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From: drockwel@CSNET-SH.ARPA (Dennis Rockwell)
Newsgroups: net.railroad
Subject: Re: Philly-Pittsburgh train
Message-ID: <1153@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 1-Sep-85 19:43:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.1153
Posted: Sun Sep  1 19:43:42 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 3-Sep-85 01:33:59 EDT
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
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Regarding the thoughts about using maglev between Philly and Pittsburgh, why
not just (big word, "just") upgrade the current right-of-way to the
standards now in effect for the Northeast Corridor (now AMTRAK owned and
maintained) and thus have off-the-shelf 110+ MPH service that doesn't use
incompatible (and unproven in hard usage) track and rolling stock?

This option must be cheaper than making a whole new right-of-way through
some pretty pricey real estate.  Installation and maintenance (always
something to beware of these days, being the first thing ignored when
profits aren't high enough) of a conventional catenary system *must* be
cheaper than maglev.  The Pennsy "Main Line" is already electrified (albeit
not up the Corridor standards)  as far as Harrisburg; that's about 1/3 of
the distance (am I close?).  Forcing NY-Pittsburgh riders to change trains
at Philly (or Harrisburg) doesn't seem like an attractive proposition.
Moving a cut of coaches from one locomotive to another at Philly seems much
more reasonable.

I do realize the the maglev promises higher speeds than conventional rail
will (probably) ever attain.  It's also true that the Pennsy could and often
did deliver roughly equivalent service to that which AMTRAK now provides in
the Corridor and out to Harrisburg 40 years ago using GG1s on the point.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the idea of maglev; however, the economy
is very variable, and a system that can use already field-proven that we
know how to maintain (and already have the facilities and expertise to do
so!) appears to be a sounder economic decision.  We don't want another
expensive botch like the Concorde, do we?

Dennis Rockwell
Electric Locomotive Fan (esp. the GG1 and AEM7)

That ought to start up some discussion!