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ALAMEDA CORRIDOR TRAFFIC INCREASING The Alameda Conidor continued to be a key Southern Califomiaintermodal route last year. A total of 19,924frains - an averageof 55 per day - usedthe 20-milecorridor, a I S-per- cent increasecompared with 2005 data, accordingto the AlamedaConidor TransportationAuthority (ACTA). ln addition,tains movingthrough the corridor in 2006 hauled about5 million, 20-foot containerequivalent units (TEUs),up 32 percentcompared with 2005's 3.75 n{llion TEUs, On average,tains move 14,000 TEUs through the Alameda Corridordaily. A recentlyreleased tade impactstudy by ACTA andthe ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach,which are servedby the corridor, showsthe ports handlemore than 40 percentof the nation's total containerizedimport traffic and 24 percentof exports. Since the Alameda Corridor opened in April 2002 as a RAILOUIz byJornvPrrnos freight-railexpressway between the ports and downtownL.A. Identiff the actiontaking placein the accompanyingphoto- rail yards,the route'scargo volume has increased 106 percent, gaph. ACTA said. The corridor is operatedby a uniquepartrership A Gandydancers on a binge. "Railfest" betweenthe Portof Los Angeles,the Portof lnng BeacbBNSF B on the Fillmore& Western. andUnion Pacific Railroad. C New rolling stockfor the NortheastConidor. [nfo. from BNSF Todayvia CharlesVames] Seeanswer on Page3 .

CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEEDRAIL by DtcxFrnlov Barcelona.A five-miletunnel is plannedthrough the Pyrenees Public scoping meetingswere held along the conidor to mountains,with costsrecouped over a 50-yearprivate franchise provide membersof the public with an opportunityto learn operation.Construction for a high-speedline from Madrid to aboutthe projecq ask questionsand provide feedback.Betweeir Toledois alsoincluded. April 4 and 17, 2007, five meetingdays were held in Los . Francecelebrated the 25th anniversaryof TGV recentlywith AngelesCounty involving the L.A. to PahndaleSegmenl or the completionof its eastemline that crossesthe vineyardsof I,.A, to OrangeCounty Segmentor both segments.For more Champagrre.About 400,00 people use the TGV for daily questions,call the CaliforniaHigh-Speed Rail Authorityat(877) commutingto jobs throughoutthe countryand Europe. 724-5422. For a month last fall in France,two TGV fains were put The PreliminarySchedule 2007-2009 (rounding off quarters) throughextensive operational lesting at speedsbetween 198 and Scoping- SecondQuarter (Q2),2007 224 mphon the Mediterraneanline to measurethe effects of Engineering& EnvironmentalStudies - Q2-Q4,2007 sustainedhigher speed on braking,enerry use,track mainten- Draft EnvironmentalImpact Report/ Statement - Q4, 2007,Ql' anceand passengercomfort. TGVs have been operatingat Q4,2008,and Ql,2009 speedsup to 198mph on this line since2004, PublicCirculation/Comment - Q2, 2009 o The United Kingdom will introducea new expresscommuter FinalEIR/EIS - Q3-Q4,2009 servicebetween London, St. Pancras,Ashford and the Kent Notice of Determination/Recordof Decision- Q4, 2009. coaston the high-speedChannel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) in News aboutHigh-Speed around the world - 2009. The fains, adaptedfrom the Japanesehigh-speed . Argentina is to begin constructionto link BuenosAires, Shinkansentrains, will pick up passengerson the existinglocal Rosario,and Cordoba in2007. The $800million project,with linesand then tie into the CTRL line to speedinto London. a first phaseof 3l I miles,will allow speedsbetween 155 and TheCTRL is the frst majornew link to be built in the UK in 186miles per hour. over a century,and when completewill cut an hour offtravel o Mexico is seekingbids on a $12 billion high-speedtrain line times for both regionalcommuters and internationalfravelers from Mexico City to Guadalajara. betweenLondon and Brussels and Paris. o Spainhas plans for a high-speednetwork, with the govem- o TheNetherlands will open shortly a new high-speedlink, ment fundine new rail infrastructureto serveMadrid and [continuedat HIGH-SPEED on Page3] Page2 Sats Day:2,16: Extra day:9,23,30. Committee Meeting:16. June8 MembershipMeeting, T:30 p.m., Alhambra Room Fri. at JoslynCenter.2l0 N. ChapelAve., Alhambra. "A June9 Trip to TehachapiPass" leaves San Dimas, 8:00 Sat. a.m.and returns 7:30 p.m. via LAUS & Glendale. WHEELCLICKS "Rocky June I I Exc. 528 Mountain Traveler" leavesSan MAY2OO7 VOLUME71, NO.2 Mon. Bernardinoon motor coach. June22 Exc. 528 returnsS. Calif. on SouthwestChie/. EDITOR .... DICKFINLEY TECHNICALEDITOR . CHARLESVARNES Fri. MAILER ...... FREDKNOX EXCURSIONDIRECTOR ...... BARBARASIBERT MEETING PROGRAMS by Rt'ssDAvtEs May I I - More of Harvey Laner's unique, original video! Publishedmonthly by PacificRailroad society, lnc., P. O. Box 80726,San "Winter Photo Marino,Califomia 91118-8726. The Society is a Califomiachartered, nonprofit He'll feature recent steam action of the organizationof thosewho sharean interestin railroadoperations, travel and Freights" on the Nevada Northern, includingthe 1909 HomePage: http://www' history. Telephone(562) 692-4858. INTERNET Alco Consolidation and l910 Baldwin Ten-wheeler. pacificrailroadsociety.orgForexcursion informaton, phone (626) 570-865 I . We'll alsosee the Heber Valley ex-UP 1907Consolidation arethose ofthe editorialboard, and do Opinionsexpressed in unsignedarticles performingin ProvoCanyon. Much snow! Be there and not necessarilyreflect the opinionsof the Society'its officersor directors Opinionsin signedarticles are those of theauthor only. All rightsreserved. bring slidebriefs! ISSN:00434744. A2007 BY PACIFICRAILROAD SOCIETY, INC June 8 - The Santa Fe owned and operatedonly two RDCs, MembershiPDues: $35'00 Per Year DC 191 and 192. The DC l9l is a survivor,and eachof PACIFIC R{ILROAD MUSEUM is operatedby PacificRailroad Society at you are part owners! PRS owns 191,and it's at Saunders glTT3 (909) 210 W. BonitaAve., SanDimas, CA Telephone 394'0616 Yard. Member Ed Saalig has been doing research,and e-mail:[email protected] Open Saturdays. l0 a.m-4 p m.; Museum gatheringimages for a book about thesetwo RDCs which Wednesdaysl-5 p m. preview MUSEUMCOMMITTEE CHAIR LINDSAY SMITH he plansto publish. The June presentationwill be a Ed's book We'll seeimages, and hearEd's narrativeof BOARDOF DIRECTORSOF PACIFICRAILROAD SOCIETY' INC. of VIC CARLUCCI ., ... ' PRESIDf,NT the historyof thesetwo interestingcars' includingthe tragic VINCE CANfARRANO .. VICE-PRESIDENT wreck in Los Angelesin the 1950s.Be there, and bring . SECRETARY BILL SMITH slide briefs! KEITHOGLE TREASURER MARTr ANN DRAPER(2007-2010) ..... DIRECTOR DTCKFTNLEY(2005-2008) .'.... DIRECTOR MEMBERSHIP by Vlnctt.lla GRITPP CHRISPARKER(2006-2009) .... DIRECTOR At the Board Meeting on April 6, SteveJ. Biffar was voted (2005-200s) .. ' DIRECTOR LTNDSAYSMITH into PRS. WILLWALTf,RS(2007-2010)...... '. DIRECTOR PRSNEWS - ARRIVALSAND DEPARTURES BOARD COMMITTEE MINUTES -MARCH 2,2007 May4 Boardmeeting,T:30 p.m., Valencia Room at by BtI-l SuIrs [Ed.