WhiteRiverProductions
Two Volumes of Majestic Wonder
massive effort is focusing on that basical- ly rural segment as the train line “starter” supposedly because of its relative absence of barriers more common to urban precincts in California — the “big cities” where it will ul- timately operate. One ponders what fate would have befall-
en the 19th century transcontinental railroad had the West Coast landscape resembled anything like today’s California. But then, putting the shoe on the other foot, without the transcontinental railroad, no such land- scape would have been built up to the extent that it has as of the early 21st century. But such chicken-and-egg hypothesis is left for another day.
Commitment? Yes or No? As for the Rio Grande: Crest of the Continent
effort to get these 36 firms to pony up some money as a rock-solid investment, that ap- pears to be lacking as of Sheehan’s interview. Jeffrey Morales, CEO of the California High- Speed Railway Authority, and others with the agency have cautioned that “interest” not- withstanding, “they’re not bringing a check- book with them yet, but they’re bringing their ideas, their interest, and their commitment to work with us.” Morales also had an observa- tion that obviously elicited the keen interest of attorney Flashman. Mr. Morales then adds hopefully: “[A]fter Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature [steered 25 percent of Cap and Trade money to high-speed rail] “now they’re coming to see us.”
Meanwhile, in Texas Swinging over from the largest U.S. state
to the second largest, we find better news for those who hope for more nigh-speed rail in this country. In Texas we have an HSR line
Rio Grande: Heart of the Rockies $79.95 ea.
Produced by Dale Sanders
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Official Cars By Donald M. Munger & Jeffrey Alan Cauthen
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istory of SP Official Cars and that of subsidiaries T&NO, SPdeM, SSW
NWP and PE etc. Library bound, 8½x12 horizontal format, 528 Pages, 590 photos —176 in color—and 110 plans, Rosters, Appendix, Bibliography and Index.
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Delaware & Hudson: Thunder & Lightning Stripes
This beautiful all-color book covers the D&H from the 1970s to the 1980s. Smokin’ Alcos, powerful U-boats, flashy Geeps that the D&H was famous for, all in full color! From Albany to Allentown and beyond, you’ll see pushers on Belden, action on the Penn Division, run- through freights along the Lehigh and includes an index.
CLASSIC D&H ACTION! $19.95
S/H per book: $5 US, $9 Canada, all others, call or email for rates.
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linking (hopefully someday) Dallas and Hous- ton that could produce a rounded-out figure of $36-million-plus in terms of economic bene- fits to the Lone Star State. Those calculations come from research by
Insight Research Corp. of Allen, Texas. Tex- as Central Partners, the private firm devel- oping the HSR project, released the figures, which the researchers found would redound to Texas’s benefit over the next quarter of a century — benefits that would be “substan- tial and long-lasting.” Included in those fig- ures are the $10 billion that Texas Central figures it will spend on design and construc- tion. The railroad says it plans to begin oper- ation in 2021. Hold the Phone: So the trains are more
or less on a “smooth path” before they’re even manufactured, let alone operational. And then consider the fact that, unlike California, the Texas Central project is owned, planned, and will be operated by private interests that will rely on their own dime to pay for it all. Nothing from the taxpayers. The customers foot the bill. If you don’t want to ride the thing, you won’t get a bill. So that clears the way for everyone to live happily ever after. Right? I said “Right?” Hello! Anybody home? Ahem; Details: There is a groundswell
of protest (seemingly largely rural) against building any Texas Central Railroad. The lead protest group is named, logically Texans Against High-Speed Rail. The group is solidly “grassroots,” and consists of “insiders,” judg- ing from their posted backgrounds. Take for example the organization’s Gen-
eral Counsel, Frank Reilly. Mr. Reilly’s legal career, as of the writing of his bio, has in- cluded “[noted as an] expert in Texas takings
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