mja

I don't know who told this, but it is absolute wrong! SEPTA was considering the St. Louis built rapid cars, but body conditions and under floor mounted equipment that wouldn't clear the third rail lead to SEPTA's decision to settle on the CTA 6000s as their stopgap.

It has come to my attention that Amtrak's Board has named the former CEO of Norfolk Southern, Wick Moorman as Amtrak's new president. Announcement made in the Wall Street Journal.

I know it's years in the future, but I worry RTA will acquire these dual-mode cars on the cheap with a beggars-can't-be-choosy mentality. The current Red Line cars, though getting old and somewhat creaky in places (and whose doors 'explode' open), are still the best rail cars I've ever experienced in my long career of Cleveland transit riding (and they rate among the best of all rapid transit cars I've ridden throughout the country and abroad). The Red Line Tokyu cars are attractive design-wise both from the outside and within (love the silver-steel rapid transit look of the car bodies), spacious, possess fast, quality propulsion and braking systems and provide a smooth, "big car" ride. I truly hope RTA doesn't replace these with narrow, cramped streetcar-ish LRTs. Those SF Muni dual-height platform cars you showed earlier are exactly what don't want for the Red Line: ugly/boxy, narrow, tight-seating that probably deliver a bumpy streetcar-ish ride -- the type, not unlike the current Blue/Green cars that jostle riders when they run over switches -- the same switches that you often barely feel on Red Line's current Tokyus. Just my thoughts. Just because the SF Muni cars are built with narrow bodies doesn't mean that a car of that model for Cleveland would be built the same way. Calgary, whose original fleet were based on the Duwag U2, will have theirs the same width as the U2s. If this design is chosen for Cleveland, it would be built to the same width as a Breda LRV. This design is a modern version of the 1970's "Stadtbahn B" car for Cologne and Bonn, which eventually were used to re-equip the former KBE lines between Cologne and Bonn, now KVV #16 & #18. However, if one doesn't like the ride quality of an articulated car, then the Siemens built cars for Stuttgart's SSB lines would be the solution. These are back-to-back dual platform cars with two four wheeled trucks, which ride better. BTW, for the record, the term "dual mode" should only refer to those vehicles with two sources of propulsion. For these cars proposed for RTA, the term should be "dual height" or "dual platform".

It seems that you are not well informed about this subject. I have rode transit in cities in the US, Canada and Germany, plus a little foray into France. Your assertion that Siemens (note spelling) "looks cheap" has no basis in operational reality. I have rode Siemens built cars in Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Norfolk and Sacramento, along with cities in Germany like Cologne, Bonn (folding step dual platform height cars on the former KBE), Karlsruhe, including the dual voltage tram-train cars and Frankfurt. If these cars were "cheap" like you claim, then why is it that Siemens is so successful in the business? As for your car design idea, just explain to everyone how this type of design would look like and work, especially for a wheelchair bound passenger boarding at a low platform station and getting off at a high platform station. Furthermore, designing in-car steps to access floors of differing height increases risk of passenger injuries. For example, look at the floor modifications made to the Cleveland Railway 1200 series cars, both examples are seen at the Northern Ohio Railway Museum.

That was a long time ago! Yes, it was. It still happens, but infrequently. Not only was this newly minted police officer in the wrong, but also the Duty Sargent working that day as well, despite the fact that I was quoting to them RTA policy.(I was on RTA's Citizens Advisory Committee at the time) The following Monday I called Chief John Joyce and he agreed with me that I was in the right. I was told later that both were "on the carpet" in the chief's office.

If they are not hanging around at TC, then they are harassing railfans taking photos. That was what happened to me at Windermere shortly after the new facility opened.

Can you back up your opinion with real world experience? As one who has rode Siemens built railcars of various types, I can assure you that the do hold up VERY well. If cities like Pittsburgh, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Portland, Sacramento, Calgary, Edmunton, etc trust Siemens, well that should be good enough evidence of the quality of their products.

These Health line buses are diesel electric like a locomotive, in that the diesel engine drives an alternator which provides electricity which powers an electric motor on the drive axle. In effect, the electric motor replaces the transmission that is used on conventional buses.

I see many issues with your ideas. First, which old Red Line cars are you talking about? The Airporter cars that CTS purchased from Pullman-Standard, with a few preserved examples at the Northern Ohio Railway Museum and ORM, have all been scrapped. Furthermore, urban transit cars are not in compliance with FRA standards per 049 CFR. What is needed is an FRA compliant dual mode Diesel/Electric Multiple Unit car that can board at low platforms. High platforms on a freight rail line are problematic, in that the platform would conflict with the railroad clearance diagram, unless the platform is set back away from the track and a gauntlet track or a double ended siding is installed. A gauntlet track arrangement is like a siding with the rails overlapping the main track, not separated as a separate track. There is no place for a Red Line station over the Flats, and the bridge RTA uses is a "viaduct", not a "trestle". I strongly suggest that you review KJP's postings here and on the All Aboard Ohio website as to what can and can't be done

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Ohio Railway Museum, I would like to comment on Gordon Bombay's post. The cars south of Buffham Rd. are CH&D 101 and NOT&L 1510. The 4-wheeled frame is from a McGuire-Cummings snow sweeper. The snow sweeper frame now belongs to another museum. The sister cars, NOT&L 1519 and CH&D 105 are under roof in one of our barns. We will be open again to the public from May to October on Saturdays from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. Follow us on our Youtube channel and Facebook. These will give you a better look at our progress.

Note: The Great Northern railroad car is not a dining car. It is one of Ranch lunch counter coffee shop lounge cars assigned to the Empire Builder. The Ranch cars were the coach passengers' lounge and as a lower cost alternative for the full diner. Sleeper passengers had their own lounge car.

A little update on the Brook Park Station. I was there Saturday, and I noticed that the interim station building's interior was being redone. New pebble grained wall covering was being installed on the lower level, while the passenger area is receiving new paint and carpet tile. It is looking much better! :wink2:

It seems to me that when RTA holds public meetings that they do not want the public to attend. A perfect example is the public meetings for the West Side Transit Center. The April meeting announcement was posted on the RTA website about a day or so before the meeting was held, instead of at least two weeks. The July 21st meeting wasn't even publicised! I only found out about this meeting when I spoke to Mr. Schipper yesterday. It seems that a few members of the staff and the consultant need to have a little "Come to Jesus" talk. :whip:

As one who is well acquainted with one of the partners who owns the CCR, I feel that your posts about this railroad are somewhat condescending. The partners who own CCR may well be railfans, but they are serious railroaders. please recall that the former owner of the Ohio Central, Jerry Jacobson, is a railfan and also a railroader. If it weren't for "railfans" like Mr. Jacobson and the partners with CCR, you would be looking at more abandoned rail lines in this state. It was on their excellent reputation that they were able to get the contract with the Port Authority as well as the lease of the former Erie line from Norfolk Southern.