- Selected for generalinformation] Fri. JoslynCenter, 210 N. ChapelAve., Alhambra. MUSEUM - Director Lindsay Smith reported he went to May 5, 6 Visit our tableat FullertonRailroad Days at Fuller- Hesperiato seeChard Walker, who will donatehis collectionto "When Sat.,Sun. ton Depot,Pomona & SantaFe Aves.' Fullerton Pacific RailroadMuseum I'm through with it." Slides May 5, 12, PacificRailroad Museum work party,l0 a.m.to 4 are being transferredto DVD. The Bill Farmerslide collection 19,26 p.m.,Bonita & MonteVista Aves., San Dimas. is being gone through. There has been good check reccvery Sats. Committeemeeting:26. from the recentthefts. The contractwith the currentbuilding May 5, 12, RollingStock repair day, 6:30 a.m. to ?, Saunders maintenancefirm has been canceled,with no more thefts as a 19.26 Yard,Noakes & HerbertSts.' Commerce. Regular result. PRM will have a booth at the PomonaValley Model Sats. Day:5, l9; ExtraDay:12,26. CommitteeMeeting: RailroadClub. If the SanDimas Historical Society moves to the 19. Moreinfo., phone WillWalters: 714-6374676. Walker House,PRM will haveaccess to its former space' Mayll Membershipmeeting, 7:30 p.m., Alhambra Room ROLLING STOCK - Chair Will Walters reporteda flurry of Fri. atJoslyn Center,2l0 N. ChapelAve., Alhambra. visitors at SaundersYard. Most repairshave been done on the May l8 SlideNight - SaundersYard, 7:00 p.m., Noakes & National Forum. Its windows are being addressedwith the Fri. HerbertSts., Commerce. Everyone welcome. Bring arrival of new window rubber' The issueof windows fogging up slidesand refreshments is a trial-and-enoraffair. The ex-ATSF Hi-Level transitioncar June I BoardMeeting,T:30 p.m., SAUNDERS YARD' is still at the LAUS gardentracks, and will be eventuallymoved Fri. Noakes& HerbertSts., Commerce' to SaundersYard. Restorationof the UP cupola cabooservill be June2,9, PacificRailroad Museum work party,l0 a.m.to 4 historically accurate. overhaul of tn-rcksof the ex-SParticulated 16,23,30p.m.,Bonita & MonteVista Aves., San Dimas. chair car will start again. Water has accumulatedin the piston Sats. Committeemeeting: 23. well of one of the locomotive's two engines, which can be June2,9, RollingStock repair day, 6;30 a.m. to ?' Saunders repaired. An exploratorytest will be undertaken' It was the 16,23,30Yard,Noakes & HerbertSts., Commerce. Regular consensusof the commifieethat the Hi-Level car can be brought WHEELCLICKS MAY 2OO7 Page3 to SaundersYard in regularfreight service at an estimatedcost Answerto RAILOUIZ fromPase l. "Railfest" of $I 500. B. Speederride at on March25,2007, in Fillmore, PUBLICITY- ChairJohn Ulloth has asked Fullerton RR Days Califomia. for a differentbooth location than the onelast year. NEW BUSINESS- DirectorWill Walterspassed out a rolling URBAN RAIL TRANSIT by Drcx FTNLEY stockcommittee notice of an offer by Utah TransitAuthority to LOSANGELES METRO RAIL donateone ex-C&NW - ChicagoRTA gallerycar to PRS RIDERSHIP (Pullman-Standard,1960-61). The committeewas to meetto February2007 RedLine BlueLine GreenLine GoldLine discussthis. If we acquirethe car, excursionuse would be WeekdayAve. 124,105 74,484 35,900 17,564 unlikely(truck rebuild would be required by ).It could SaturdayAve. 82,634 54,148 20,756 12,705 be usedas an interpretivedisplay. SundayAve. 71,265 41,850 16,153 10,005 MonthlyTotal 3,097,6931,373,672 865,645 442,129 NINA MELCHING PERSONNEL NinaMelching passed away on April l, 2007. Shewas the Metro Rail GeneralManager Gerald Francis resigned from the widowof RalphMelching, PRS Member No. 5. In earlieryears Los Angeles County MetropolitanTransportation Authority positionas deputy shewas active with Ralphin PRS,and both were active more (MTA)(Metro),effective March 30, to takea AreaTransit recentlyin the PasadenaHistorical Society. She was also active generalmanager of the WashingtonMetropolitan (WMATA). Franciswilljoin his formerboss, John recentlyin the localPEO chapter. Authority Catoe,who resignedas Metro's deputyCEO in Januaryto general WMATA. fromPage ll become managerof IHIGH-SPEED "Geraldhas been an integralpart of Metro'steam for the cuttingtime betweenAmsterdam and Paris to just threehours. pastfive yearsand I havetruly enjoyedworking with him for the o Germanyis expandingits ICE serviceswith newconstruc- past13 years (in Dallasand Los Angeles),"said CEO Roger tion of a link from Frankfurtto Mannheim.This is in addition Snoble.Francis joined Metro in January2002, after serving as to expansionplans for its westemhigh-speed corridor. vice-presidentof Rail Operationsfor DallasArea Rapid Transit. o Switzerlandis expectedto openthe new 20-mile low-level Duringhis tenure as Metro Rail chiei Francis,53, oversaw Lotschbergfunnel between Brig andBern, which will cut an the startupof the MetroGold Line,a trackreconstruction project houroff traveltimes between Italy andGermany. on theMetro Green Line, and multi-million dollar upgrades of o is constructinga high-speedtrain systemconnecting Turkey radiocommunications, surveillance and security equipment on of Ankarato Istanbul,the country'slargest the capitalcity the rail systemand at the Rail OperationsCenter. Also, the will travelat 155mph with passenger populationcenter. Trains Ansaldobreda2550 rail car prototypeand the first 2550 peryear. is planned be capacifyof 700,000riders Thesystem to productioncars were received and tested then. operationalby 2008. EMERGENCYSUBWAY OPERATORS o SouthAfrica is setto beginconstruction on thehigh-speed Preparingfor grim possibilities,Metro trained four hrefight- rail lineconnecting Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria. ing and law enforcementpersonnel in Feb.to operatesubway o Chinaplans for the2008 Olympics to open72 milesof a new trainsin caseof a major emergency.The four attendedeight 186 mph line being built betr,veenthe capital,Beijing, and hoursof classroointraining and eight hours training on the Red Tianjin. The trainsare basedon Siemens'ICE Velaronow Line. Metro is the first transitagency in the United Statesto operatingin Spain. hain fire andlaw enforcementpersonnel to operateheavy rail, o SouthKorea announced in July 2006,a high-speedline accordingto LAFD BattalionChief John Quintanar. He shessed bitweenTaegu and Busan. Transportationofficials notedthat thatfire andlaw enforcementpersonnel would only operaterail SouthKorea sees high-speed rail asa futuregrowth industry. carsto freerail operatorsfrom workingin a dangeroussituation. o Taiwanbegan commercial runs at 186mph between seven RAIL RODEO2OOT majorstations in November2006, usinghigh-speed trains based A well-seasonedteam of competitorsemerged as victors for on the JapaneseShinkansen 700 series. Within several years, the2007 Metro Rail Rodeoand will representthe agency,June 100,000daily passengersare