Dumbarton Rail Opponents Have Brains of Coal

[kevin_standlee]

Among the things that were in my in-box when I got home was this comment by a false-front LJ account on my advocacy of Dumbarton Rail. Go have a look. While there are a few legitimate objections sprinkled into the argument, I have difficulty taking anyone seriously who claims that the trains will be powered by coal. And they say I'm a train-brain!

Comments

[kproche.livejournal.com]

The Stupid! It Hurts!

Sheesh. I'm glad there are people like you around who are straightforward, sane and realistic rail supporters. Wish there were more like you!

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

How strange that he'd create an account just to complain about your post on LJ. Anonymous commenting I would understand (I had a certain amount of weird commenting until I turned it off), but to create an account just to comment? Just very odd to my mind.

Look on the bright side of this. Whoever this is considers your arguments so very important to respond to that he took the trouble to do this.

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

Some railfans of course, wish the trains would be powered by coal (e.g. I'm steam, not so much diesel).

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Oh, I enjoy steam-powered trains like those of the Niles Canyon Railroad, and the pair of mainline steam locomotives that Union Pacific maintains are very impressive, and watching SP 4449 scream past at speed is a delight, but I separate my rail advocacy from rail fandom.

Not every rail project is good -- that's why I opposed the BART-to-SFO project as built. (I was one of the many people calling for BART to be built only to the Millbrae station into a multi-modal interchange, where the SFO people-mover would take people over to the airport proper, without requiring an extra fare.) That's why I oppose BART to San Jose. I'll try to argue Dumbarton Rail on its merits as a transit and transportation project, not because Trains Are Cool.

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

How Weird. And I don't mean our friend. You're right, he couldn't be more stoopid if he tried. Very sad.
I wish we had more and better trains too. Not just local, but cross country. You want a Trip rather than a quick shuttle, Take the Train, not the plane. Safer, saner, no terrorists, and you can bring on Liquids! :D
Though I hear that the Airline Industry wants the same security restrictions they have put on every other mode of public transit, included Subways, buses, and trains. Luckily, this has mostly been ignored. But they have a lot of lobbyists. The only protection is the number of people taking Boston Corridor will argue a lot about that. And there are a lot of them with their lattes and laptops. *whew*

[dinogrl.livejournal.com]

Sheesh!
I do like your snappy retort, and even though I've seen your posts on this subject, I'm for MAG LEVS!!
(tee hee)

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

I'll be for maglev when we make the following two fundamental breakthroughs:

Easy fusion electricity generation

Room-temperature superconductors

...that's because when you get those, it's possible that the savings in operations and gains in speed finally offset the cost of having to rebuild the entire railroad network.

My biggest gripe with maglev is that it's simply incompatible with the existing system. Where would you put the stations for a Bay Area-LA maglev system? Where would you put the guideways? Would you tear up all of the existing systems and replace them with the maglev guideways?

I love Kewl Big Science, but I continue to think that maglev continues to be the technology of fifty years from now, just like it always has been. Sorry about that.

Coal?

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised that the drive-by poster didn't bring up the fact that passengers wouldn't be able to breathe at 40mph and that the vibrations of the cars would compromise the morals of innocent ladies!

NIMBYs drive me nuts. Cal in the Narn Bat Squad!

[chocolatescifi.livejournal.com]

I think Heinlein said it best: Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.