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As an alternative to Sen. Harry Reid's High Speed Rail from Las Vegas to LA, here is a link to the proposed Las Vegas Railways Express "X Train":
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Place your bets eveyone whether this will ever turn a wheel in revenue service.
Likely another Ed Ellis Ski Train.
But just in case you want to throw some 5$$$ away.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: Place your bets eveyone whether this will ever turn a wheel in revenue service.
Likely another Ed Ellis Ski Train.
But just in case you want to throw some 5$$$ away.
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Mr. Norman, what is the Ed Ellis Ski Train? Is it the same as the Denver Ski Train?
The link didn't really say, but if they put aboard a casino car maybe it could make a lot of revenue. If they did that, could they only have the casino car open during the short portion through Nevada? Maybe they could declare the entire X Train an Indian reservation. That sort of thing would not be unusual. Maybe they could call if the "Super Chief".
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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Separately, and as reported in December TRAINS, the company has acquired 12 former C&NW bi-level cars.
Now the big issue: Daggett to LA over yhe BNSF i.e. Cajon Pass.
What of course is very interesting; where is Tuffy the Turtle, and where is the heap big wampum capacity expansion UP was imposing the last time there was a serious LA-LV initiative.
But absent LA access, this one has about as much chance as the Desert Express that would terminate in Victorville. Great for Mr. Mayo, but who else?
Other reports note the service would be operated by Amtrak under a POSA such as they now again hold with Metrolink. This should allay any well-founded concerns UP may have regarding ostsensibly Rules Qualified operating employees from othger sources such as the garbagemen.
However, one must wonder why UP threw up every roadblock to an operation by a deep pocketed publicly funded sponsor yet appartently will do business with this outfit.
I think LA-LV would be an overnight success, but I think "five a day of plain old trains" would have the best chance. But there is just some figures here that "just don't add up".
Finally, here is the current edition of the company's website:
They say it will be ready in 15 months. Looks like it could be very successful. Now, let's get one for the Bay Area to Reno, as this is suppose to be the last year for the "Reno Fun Train".
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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I find myself agreeing with Mr. Norman. It's interesting that the proposed schedule has one origin of Las Vegas (obviously) and the other as "Southern California" - but with a running time of five hours which seems (a) optimistic for Los Angeles; (b) pessimistic for Victorville/Barstow (Daggett).
Frankly, if the train did terminate in Daggett, which is all they've got conditional agreement on so far, nobody will use it. Even I can't see myself driving 45 minutes there, parking up, then getting on a train for three hours, when I could just carry on on I-15 for another 2h15. Even more so for the folks from "down the hill" (ie LA).
Of course the whole reason LV to Daggett has been granted is because it only sees half a dozen trains a day, if I remember correctly. A freight can go all the way from Las Vegas to Barstow without seeing another train at all.
Cajon Pass supposedly can cope with around 150 trains a day with about 2/3-3/4 used so far. Metrolink would like to extend from San Bernadino to Victorville (and would likely get high ridership by doing so) but capacity through Cajon Pass is cited as the problem there too.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I could be wrong, but I don't see this train ever running. They have a great web page, great PR, great marketing, great everything. However, NOTHING has happened as far as getting an actual train or an actual train station. They claim to have acquired F units (??) to power the train, and they also claim to have bi-level gallery commuter cars that they are refurbishing. NOBODY has caught a picture of any of this stuff, and railfans are pretty good with heads-up movements. I'm not sure what they have up their sleeve, but I until I see an actual choo-choo, I'll remain a skeptic.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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