expected, with operatingrevenues 2, attheAmerican Public Transportation Association Interna- coveringabout a quarterofconstruction costs. tionalRail Rodeoin Toronto. Leadingthe rail operatorteam A newhigh-speed rail systemdebuted in Taiwanin January. wilt beTu Phan(Red Line), Robert Rodriguez (Red Line), and The state-of-the-alt,environmentally-friendly transportation RamonReilly (Blue Line). Therail maintenancespecialists will optiontook 20 yearsto build at a costof $ l5 billionwith con- beEric Czintos(Blue Line), Ronnie Burt (BlueLine), and Toshi structionbeginning in 2000. Manaka(Red Line). [Info. from High-SpeedTrain Newsf FAREHIKES TO CLOSEBUDGET DEFICITS On March23 countyfansit officialsannounced plans for the LOS ANGELESCOUNTY RIDERS first farehike for busand rail linesin 13years. The proposai Duringthe monthof February2007,the average number of would hit commutersparticularly hard - a $52 monthlypass weekdayriders haveling on trainsgoing to, from,or within Los wouldcost as much as $120 by 2009.The proposal comes five AngelesCounty, other than on Amtrak,was289,754. This was monthsafter a restrictiveconsent decree expired, allowing MTA a 4 percentincrease over last month. officialsto raisefares. Page4 WHEELCLICKS MAY 2OO7

The plan would raisethe standardfare for one-waytrips $850million. from$1.25 to $2 by 2009. Daypasses, currently $3, would The first phase,which extendsMAX along Interstate205 on increaseto $5 in Julyand $8 by 2009. Monthlypasses would the so-calledGreen Line to ClackamasTown Center,is under cost$75 in July and $120in 2009. Underthe plan some construction. Milwaukie is next, which calls for a line that students,the elderlyand the disabled,currently paying $12 a would begin at PortlandState University wherethe new transit month,would be charged$60 by 2009. Any farehike would mall line will end. Then crossthe river southof OMSI andhead haveto passthe l3-memberboard. No datehas been announced alongSoutheast lTth Ave. and Mcloughlin Blvd. to Milwaukie. for thatvote, though it is expectedlater this spring. The 6.5-mileline would go eastfrom North Main St. to the "We can'tsustain the deficit," said Marc Littman, an MTA Tillamook branch railroad tracks, ending at Lake Road. The spokesman.He saidthat the current fares are some of the lowest plan featuresa largepark-and-ride lot and I I stations. in a majorU.S. city, with customerspaying only 24 percentof Opposition from N. Main St. industrial leadersprompted whatit coststo operatebecause of discountsand high-volume study of an altemateroute with a terminus at Kellogg Lake. But use. Tharcompares to the44 percentthat MTA officialpolicy officials droppedthe lake site becauseit was donatedto the city haslong dictated and the 38 percentnational average. l5 yearsago for exclusiveuse as a park. Thetwo-phase hike is neededto dig theMTA out of a $L I Transit advocateJim Howell saysthe new bridge is a bad billionbudget deficit, officials say. Littmansaid the MTA has idea. He would prefer to keep light rail on the east side of eliminated545 staff positions in the lastfive years,chased new Portland,because it would be cheaperand providefaster service advertisingrevenue and cut entirebus linesas partof annual than building a new bridge and sendingtrains into downtown. serviceadjustments. It isn't enough,he said,to makeup the But officials arguethat forcing commutersto transferto a bus or difference.Littman said the operatinggap for the MTA threa- MAX at the RoseQuarter to get downtown would discourage tensto impairfuhre service,especially as costly projects like the ridership. GoldLine extensionand the new ExpoLine cometo fruition, Otheraltematives would endthe line at ParkAve., while still requiringhigher operating expenditures. others would carry the line farther to Gladstoneand Oregon [nfo. from Los AngelesDowntown Newsl City, west acrossthe WillametteRiver to Lake Oswegoor east GOLD LINE FOOTHILLEXTENSION to ClackamasTown Center. Thecity of Ontarioin SanBernardino County has moved to Metro hopesto securefunding and the necessaryapprovals join theGold Line authority'sboard. Thiswas approved by the from local, regional,state, and federal agenciesto begin con- City Councilin December.In orderto qualif, for federal structionon the Portland-Milwaukiesegment as early as 201I . funding,the Gold Line Foothillextension needs to be listedas with completionby 2014. a high-priorityitem on Metro'slong-range plan. [nfo. from The Oregonianvia CarolineHobson] CarolInge, Metro's executive officer for planning,has said "All thelong-range plan will be updatednext spring. theright- CALTRAIN NEWS by Mrxr GoxnnoN of-wayis purchased.We haveresolutions of supportfrom all of On April 2, Caltrain implementeda fare increaseof 25 cents thesecities," said SusanHodor of the Gold Line Foothill per zone along with minor schedulechanges, to sevensouth- "We're ExtensionAuthority. reallypoised to beginconstruction bound moming trains. In addition to having to dig a little deeper assoon as these (funding) issues are resolved." for their tickets on April 2, Caltrain passengersalso had to [nfo. from Inland ValleyDaily Bulletinvia Ed Von Nordeck] endurelate trains due to a numberof mechanicalbreakdowns. PORTLAND,OREGON With short tumaround times for crews and equipment,it Portland'snew aerialtram to OregonHealth & Science didn't take long for the dominoeffect to take hold. Trainswere University(OHSU) had more than double the Feb.projection of run out of order,expresses became locals, and somecrews and ridership. Making the trip from the South Waterfront to equipmentwound up out of position. OHSU'sMarquam Hill campuswere 125,158 people, which far To compoundmatters fufther, therewas a minor derailment surpassedthe 66,000 originally projected. in SanFrancisco Yard and an attemptedsuicide involving Train OHSUemployees, students, patients, patient families, and No. 154 at Palo Alto. Fortunately,the Giants home openerat otherOHSU-subsidized riders accounted for 92 percentof the AT&T Park was the following day, or a total meltdown could riders. Eight percentof the riderspaid the $4 fare. Total haveresulted. revenuewas $32,736 for themonth. The problemsof April 2 probablywon't go far in increasing PORTLAND-MILWAUKIELIGHT RAIL PROJECT Caltrain ridenhip, but the 23 percentincrease it realizedbetween SoutheastPortland residents have long soughtlight rail June 2004 and June 2005, eamed Caltrain the Successin transit,but Clackamas County scuttled the ideatwice. Opposi- EnhancingRidership award. lt was presentedon March l2 by tion hasmelted because planners came up with a betterproject Federal Railroad Administrator James S. Simpson, and was thatdidn't cut throughhistoric neighborhoods. Communities awardednot only for ridershipgrowth, but also for having done have changedby becomingyounger, using masstransit, and so in a way that canbe emulatedby othertransit systems around havinghigher income levels. the country. Someroute issues remain, and the sitingof a newMAX-only Construction crews have been reconstructingthe station rail bridgeover the WillametteRiver between Oregon Museum tracksat SanFrancisco's 4th and King StreetsStation, replacing of Scienceand Industry (OMSI) and the SouthWaterfront are rails and ties, and resurfacing. Crews are doing two tracksat a still up in theair. Theproject could be built at a costofabout time, requiringsome trains to arrive and departfrom otherthan WHEELCLICKS MAY 2OO7 Page 5 their normaltracks. KANSAS CITY, MO. The waiting shelterat the Atherton Stationreceived some A discussionproposal has been put forth concemingrouting minor damagefiom a ltre aroundApril l. The causeof the fire oflight rail approvedby the votersNov. 