and other committeeleaders yesterday introduced the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015 (PRRIA), whichwould address infrastructure needs, transparency and other issues for Amtrak."By compelling Amtrak to operate more like a true business, cutting red tape, and opening the door tomore private sector resources, we can make some long overdue improvements to passenger railtransportation in the United States," Shuster said in a press release....Among key points, the bill would:• eliminate Amtrak's losses in food and beverage service;• mandate Amtrak carry out a business case analysis for all major procurements;• eliminate the railroad's "black­box accounting" and require "transparent bookkeeping," and providestates and Congress greater insight into Amtrak's accounting;• create station development opportunities for the private sector;• open new revenue streams through right­of­way development;• help advance large infrastructure projects through state partnerships;• "improve" management of the Northeast Corridor;• require Amtrak to evaluate long­distance routes; and• streamline environmental reviews and accelerate project delivery.

Alaska Railroad safety project faces state's new fiscal realityAlaska Dispatch News­Feb 2, 2015JUNEAU ­­ A federally imposed deadline for an Alaska Railroad safety upgrade is butting up against thestate’s dire fiscal circumstances, as legislators Monday signaled that they may not be able to supply themoney the railroad says it needs to finish the project.Railroad executives told a state Senate committee Monday that they needed nearly $20 million in this

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year’s budget to complete a $160 million system called positive train control, which is designed toautomatically prevent collisions and derailments.

Lawmakers, railroads say 2015 positive­train­control (PTC) deadline should beextended by several yearsUrgent Communications­Feb 5, 2015Leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee said they would support legislation to extend this year’sdeadline for railroads to implement positive­train­control (PTC) systems, because railroads are stillseveral years from implementing the technology, according to testimony during last week’s hearing onthe matter.

Caltrain bridge replacement work expands to six days per weekSan Mateo Daily Journal­Feb 7, 2015Work on the Caltrain San Mateo Bridge Replacement Project will expand to six­day work weeks throughMay 9, the transit agency announced this week.The project will replace four nearly 100­year­old bridges at Tilton, Monte Diablo, Santa Inez and Poplaravenues.Weekday construction will occur between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. while Saturday work will take place between8 a.m. and 5 p.m. No night work is scheduled, according to Caltrain.

Menlo Park and Atherton Threaten Lawsuits Against Caltrain ...Streetsblog San Francisco (blog)­Feb 5, 2015Menlo Park’s demands include increased service to its Caltrain station, “particularly during non­peakhours,” and for Caltrain to pay for “appropriately designed and built grade separation” to avoid delayingmotorists at crossings. The city also wants Caltrain to list all of the significant and “heritage” trees thatwill be removed, and to replace them with three times as many 36­inch box trees.Similarly, Atherton is demanding better Caltrain service. The town’s station, located at Atherton Avenue,is the next station north of Menlo Park.

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This is the construction site (and former site of the Atomic Cafe) for the Little Tokyo subway station indowntown Los Angeles for the now under construction Regional Connector Light Rail subway for theextension of the Blue and Expo Lines. Photo by Noel T. Braymer

Beacon technology to target Union Station visitors with help, commerceLos Angeles Times­Feb 3, 2015The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is developing a plan to place as many as 50 tiny wirelessdevices in the downtown station that would push text message­like alerts to smartphones.Metro officials say so­called beacon technology is a cheap, efficient way to communicate with passengerson a device they're probably already using. If the pilot program goes well, the beacons could spreadacross Los Angeles County to reach hundreds of thousands of commuters on Metro's sprawling networkof bus and rail lines.

Wilshire Boulevard will truly be a multi­modal street (in a decade)Los Angeles Magazine Feb 4, 2015The fed money, still to be approved by Congress, will help lighten the local load of the $4.2 billionsubway project, which will eventually extend to the VA Hospital in Westwood. Opening in segments, thePurple Line will reach La Cienega in about eight years, Century City in 2026, and the VA in 2035. Muchsooner, specifically later this year, the Wilshire bus rapid transit project will open to the public. Startingthen, the parking lane will be exclusively used for buses during rush­hour, speeding crosstown buscommutes and making transit a much more sellable option on Wilshire.

Metro seeks public feedback on new rail station to connect to LAX; scopingmeeting is Feb. 23The Source Feb 6, 2015

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The Metro Board of Directors last year decided to build a new rail station at Aviation and 96th Street thatwill allow passengers on the Crenshaw/LAX Line and Green Line to transfer to a people mover to bebuilt by Los Angeles World Airports, which operates LAX. This is part of the Airport Metro Connectorproject that is receiving funding from the half­cent Measure R sales tax increase approved by L.A.County voters in 2008.Besides connecting to Metro Rail, the people mover will have three stations near airport terminals, inaddition to stations serving both a new pickup/dropoff facility called the “Intermodal TransportationFacility” and a consolidated rental car center.

