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

[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.