7,2006. The first stage was not yet known at this writing. of a line would be l4 miles betweenTroost Ave. and Rockhill Road in the southof the city. Also, includedis North Oak RAIL TRANSITTEMPO by Tona NELSON Trafficway to Vivion Road in the north. This may change. CALCARY. ALBERTA LRVs IN PRODUCTIONFOR CITIES "C Two extensionsof the Calgary Train" are expectedto WESTOF THE MISSISSIPPIas of January1.2001 openin the Fall of this year. The light rail transit(LRT) system Phoenix,Valley Metro: 49, Kinkisharyo. will add 1.6 miles betweenWhitehom and McKnight/West- Los AngelesCounty MTA: 47, AnsaldoBreda. winds. as well as 2.4 miles from Dalhousieto Crowfoot. Portland,TriMet: 21, Siemens. SALT LAKE CITY Seattle,Sound Transit, Central Link: 33, Kinkisharyo. For Utah TransitAuthority (UTA), Bombardieris refurbish- SouthLake Union: 3 streetcars.Inekon. ing 29 light rail vehicles(LRVs) purchasedfrom the SantaClara Edmonton:26.Siemens Valley TransportationAuthority. The LRVs were built by CalgaryTransit: 37, Siemens. Bombardierin 1985-86. Work will be performedat a UTA Minneapolis,Hiawatha line: 3, Bombardier. facilily. DenverRTD. 34, Siemens. Next yearTRAX LRT, FrontRunnercommuter rail, Amhak, Dallas,DART: I l5 C-car insertsfor existingLRVs, Kinki- Grey'hound.and UTA buseswill convergeat 300 South600 sharyo. West.being refened to asthe DepotDistrict in SaltLake City. [nfo. from Ed Von Nordeck,lntemet via Ken Ruben,NARP Meanwhilea differenceof opinion has arisenwith a split News, R-yAge, Trainsl "Salt bet*een UTA officials who want to name the terminal "The LakeCentral Station" and those who prefer Hub." S.CALIF. COMMUTER RAIL bv Dtcx FTNLEY DENVER RIVERSIDE TheT-REX project'sl9-mile, Southeast Corridor, LRT line Metrolink will continueoffering fares50 percentoff the of the Denver Rapid Transit District (RTD), which began regufarweekday price, through June 30,2007. Unlike the runningon Nov. l7 lastyear, was slowedsomewhat by snowfall previousweekend service known as the Beach Train,linited to '07 in Dec. but recoveredlater in Jan. During Feb. the average the summermonths, Inland Empire OrangeCounty (fEOC) u'eekdarridership \!as up to just over 33,000. Thatsame month, weekendtrains operate throughout the year on a regularservice. the RTD light rail systemaveraged 62,500, exceedingthe Threeround trip trainstravel between Riverside stations and projectionof 54,000upon the completionof T-REX. Oceansideon Saturday.Two trainsoperate on Sundaymaking The FasTracksprogram's six corridors have fallen into a all IEOC Line stopsand one additional stop at the SanClemente muddle over electric vs. diesel rail. RTD was studying a Pier. Ticketscan be purchasedfiom Metrolink ticket machines. comparisonof bothpropulsion systems, depending on whether In December.the RiversideDowntown Station became the a particularroute would be LRT or commuterrai[. Thenan RTD newestfiee wirelessinternet location of the SmartRiverside directorsaid that $200 million or morecould be savedby using project. This serviceprovides station users access to e-mail, dieselcommuter rail in four of the conidors. WestConidor cuts office networksor the Intemeton the laptopor PDA. Average of $ 1l3 million areneeded to retum the projectto underbudget. speedsare l0 timesfaster than dial up connection. PHOENIX SCRRA MONITORING OR PROVIDING INPUT ' AlthoughValley Metro Rail's(VMR) ftrst-phase,20.3-mile, A quarterlyupdate on project collaborations/commentswas LRT line is not scheduledto openuntil Dec.2008, an extension presentedat the Metrolink Boardof Directorsmeeting on March to thenorthwest is beingplanned. Originally the expansion was 23, 2007. Southern California Regional Rail Authority to be 4.6 mileslong, but it hasbeen decided to shortenthe length (SCRRA)staff hasbeen monitoring or providinginput on the to 3.2miles and use $273 million in localfunds. VMR realized following Metrolinkoperations, capital projects, and plansfor theconstruction of 4.6 milesby thedesired completion in2012 growth. (SCAG) would not be possibledue to the complicatedprocedures in l. SouthernCalifornia AssociatedGovernments' obtainingfederal funds. This would delay any servicealong the RegionalTransportation Plan and TransportationImprovement lengthenedroute until 2014. Proqram. Staff participateson severalSCAG Committees NEW ORLEANS includingthe Plansand ProgramsTechnical Advisory Commit- The New OrleansRegional Transit Authority plans to reopen tee,the TransporlationFinance Task Force,the GoodsMove- anothersegment of its St. Charlesstreetcar line. This time it will ment'faskForce and the MAGLEV Task Force. be betweenLee Circle and Napoleon Ave. by mid-2007. 2. MTA Cost BenefitAnalvsis of Metrolink. The work started LITTLE ROCK in February2007. The extensioneastward of the River Rail streetcarline, on 3. OCTA's plansfor 30-minuteservice between Laeuna/Mis- the Little Rockside of the ArkansasRiver, was expectedto open sion Vieio andFullerton. The servicewill be initiatedby 2010. in lateFeb. this year. The line is to servethe ClintonPresiden- 4. RCTC'sPerris Vallev Line. Thiswill be an extensionof the the tial Library,which is adjacentto the former ChoctawRoute 9l Line at the RiversideDowntown Station. The terminusof railwaystation. line is in the Citv of Penisat Route74 andEthanac Road. Page6 WHEELCLICKS MAY 2OO7