Train Runs Being Tested on Foothill Gold Line to PasadenaPatch.com­Feb 6, 2015Train testing for the 11.5­mile Foothill Gold Line light rail project from Pasadena to Azusa has started inearnest this month and will continue thru Summer 2015

Metrolink to Long Beach?By Noel T. BraymerOne of the few rail rights of way bought in the late 20th Century still without rail passenger service is theformer Union Pacific harbor line between Long Beach and the rail yards east of downtown Los Angeles.What type of service would be the best use of this public right of way to improve transportation in LosAngeles County?Metrolink is an alternative that should be looked at. It will be economical to upgrade this existing railroadat a fraction of the cost of rebuilding it as Light Rail.

Beverage company says it bears no fault in Greg Plitt's Metrolink deathLA Daily News­Feb 4, 2015Plitt is a part­owner and spokesperson of the WheyUp protein brand, a product of the Phoenix­basedShadow Beverages and Snacks Co., but he’s not an employee of the company and did not get a separatecheck for being a spokesman, said George Martinez, Shadow Beverages’ president and chief operatingofficer.

MTS adds S70 LRVs to San Diego Blue LineRailwayAge Magazine­Jan 30, 2015The new Siemens cars, produced at the company's Sacramento, Calif., facility, have replaced MTS'original Siemens U2 equipment, which debuted in 1981 with the opening of the Blue Line, the firstmodern U.S. LRT line to be established and the third in North America, after Edmonton and Calgary.The S70 additions are part of a $600 million effort to modernize the entire Trolley system. TrolleyRenewal is funded primarily by California Proposition 1B bond funds and TransNet, the regional half­cent sales tax for transportation administered by SANDAG. MTS now operates 76 low­floor trolley carsthroughout the entire system and up to 28 will be dedicated to operations on the Blue Line daily.

8 Key Transportation Projects in San Diego for 2015NBC 7 San Diego­Feb 5, 2015Sixty miles of train tracks for freight and commuter trains along Interstate 5, known as the San Diego­Los Angeles­San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor, will be expanded and double­tracked. It’s a $1billion investment for what is considered to be the second business rail corridor in the country. Threeprojects under construction currently include Sorrento Valley, San Onofre to Las Pulgas and Sorrento toMiramar. There are an additional 11 project in design with a focus of improving the rail line.

Audit finds NCTD contracting flawsU­T San Diego­Feb 3, 2015

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The North County Transit District improperly handled millions of dollars in federally­funded contracts inrecent years, a consultant’s report has found, highlighting missed opportunities to save taxpayer money.

SCVTA's begins BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension ...Railway Track & Structures­Feb 3, 2015The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority(SCVTA) in California are initiating an environmental study for the proposed construction of anapproximately six­mile extension of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) from the now under constructionBerryessa BART Station in San Jose to Santa Clara.

Huge delays at San Francisco airport as storm rakes Northern CaliforniaLos Angeles Times­Feb 6, 2015The Federal Aviation Administration reported arriving flights to SFO were delayed up to 3 1/2 hours,while Sacramento’s regional transit agency reported that a lightning strike had knocked out power to oneof its rail lines.

Recent construction of the extension of the Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica. This is lookingeast towards the Venice Blvd grade­separation along the I­10 freeway in West Los Angeles. Photo byNoel T. Braymer

We Get EmailsRe: Starlight Palour CarsRuss Jackson's essay on January said that the Coast Starlight's Pacific Parlor cars were built about 1950.As I recall reading, hi level chair cars originated with the Santa Fe's El Capitan about 1960. Maybe these

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were converted to the Coast Starlight's Pac Parlor cars?Yorkman Lowe

In reply NB.The Santa Fe Hi­Level cars are the ones that were converted to be Pacific Parlour Cars. Theywere built between 1954 and 1964 in separate orders. Perhaps it would have been more accurateto say 1960 rather than 1950 in my article. I rode on the El Capitan in those cars several times inthe 1960s prior to Amtrak. Amtrak used them until the Superliner cars arrived in the late 1970s,on what is now the Southwest Chief and on the Texas Chief until it was discontinued. The carsother than the ones that became Pacific Parlour Cars still exist, stored in Texas and Illinois, butcan be restored for full use whenever owners decide to do so.Russ Jackson

Opinions expressed in this enewsletter are those of the authors and not necessarilythose of the Rail Passenger Association of CaliforniThe RailPAC Mission: Passenger Rail advocacy, Publications…both print andelectronic, Representation at regional meetings, and Rail education.Join us! More memberships increase our strength in presenting the case for rail topolicymakers at all levels!

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