Connecticut Company’s Streetcars
Relive the days of Connecticut Company's big yellow cars... Profusely illustrated, this book covers every division of the Connecticut Company, the trolley empire controlled by the New Haven Railroad. This book features nearly every type of trolley car operated across the Nutmeg State until shutdown in 1948.
CONNECTICUT
STREETCARS SOFTCOVER
$21.95 PLUS S&H - ITEM #C00082 Carstens PUBLICATIONS, INC.
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Rails Beyond the Rutland
This 1988 Carstens Classic documents the first 25 years of railroading after the demise of Vermont’s famed Rutland Railway! From the marble quarry pits to piggyback trailers, from steam excursions to heavy freight, it’s all here!
• Vermont Railway • • Clarendon & Pittsford • • Green Mountain Railroad •
A CARSTENS CLASSIC!
SOFTCOVER ONLY $19.95 PLUS S&H - ITEM #C00054 Carstens PUBLICATIONS, INC.
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48 AUGUST 2013 •
RAILFAN.COM
Rails To LAX?
THERE HAS BEEN FRUSTRATION for years be- cause the Green Line light rapid transit service does not reach Los Angeles Interna- tional Airport. As 2012 came to an end, it ap- peared that the gap might be bridged. In- deed, the new Crenshaw Light Rail Line that is under construction is also aimed at the airport. It now appears that the Cren- shaw and Green Line will come into a sta- tion somewhere close to LAX and then a peo- ple mover will allow passengers to complete their journey to LAX. It would be much eas- ier if the airport and its facilities had been designed with rail access in mind. Don’t ex- pect anything soon; the Crenshaw Line is not expected to reach LAX until 2019. Thank to Frank Bauer for the news.
Infrastructure Wake Up Call???
The collapse of the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Wash., in late May 2013 is seen by some in the civil en- gineering fraternity as a wake-up call for the condition of the infrastructure. The bridge design was seen as a major cause of the collapse; the design is a money saver that allows quick and less costly construc- tion, but if one bridge member fails, the whole structure is highly likely to collapse. There is a design failure that is not a func- tion of the maintenance on the structure. The collapse of the Interstate 35 Bridge in Minneapolis was an example of a fracture critical bridge. There are many of these bridges in use in the U.S. and many others that are in need of heavy maintenance or re- placement.
Money is needed, but there seems to be little or no political will to impose sufficient taxes to really get after the problem. An overloaded truck struck a beam and caused a failure of a member of the Skagit River Bridge. There are other bridges where the same thing could happen. Thanks to David Harris for the information.
Baltimore Streetcar Museum Fund Drive Most trolley museums are in suburban or rural areas. One exception is the Baltimore Streetcar Museum which is very close to downtown Baltimore. The museum is seek- ing money for the restoration of several cars, a new car house at the 28th Street loop and the purchase of overhead trolley wire frogs. If you are interested, send your donation to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, Attn: 2013 President’s Appeal, P.O. Box 4881, Bal- timore, MD 21211.
Metrorail Gets Ready for the Silver Line The Silver Line is the name given to the new Washington Metrorail line that will eventu- ally serve Dulles Airport. The eleven mile extension will have four stations in the Tysons Corner area and another station in Reston. The rail service is scheduled to begin revenue operations before 2014, which means that much effort and lots of concrete work and flying dirt will occupy the latter part of 2013. The communities in Fairfax County are now busily working to get ready
for the changes; the rail expansion will cause lots of work for the county govern- ment. There will be increased automobile traffic to the new stations and more police will be required to handle the traffic and the inevitable traffic jams. Planning for new de- velopment spurred on by the new rail serv- ice will be real challenge to the county. Rail transit can help to make great changes in the surrounding area. Thanks to David Har- ris for the information.
Environmental Concerns over Rail Facility Most of us feel that rail transportation is good for the environment. There are, howev- er, some concerns about diesel powered transportation where there is a concentra- tion of buses or locomotives. Buses laying over in outlying parts of a city are often a target for complaints by those living close to the layover point and unhappy about the fumes from an idling vehicle. Metrolink, the Los Angeles commuter rail
service, is diesel-powered. The Metrolink Central Maintenance Facility is next to the Los Angeles River and north of the 110 Free- way. It is surrounded by the Elysian Valley and Cypress Park neighborhoods; there are eight schools with about 3900 students near- by. A local Congressman has requested an evaluation of the area because of the con- cerns about diesel exhaust when locomo- tives are being serviced. Diesel fumes, when concentrated, are recognized as a health risk and a study will probably be carried out to see if the locomotive facility is a hazard to health. Thanks to Frank Bauer for the infor- mation.
D.C. Streetcars The D.C. refers to the District of Columbia, not the type of current in use to power the electric cars. Regardless, the public should see signs of testing streetcars during 2013 and into 2014. Actual revenue service is not expected until 2014, at the earliest. Every- thing moves slowly in Washington. Three streetcars are on hand, as they
have been for years. The cars have been in storage, first in the Czech Republic and, at present, in a WMTA warehouse. The testing of the cars and the training of the operation staff will be in Anacostia along South Capi- tol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue. Delays in building and opening the line proposed for H Street and Benning Road has been caused by the District’s Historic Preserva- tion Review Board seeking landmark status
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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