5. RCTC I-15 Commuter Rail Feasibilitv Studv. The three Los AngelesRiver from just north of the VenturaFreeway (SR commuterrail scenariosto be evaluatedinclude high speedrail 134) near the Verdugo Wash south to WashingtonBlvd. is in and conventional rail technology based services between close proximity to SCRRA's railroad right-of-way, requiring Temeculaand San Diego along the proposed HSR conidor, and SCRRA's involvement in the review of all development a conventional commuter servicerunning north from Temecula proposals. It is SCRRA's statutoryresponsibility to provide to Corona with new tracks and right-of-way connecting to commuterrail serviceand to dispatchand maintainthe railroad Meholink's 9l and IEOC lines. The planned service levels righrof-way for interstatefreight and passengercommerce. includesix peak periodtrains with two mid-daytrains for each SCRRA's comments are designed to accommodate the of the alternatives. LARRMP developmentswhile ensuringongoing safe,reliable 6. SANBAG RedlandsRail Service. The SCRRA Strategic operationof passengerand freight servicein the corridor, and Assessmentassumes Meholink serviceis extendedto a Down- ensuringthe project doesnot precludegrowth of theseservices. town SanBemardino Station at E Streetand Rialto. This station I l. The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension. This project would serve as a transfer point to the proposed service to would provide24 miles of an LRT extensionfrom Pasadenato Redlands. The service proposesa self-propelledpassenger Montclairthrough 12 cities,with 12 proposedstations. There vehicle,i.e. a DieselMultiple Unit (DMU). Most of the existing would be transfer possibilities to Metrolink in Claremont, routewould be double-trackedto allow for l5-minuteheadways Montclair, and perhapsin Pomonaor La Verne. SCRRA has all day. made commentson the Draft EIR/EIS. The first phaseof the 7. VCTC's SantaPaula Branch Line. This is an ongoingstudy project betweenEast Pasadena and Azusa is in the preliminary of potentialpassenger rail on this line, probablyusing DMUs. engineeringphase. On February28,2007, SCRRA receiveda VCTC acquiredthe SantaPaula Branch Line from the former letterfiom the Gold Line ConstructionAuthority assuringthem SouthemPacific Railroad in 1995. The 32-milelong rail line of activeinvolvement in discussionsof commoninterest related includesapproximately 29 miles of existing track from Montalvo to SegmentI (to Azusa) and Segment2 (Azusa to Montclair). to Piru and 3 milesof abandoned(removed) track betweenPiru 12. Santa Barbara Commuter Rail Studv. SCRRA staff and RanchoCamulos. The line onceextended all the way east provided technicalsupport as requestedfor the 2005 study by to the City of SantaClarita, but that track has beenremoved, and the Santa Barbara Association of Govemments of potential portionsof the right-of-wayno longerexist. commuterrail from Ventura to SantaBarbara. The study was 8. Anaheim Regional Transportation lntermodal Center developedas suppoftfor SantaBarbara's unsuccessful sales tax (ARCTIC). The ARCTIC is an intermodaltransportation center measureon the November2006 ballot. locatedin the City of Anaheim, along the Los Angelesto San 13. LOSSAN North StrateeicPlan. This is to developa strategic Diego (LOSSAN) rail line. The project is boundedby State plan for growth in the intercity rail corridor north of Los Angeles Route57, the SantaAna River, and KatellaAvenue, and in close to San Luis Obispo on rights-of-wayowned by Union Pacific proximity to I-5. ARCTIC will serveas a hub for many transit Railroad,VCTC, and LACMTA. The southemportion of this modesproviding everything from conventionalbus serviceto corridor includesMetrolink's Ventura County Line. plannedregional high technologyfransportation systems. In 14. BNSFiCaltransImprovements on the BNSF betweenCom- addition, ARCTIC will strategically facilitate the proposed merce and Fullerton. SCRRA staff is attending quarterly California High SpeedRail alignment,as well as the Anaheim meetingsand monitoringthe progressof thesecapital improve- to Ontario InternationalAirport segment of the California- mentsand gradeseparations. The triple track segmentbetween Nevada InterstateMaglev project. This project expandsexisting Basta(MP 163.0)and Buena Park (MP 160.3)was scheduled to transportationinfrastructure for Amhak Intercity rail, Metrolink be in serviceon April 15,200'7. (l-5) cbmmuter rail, Orange County rapid transit systems, and 15. GoldenState Freewav HOV lanesand EmpireAvenue Anaheim Resortshuttles. OCTA and the City of Anaheim are Underpass.The Stateof California,Department of Transporta- cooperatingon acquiringnecessary property with local funds. tion (Caltrans)is in the processof designingand constructing The project is in preliminarydesign. HOV lanesand widening the GoldenState Freeway (l-5) from 9. Park-SpectrumGuidewav Demonstration Proiect' This is an StateRoute 134to ll8. As part of the projectSCRRA will advancedguideway transit project to servethe Great Park (ex-El cooperatewith Caltransin relocatingValley Subdivisiontracks Toro Marine CorpsAir Field) and Irvine Spectrumareas of the and constructinggrade separationsat Buena Vista St., San City with the lrvine TransportationCenter (lTC) serving as a FernandoRd. & EmpireAve. in the City of Burbankin orderto hub. Amtrak and Metrolink OrangeCounty and IEOC Lines accommodatethe freeway project. To accomplishthis, the track on currentlyserve the ITC. Early phasesinclude the development behveenBurbank Blvd. and Hollywood Way will be elevated at of a funding plan, public outreach,and a projectdefinition study, an embankmentwith retaining wall structuresand bridges and to updatethe ITC Master Site Plan. Future funding is antici- EmpireAve. andBuena Vista St. provided patedfrom the City's $l2l millionallocation of Proposition116 16. Grade SeparationProiects. SCRRA staff has (Clean Air and Transportation Act) funds, subject to the technicaland constructionsupport for numerousgrade separa- rights-of- approvalof the Califomia TransportationCommission and the tion projectsto be constructedby otherson Metrolink 16, ability of the City to fund the required50 percentmatch. way. Theseprojects and their current statusas of March 10. Los AneelesRiver RevitalizationMaster Plan (LARRMP). 2007.is: . - In May 2006 SCRRA providedcomments on the Notice of RamonaBlvd. in City of El Monte Under Construction . - Preparationand Initial Study for an EIR/EIS. The reachof the Siena Highway in SantaClarita Under Construction WHEELCLICKS MAY 2OO7 Page7

. I-5 SylmarOverhead Widening - UnderConstruction serviceattendants are now able to get instantauthorizations from . Jeffrey Road in Irvine - UnderConstruction soon credit card companies. . HavenAve. in RanchoCucamonga - Under design(90%) The processingterminals accept all major credit cards,and . I-10widenins in El Monte - Under design(90%) there are no minimum purchaserequirements. For purchases . SandCanyon Avenue in Irvine - Under design(50%) under $25, no signatureis neededand receiptsare issuedonly . FairmontAvenue in Glendale - Underdesign (5%) when requestedby the customer. INTERCITY TRAINS PASSENGERTRAINUPDATES byCHnnlrsVlnxrs LakeshoreLimited On Feb.27,the SenateSurface Transportation and Merchant Tr. No. 48, the eastboundLake Shore Limited, will depart Marine Infrastructure,Safety, and SecurityCommittees held a Chicagoat l0 p.m. nightly, allowing it to acceptmore passengers hearingon S.294,the PassengerRail Investmentand Improve- aniving on other trains from the west and south,while providing ment Act of 2007. a more attractive eastbounddeparture from Cleveland. At PennsylvaniaGovernor, Edward G. Rendell;Joseph H. Chicago,Lake ShoreLimited passengerscan begin boardingtwo