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PO Box 4, Bloomington, IN 47402-0004 U.S.A.
San Jose: Electric Railroad Center
Brass & Non-Brass
Models
New,Estate and Consignment Brass Models and high quality non-brass models on line with photos and and easy to use search feature!
Railroad Prints
Over 600 RR prints,all eras, styles,sizes and prices... largest selection in the
nation...from 50 year old collectors items to recent releases! Over 100 vintage RR ad
reproductions.New easy to use search feature!
PO Box 934 • Montgomery, TX• 77356-0934 281-814-0425
Erie Lackawanna 2013 Calendar
Available through the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society
www.tracksideprints.com e-mail:
jhink844@gmail.com
Trackside PRINTS & HOBBIES
SAN JOSE IS THE CAPITAL of Silicon Valley and is in the process of becoming a center of electric railroad activity. The Bay Area Rapid Transit District will soon begin to extend its tracks from the East Bay area to San Jose and beyond to Santa Clara. The city and the surrounding area is already served by an excellent light rapid transit service, and it appears that the electrifica- tion of the Caltrain commuter rail service between San Francisco and San Jose may get under way sooner than later. There is every reason for San Jose to en- joy improved rail service and become a hub of
electric railroad activity. With almost 946,000 in population, it is the tenth largest U.S. city — a couple of spots ahead of Indi- anapolis, and larger than Boston, Balti- more, and Washington, D.C. It also reflects the desire in California to move ahead. Another example of rail advancement is the decision of the BART board of directors to extend the rapid transit line to Liver- more; all the preliminaries of planning and engineering can now get moving. The five mile expansion is expected to attract an ad- ditional 21,000 daily riders by 2035, and be completed at a cost of about $1 billion. Thanks to John A. Lee for the news.
Member price $795
14 great photos plus
$4.25 s&h US Funds Only Visit us online at
www.erielackhs.org Dealer Inquiries Welcome
Order from: ELHS, Department RF Jay Held, 10-10 ELLIS AVE, FAIR LAWN, N.J. 07410 No phone calls will be accepted For information send SASE
N.J., PA & Ohio res. add sales tax. Outside US extra s&h.
ELHS membership at $35 per membership cycle. Cycle includes four issues of our magazine “The Diamond” and four newsletters with modeling
information. Separate check please. Send to: ELHS c/o Randy Dettmer, 290 W. Prospect St., Hudson, OH 44236
48 NOVEMBER 2012 •
RAILFAN.COM
PCC Car on the West Coast The PCC car was the product of a research and development project mounted by the Electric Railway Presidents Conference Committee, and the first PCC cars were de- livered to Brooklyn in 1936. San Diego, Calif., was the first city on the west coast to acquire the new cars with an order for 25 placed with the St. Louis Car Co. on July 18, 1936. Three additional PCC cars were ordered a little later so that three complete streetcar routes could be operated with the new cars. The first cars were delivered to San Diego on March 17, 1937, with all de- livered by June 1937. Streetcars were taken out of service in San Diego on April 29, 1947. Most of the PCC cars were sold to El Paso, Texas. San Diego has recently rein- stated PCC service on a heritage route in the downtown section of the city, giving Cal- ifornia two cities featuring the classic cars (the other being san Francisco with it’s fa- mous F-Line PCC fleet). Thanks to Clive Foss, by way of Douglas I. Duncan, for the information.
Non-member price $995
South Shore Line Improvements
At the May 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Indiana Com- muter Transportation District, the go-ahead was given to install a high level platform at Dune Park Station in Porter County, Ind. Dune Park is the headquarters of NICTD and its South Shore Line commuter service. On an average weekday, about 500 passen- gers use the station and on weekends, the average is about 700 passengers per day. Low level boarding at a busy station such as this can take a long time and requires the use of an Amtrak-style mechanical lift for those in a wheelchair. One passenger in a
wheelchair can take up to seven minutes to load or unload. With high level platforms, the loading and unloading of even a very busy train can be accomplished in about 45 seconds, even with individuals in wheel- chairs. With only one platform at Dune Park, the project should move quickly. Along with the Dune Park upgrades, when South Shore/NICTD passengers get to Chicago, they should find a slowly improv- ing Chicago Transit Authority to take them onward. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has made clear he expects the Red Line rapid transit service to be the backbone of the Chicago rapid transit service. There has been much rebuilding of the rail lines and the mayor has turned his attention to improving bus service by upgrading the garage and bus maintenance facilities. Thanks to Fred Cole for the news.
Transit Patronage on the Rise
Mike Melaniphy, the new president and CEO of the American Public Transportation Association, is a former student of mine and, like most of the people who went through the transportation program at Indiana Uni- versity, has had a happy career. Mike re- cently sent out some figures concerning the use of public transportation that are most encouraging. The first quarter of 2012 shows a tidy increase in patronage. Indi- anapolis, building a very low base, showed a 20 per cent increase in patronage, Charlotte is up ten per cent and Boston is up eight per cent to just under 100 million rides. Ridership on heavy rail rapid transit rose in 14 of the 15 systems, and light rail rose in 25 of the 27 cities that enjoy such service. The reasons for the boost include the ex- pense of driving, more people working as the economy recovers and improvements in transit service. The sharp rise in Indianapo- lis’ patronage is due in part to the Super Bowl being held in the circle city. Thanks to David Harris for the news.
The Transportation Bill Moves
Even though some involved in American government think that compromise is a dirty word and an awful concept, there was compromise aplenty in the forging of the first transportation or highway legislation since 2005. The new legislation was passed in late June 2012 in time to avoid ending construction on highways and other federal- ly supported transportation efforts. The funding level will stay at about the same lev-
PLEASE SEND light rail, tran- sit and commuter rail news items and correspondence di- rectly to Prof. George M. Smerk, Emeritus Suite, Kelley School of Business, 1309 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-1701.
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