Boardman,Federal Railroad Administrator and Secretaryof hours before departureand Sleeping Car customerswill be Transportation's Representiveto the Amtrak Board; Alex offered a complimentaryWelcome Aboard Reception in the Kummant,National Railroad PassengerCorporation (Amtrak) Dining Car in lieu of dinner. hesident & CEO ; Frank Busalacchi,Secretary of the Wisconsin Tr. No. 448, the eastboundextension of the Departmentof Transportation;and Ms. Kelly Taylor,Adminis- Limited between Albany/Rensselaer,N.Y., and Boston, via trator of the Rail Division, Oregon Departmentof Transporta- Springfield,Mass., will departat 4:10 p.m. due to the new tion, appearedbefore the Committee. Chicago-Rensselaer-NewYork scheduleof Tr. No. 48. The bill was introduced on Jan. 16 and referred to the MIDWEST ROUTES committeethe sameday. The hearingheld on Feb. 27 is the The schedulesof the Kqnsas City Mule (Tr. No. 3l l), ,S/. latestaction on the bill. By mid-April the bill had 33 cospon- Louis Mule (TR. No. 316), and the Ann Rutledge(Tr. Nos. sors. Califomia SenatorBarbara Boxer was one of the original 3131314)were adjustedeffective April 2 due to a major track ninecosponsors. repair project by the Union Pacific. The project will continue AMTRAK NEWS through the fall of 2007. During the constructionperiod, UP SpringSummer Timetable will install new rail, ties, ballast and replace surfacesat road The Spring Summer2007 Amtrak SystemTimetable became crossings. While the modified scheduleswill permit train effective April 2. It bears the cover dates April 2, 2007 - serviceto continue,Amtrak has reservedthe right to occasion- October,2007, An Expresstrain crossingthe Hell Gate ally charterbuses to representtrains that would otherwisebe Bridge is picturedon the fiont cover. The backcover carriesan greatlydelayed. advertisementfor the Railway Media, LLC digEplayer. TIte l(olverine Chicago-Detroitservice has beenimproved The new timetableis larger,measuring ll by \t/z inches,the with a changeof Tr. No. 350's Chicago departuretime to 8:30 samesize as the Amtrak Vacations Travel Planner,and contains a.m.allowing a connectionfrom Milwaukee-ChicagoHicwatha 128pages. The previousSystem Timetable measured l0 by 8 Tr. No. 330. Tr. No. 352, the mid-day llolverine Service,will inches,and contained136 pages. departChicago at l2:15 p.m to offer more attractivearrival time The Table of Contentsis anangedwith routes shown in an at Michigan stations. eastto west order: NortheastCorridor Service,Routes in the East,Routes in the Midwest, Routes in the West, West Coast Amtrak has expandedat:seat food cart serviceon its Acelq (Pacific Northwest), and West Coast (Califomia Conidor). Expresstrains. The additionof cart serviceon four Acelas brings Eachroute title is placedupon a colored background,which is the serviceto a total of ten trains. Regular cafd servicewill reflectedin a matching color tab along the right side of the Table continueto be offered with similar menu choices. of Contentspage. This is keyedto a matchingcolor tab on pages There are minor changesto Acela Expressschedules along within the timetable,making it easierfor the user to find the the Boston-New York-Washington corridor, and several sectionof the timetablethey need. improve-mentsplanned for the between Selectedschedule adjustmentsin the new timetable are Harrisburg,Pa., and Philadelphia. includedin the appropriatesection of this column. Thereare no Two new weekendKeystones will be operated. On Satur- significant changes in schedule changes for western long- days,Tr. No. 610 willdepart Harrisburgat 7:05 p.m.to offer a distance,intercity trains and the Pacific Surfliners, San Joa- later eastbounddeparture and connect in Philadelphiawith quins, , or Amtrak Cascqdes. Regionaltrains to the north and south. On Sundays,Tr. No. 615 WirelessCredit Card Processingon Long DistanceTrains will offer an additionalwestbound frequency from Philadelphia During the coming year, Amtrak will roll out wirelesscredit at 1:45 p.m. for passengersretuming home or to school at the cardprocessing using wireless electronic credit card processing endofthe weekend. Washington, terminals on all trains where food and beverageservice is A new Regionaltrain betweenNew York and departingNew York at offered. This follows the successfullaunch of the terminalson Tr. No. 121,will operateon Saturdays, Philadelphia,Baltimore or Acela Expresstrains last year. 5:45a.m. to allow a full day visit to new Tr. No. 147 departs The credit card processingterminals will be used for cafd Washington. Also on Saturdays, Mass., at 8:05 a.m., providing an additional car,dining car and at-seatcart services.Using the new devices' Springfietd, Page8 WHEELCLICKS MAY 2OO7 frequencysouthbound to Washington. CALIFORNIA REGIONTIMETABLE 18 DEPOTDOINGS by Crunlns VARNES New Orleans TheCalifomia Region Timetable 18 went on saleon March In February,the New OrleansRegional Planning Commis- l0 at Winterail2007. Thetimetable is the firstto bepublished sionreceived a $994,000Federal Railroad Administration grant sinceDavid Curleeacquired the AltamontPress Publishing to fund a studyof the future role of the New OrleansUnion Companyfollowing the deathof its owner,Rob Carlson,in PassengerTerminal (NOUPT) in meetingthe city's transporta- April2006. tion needs. The grant will support its efforts to identiff all Thetimetable, like its predecessors,covers California rail- ownersof NOUPT property, including land and air rights; roadsfrom the Oregonto the Mexicanborder, and fro:n the reviewcurrent transportation uses of the facility;and determine Nevadaand Arizonastate lines to the Pacificshoreline. It financialand developmentgoals for future projectfeasibility containspages showing BNSF, Union Pacific,short line and studies.This planningphase is expectedto takeuntil the endof touristrailroads, Caltrain, Metrolink and San Diego Northem 2008. (Coaster)lines. Eachpage shows mile posts, stations, sidings "A The grant announcementstated, number of cunent andspeeds. The number oftracks and how they are dispatched "special passengerrail developmentinitiatives might benefit from the is included,also. The Instructions"section contains planningprovided by this grant. For example,the NOUPT is CalifomiaAmtrak schedules effective October 20,2006, freight presentlypart of severallarger regional plans under consider- train symbols,radio frequenciesand rosters. Railroad sigrral ationto develophigh-speed rail servicelinking New Orleansto aspects,a Californiamap and regional maps are included, also. Houston.Atlanta and Mobile. In addition, state and local Theprice of theCalifomia Region Timetable l8 is $22'95. leadershave discussed using the terminalas part of a potential It canbe orderedfrom AltamontPress at www.altamontpress. BatonRouge to New Orleanscommuter rail service.The facility com. It is alsoavailable in stores. plansto alsoserves as a key elementin the region'semergency Thenext timetable to be publishedwill beNorthwest Timeta- evacuateresidents from the city'" ble 8. It shouldbe available in summer2007. RAIL NEWS OTHERPASSENGER OtherAltamont Press timetables available are the California PassengerRail Project CalifomiaHigh-Speed RegionTimetable 17 ($10.00),Kansas City TimetableI Administrationan- On March 16, the FederalRailroad ($16.00),Rocky MountainTimetable 7 ($19.95)'Southwest jointly prepare an EnvironmentalImpact nounced it will Timetable5 ($19.95), and Texas Timetable I ($19'95)' Statement(EIS) with the CaliforniaHigh-Speed Rail Authority proposedhigh-speed pass€nger for two sectionsof the state's FRENCH TRAIN SETSSPEED RECORD documents,covering the Palmdale to rail project.The two EIS A Frenchtrain with a 25,000-horsepowerengine and special Angelesto OrangeCounty corridors, will LosAngeles and Los wheelsbroke the world speedrecord at the endof Marchfor preliminaryengineering desigrs and assess the environ- involve conventionalrail trains,reaching 357.2 mph. The black-and- impact associatedwith construction,operation, and mental chromeV I 50 with threedouble-decker cars fell shortof beating of the proposedproject. Thesetwo conidorsare maintenance the ultimaterecord set by Japan'smagnetically levitated train, part theAuthority's plan to build a 700-milehigh-speed rail of whichhit 361mph in 2003. The demonstrationwas meant to iystemfrom Sacramento/SanFrancisco to SanDiego capable of showcasetechnology that Franceis trying to sell to the speedsin excessof 200miles per hour. multibillion-dollaroverseas markets such as China. from Ken Ruben,Ed Von Nordeck] [nfo. The FrenchTGV, or train a grandevitesse, as the country's bullettrain is called,had two engineson eitherside of thethree PACIFIC STEAM OPERATIONS 2OO7UNION the recordrun, about 125 miles east of by CHanlrs Vlnxns double-deckercars for the capitol on a new track linking Paris with Shasbourg' Union Pacific has announcedthe operationof five steam Normally,French TGVs travel at a cruisingspeed of about186'4 poweredspecial trains in 2007. mph. May 1- May 31. The PacificNorthwest Portland Rose A Californialawmaker, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, wason pulledby the 844. Displaysare planned at RockSprings, Wyo'; -Pocatello when the Frenchtrain surpassedthe previousmark for andBoise, Idaho; LaGrande, Hinkle, and The Dalles, board conventionalrail of 320.2mph, which was set in 1990by Ore.lTacoma, Wash. and Portland, Ore' Frenchhain. Ma was part of a delegationof a half- June23 - July 5. The Corn Belt Rocketpulled by the 844' another who were in Francein part to examinethe Displaystops are plannedat North Platte,Fremont, and Fair- dozenlawmakers rial systemas California considers building bury,Neb.; Boone, Iowa; Trenton and Kansas City, Mo' Frenchhigh-speed its own to carry passengersat speedsof July 19- July22. The DerwerPost Cheyenne Frontier Days a 700-milesystem of Speciilpulled by the 844. The locomotivewill be on displayin morethan 200 mph. bondmeasure that would help pay for Denver. A nearly$10 billion LosAngeles and San Francisco, Aug.22- Aug. 26. The ColoradoState Foir a high-speedrail linebetween will beon Califomia's pulledby ChallengerNo.3985. The locomotiveis scheduledto wittrtinfs to SanDiego and Sacramento' voteon the bondmeasure has be on displayin Denverfor severaldays. 2008November ballot. But a Schwarzenegger Sept.3 --Sept. 23. Tlte OklahomaCentennial Sooner Roclret beendelayed twice already,and Gov. Arnold pulledby the 8i4. Displaysare planned at Herington,Wichita, wantslawmakers to bumpit from the 2008ballot' andtoplka, Kan.;and Enid, El Reno,and Duncan, Okla' [Info. from theLos Angeles Timesl WHEELCLICKS MAY 2007 Page 9

HIGH DESERT TRAIN COLLISIONS by Dtcx FInlnv implementationof the Department'sNational Rail SafetyAction On April 3 a Hesperia man was lucky to escapea car Plan:which focuseson the most frequent,highest-risk causes of "By accidentwith his life. the time he [EmanuelMcCarey, 57] train accidents;optimizes the use of data to target federal was out and we checkedthe vehicle to make sure no one else inspectionand enforcementresources; and acceleratesresearch was inside,that's when I saw the train coming," said Sgt. Dale initiativesthat hold promise to mitigate the greatestpotential Cunninghamof the San BernardinoCounty Sheriff s Depart- safetyrisks. ment station. During 2007,the FRA is planningadditional action to further Around l0 p.m., McCarey was traveling eastboundon improverail safety,including: adding two new automatedhack Walnut St. at HesperiaRd. at about 55 mph, when he failed to inspectionvehicles to its fleet to triple the numberof track-miles stop at the stop sign. He crossedthrough HesperiaRd., hit a inspectedeach year; issuing a final rule to addressthe most trench on the east side, and still had enough momentum to common human factor causesof train accidentssuch as mis- launch the car onto the railroad tracks beside the trench. alignedtrack switches;and completingseveral grade crossing Onlookersand deputieswere able to pull McCarey out of his safety and trespass prevention initiatives. In February the vehicle about a minute before the 7,717-foot BASF train Department submitted a rail safety reauthorization bill to slammedinto it at 55 mph, scatteringvehicle debris everywhere. Congressseeking authority to addresskey safety issueslike "lt just obliteratedthe car when the train struck. The vehicle regulatingrailroad employeehours of serviceand establishing went up into the air. The enginewas dislodgedand flew out Ln new risk reductionprograms. "lt anotherdirection," Cunninghamsaid. was unbelievable." Preliminary2006 Data for Califomia LenaKent, spokeswomanfor BNSF, saidthere were various Jan.-Dec.2005 Jan.-Dec.2006 Change types of freight on the train, which was delayedan unknown Total trespasserfatalities 88 9l Up 3 period of time. McCarey was booked into the Victor Valley Jail Total train accidents* 199 176 Down 23 on suspicionof driving underthe influenceof alcohol. Total highway-railgrade According to Chard Walker,the samething happenedat the crossingincidents 148 t66 Up 16 samelocation in Hesperia,when he was working in the SantaFe Total highway-railgrade Depot in Victon'ille in the early 1980s. In that event,a lady crossinsfatalities 22 36 Up 14 monitoringthe Citizens'Band for emergenciesphoned to advise * Excludeshighway rail-gradecrossing incidents. the depotthat an automobilewas stuck on the tracks. [nfo. from the U.S. Dept. of Transportationvia CharlesVames] Chard had time to leam that an eastboundfreight train was out of Summit and approachingHesperia. He was able to UNION PACIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL MODERNIZA- contactthe enginecrew by radio and advisedthem to slow down TION PLANNED FOR ICTF and approachthe locationprepared to stop,which they did. The (UP) has announceda plan to (ICTF) [nfo. from Chard Walker and V ictorville Daily Press) modemizeits IntermodalContainer Transfer Facility in Los Angeles,which will hansform the 2O-yearold facility into RAILROAD ACCIDENTS DECLINED IN 2006 the most environmentally modem and most efficient rail port in The numoerof train accidentsdeclined for the secondyear North America. By using state-of-the-arttechnology, the in a row and there were fewer highway-rail gradecrossing colli- nation's largest railroad will be capable of supporting the sionsaccording to preliminary2006 rail safetydata. Thirty six predicted growth for port container haffic in Southem Califor- statesexperienced fewer train accidentsin 2006 as comparedto ni4 while at the sametime reducing emissionsfrom the facility's 2005. operations. ' Thepreliminary statistics released on March 7 bythe Federal UP plans to investup to $300 million over severalyears to Railroad Adminishation (FRA) revealthat in 2006 railroadshad modemize the facility. ICTF is a near-dockfacility locatedfive 402 fewer train accidentsnationwide, or a 12.4 percentreduction miles north of the San PedroBay Port complex. The plan will from 2005. Specifically, the numberof derailmentsdeclined 8.3 more than doublethe capacityof ICTF. percentand collisionsbetween trains decreasedby 27.1 percent. Environmental and efficiency improvementswill be accom- Texas led the nation with 5l fewer hain accidentslast year plishedthrough the conversionfrom diesel-poweredequipment followedby Ohio (34),Nebraska (32), Indiana(29), New Jersey to ttre latesghigh+ech electric-powered equipment. Ten existing (24), andCalifomia (23). diesel-poweredgantry craneswill be replacedwith up to 39 The datafor 2006 also revealthat train accidentscaused by specially designedelectric-powered, rail-mounted cantilever human error - the leading causeof all train accidents- declined gantry cranes. The cranesare usedto lift containerson and off 20.2 percent. Train accidentscaused by track issuesdecreased railcars. This will supportthe removalof 7l of the 73 existing 5.8 percent,and those causedby equipmentfailure and sigral diesel-poweredtmck tractors. The two remainingtruck tractors problemsfell by 8.2 percentand27.0 percent,respectively. will be replacedby two new units that operatewith an altemative In addition, last year the number of highway-rail grade fuel source. crossingcollisions felt by 5.0 percent.However, grade crossing Additionally, the plan calls for a uniqueprocess of stacking fatafities increasedby 1.4 percentto 362; alrd, trespassfatalities, of containersunder the newly designedcantilever cranes in order the number one causeof all rail-relateddeaths, increased by 14.5 to reduce the area required for container storage. This new percentto 530. method of stackingcontainers eliminates the needto increasethe Some of the safety gains are attributable to aggressive sizeof the facility,which traditionallywould havebeen required Page10 WHEELCLICKS MAY 2OO7 to handlethe predictedgrowth of freightvolume coming into the when I've had the opporhurity to ride in the cabs of steam, L.A. and Long Beach Ports, This also providesthe added diesel,and electric locomotives, and I enjoyedthem all' How- benefit of a larger buffer zone betweenthe rail yard and the ever, perhapsthe most memorableride of all took place in the surroundingcommunity. This breakttrough containerstacking early 1950swhen I was serving in the U.S. Army with the method will be made possibleby the purchaseof specially SecondArmored Division in OccupiedGermany. designedwide'span gantry cranes. To further reducethe impact In the fall of 1954 our tank companywas retumingto its of this facility on the community,the plan calls for a new hooded homebase by fiain, operatedby the GermanFederal Railway. lighting systemthat will direct light toward operationsin the 24 The consistincluded 15 flatcars,each with anM47 Armored x 7 facility and away from adjacentneighborhoods. Tankand three passenger (military) carson the rear. The motive "Decapods." tlP's new desigr andtechnolory will s@ tre entryand exit powerthat daywas a doubleheadedset of2-10-0 of trucks by installing UP's state of the art Automatic Gate Theselocomotives were built and usedby Germanyduring System which employs Optical CharacterRecognition for World War II, andwere known as KRIEGSLOKOMOTIVEN, capturingirnages and convertingimages into dataat the time of or War Locomotives.They were74 feet in length,weighed 93 both in-gateand out-gatemovements. Additionally, UP plansto tons,and had 55 inch diameterdriving wheels. add additional gate lanes which, combined with the new At onestation stop on thatfiip, I walkedup to the leadengine technolory,will reducethe time a fruck dwells at ttreFacility by in order to look it over. I was standingon the platform on the approximately50 percent. fireman'sside, but whenthe engineerstepped across the cab and locomotiveswith UP will also replacethe current switching lookeddown, I surprisedmyself when (in broken German)I which sigrrificantlyreduce state-of-the-artGenset Switchers, askedif I could come up. His answerwas an even bigger ICTF modernizationplan also entailsnoise emissions. The surprisewhen he said,"JA!" measuresby replacingor eliminatingnoise'ge'nerating reduction My cabride in that2-10-0 lasted for closeto 100miles, and equipment. over thosemiles I had a chanceto watch and leam aboutits UP's applicationfor the ICTF ModemizationPlan was operation. In addition,I was evenpermitted by the friendly submittedto the Port of Los Angeleson March 29. The Port of enginecrew to handfire the locomotivewith a coal scoop. Los Angeleswill have 30 days to review the applicationfor As a finale to my experience,by using the locomotivesteam completeness.The increasedfreight taffic and the revenueit whistle,I demonstratedsome American sigrrals, such as: grade generatesmake these improvements financially feasiblefor the crossing,back up, etc. Europeanwhistle signalswere not as company, complexas in the United States,and the engineerrequested that [Info. from.upn.com/newsinfovia CharlesVames] I stop. In looking back, I know that this is one cab ride that will neverfade from my recollections.

"Decapods," GermanFederal Railway 2'10-0 Nos.42 616and 42 2805,awaiting assignment on a U.S.military train in 1954 at the station in Bingen, I4lestGermany, Photo: Bellingrodt-Archives

acquisition k ex-ATSF CAB RIDES by JonNPETRoS Pacilic Railroad Society's newest wasmodilied and run by Amtrak As a young personliving neara SouthemPacific branch line, TransitionCoach 545,which 39919. Tltecs is sbwn at theAmtrak Gar- I was quite fortunate to have a friendly engineerinvite me up as itsDorm Coach at Los AngelesUnion Station' It is rcw at Saurders into the steamlocomotive cab while carswere being picked up den Traclu Yard. Photoby ChrisParker and setout in the local freight yard' This would be my first cab ride. Through the years there have been a number of occasions