Did You Vote?

[billthebarn]

Actually, the voting took place 60-70 years ago.

After WW11, comercial flights became more and more reasonable. Business travelers got from one side of the country to the other in just a few hourrs. Soon thereafter, families were going on vacation by air. Students were getting back to college in an airplane.

During WW11, Ike saw the autobahns in Germany and decided that the USA could use an interstate system. Roadbuilding began in earnest here and in Canada. At the same time, automobiles were getting more affordable for working people. Cars and tires improved in quality. (I remember the ride from Philly to Wildwood NJ through all the South Jersey towns. You would see maybe 20-30 people changing "flats"...about 90 miles). Cars, tires and roads improved dramatically.

Railroads pretty much stayed the same...until ridership decreased to the point where passenger rail wasn't financially feasible. To give you an idea of the decrease, in the 60's, there were four daily trans-Canada trains (two each from Montreal and Toronto). Twenty-eight per week. Now there are three. And Viarail has to promote like crazy to keep those three running.

There is nothing I enjoy more than riding on a long distance train. 79 mph is as fast as I want to go. I don't advocate for high speed rail. I like things as they are but I realize things will change in the future. For one thing, most of us railfans are kind of "long in the tooth". I know there are exceptions but the younger generation doesn't appreciate train travel the way we do. Heck, even their parents don't. lol!

Although we lost the election, I am glad Amtrak and Via provide rail transportation today,

 

[the_traveler]

So am I.

Although you can't easily get to and from some places (like Fargo to Houston), or not at all (like Cheyenne to Colorado Springs or Macon to Mobile), I'm still glad for the railroad network we have. I hope it stays around for a long time to come.

Sure, you can fly from NY to LA in less time it takes to go by train. But try to get a flight to Shelby, MT or Helper, UT or Demming, NM or Thurmond, WV! Even with the interstates, it's sometimes hard to reach many places that Amtrak goes.

 

[NE933]

For one thing, most of us railfans are kind of "long in the tooth". I know there are exceptions but the younger generation doesn't appreciate train travel the way we do.

Be enlightened oh dear one; many in the younger generation pools don't know about or appreciate rail because their sires in both railroad and non-railroad jobs didn't bother to tutor them in their wares. However, once exposed and the interest is nurtured, some younger folks can rival their older brothers and sisters with stunning vigor and solid knowledge, and be able to carry a conversation in which opinions are discussed and weighed with thought and reason.

 

[Nathanael]

A fellow named D. P. Lubic has said that he finds that people in the US born before, roughly speaking, 1935, or after, roughly speaking, 1970 tend to be very positive about passenger rail. There's a "trough" in between.

 

[hhswami]

A fellow named D. P. Lubic has said that he finds that people in the US born before, roughly speaking, 1935, or after, roughly speaking, 1970 tend to be very positive about passenger rail. There's a "trough" in between.

Wouldn't this "trough" include a majority of the pro-rail forum members?

http://www.cahsrblog.com/2013/05/millennials-are-driving-less-and-will-continue-to-do-so-as-they-age/

 

[Ryan]

Not really. We're pretty heavily skewed towards the 50+ or less than 30...

 

[jis]

Not really. We're pretty heavily skewed towards the 50+ or less than 30...

Well those that are 50 years old are born in 63. Even those that are 60 years old are born in 53. To have been born before 35 well one has to be over 77 years old. There are many of us rail advocates in this forum who are smack dab from the middle of the so called "trough". As a matter of fact the entire core leadership of the rail advocacy community in the US most likely falls more or less in the "trough" since there are relatively few really active persons older than 77 that meet that description. Yes many do come to ARP meetings and such, but very few are in any leadership positions anymore. There are some, but not many

 

[crescent2]

Born before 1935?? :unsure:

I'm definitely in the trough with jis.

 

[Nathanael]

Not really. We're pretty heavily skewed towards the 50+ or less than 30...

Well those that are 50 years old are born in 63. Even those that are 60 years old are born in 53. To have been born before 35 well one has to be over 77 years old. There are many of us rail advocates in this forum who are smack dab from the middle of the so called "trough". As a matter of fact the entire core leadership of the rail advocacy community in the US most likely falls more or less in the "trough"

Well, yeah, but that explains the "embattled minority" thinking among said advocates! In your age bracket, you *are* a minority. To some extent, advocates are created by adversity.

In a younger generation, there's more of a "Well, duh, of course we need trains" attitude, and they don't become advocates unless they get enraged by insane anti-train posturing by the likes of Jeff Flake (born December 1962) or Randall O'Toole (born 1952) or Wendell Cox (can't find his birthday, but he seems to have been born right in the middle of the trough), or George Will (born 1941).

Even in the "trough", there's going to be a significant number of people who support passenger rail (we can call these "sensible" people for want of a better word ;-) ), but there are also a lot of people who are unreasoningly hostile to passenger rail. I just don't see that crazed hostility in younger generations -- even among automobile fans -- and rarely in older generations. (I'm sure someone will now find a crazed anti-train 20-year-old as a counterexample.) The "Passenger trains are a communist plot" people really seem to exist only in certain age brackets, and there are a *lot* of them in those age brackets.

 

[jphjaxfl]

Many younger people don't know that passenger trains exist or they think of subways orco

or commuter trains. I have actually had younger people say to me. It's too bad the US doesn't have passenger trains any more which gives me a chance to tell them about Amtrak.

 

[NE933]

Many younger people don't know that passenger trains exist or they think of subways orcoor commuter trains. I have actually had younger people say to me. It's too bad the US doesn't have passenger trains any more which gives me a chance to tell them about Amtrak.

And these younger people I'll wage, live in areas where Amtrak trains or other awareness is non-existant?

 

[NE933]

Guest Nathanael said:

"Well, yeah, but that explains the "embattled minority" thinking among said advocates! In your age bracket, you *are* a minority. To some extent, advocates are created by adversity.

In a younger generation, there's more of a "Well, duh, of course we need trains" attitude, and they don't become advocates unless they get enraged by insane anti-train posturing by the likes of Jeff Flake (born December 1962) or Randall O'Toole (born 1952) or Wendell Cox (can't find his birthday, but he seems to have been born right in the middle of the trough), or George Will (born 1941)."

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That's not adversity though. Adversity is coming to work late every day, paying high prices at the market due to shipping challenges, and missing hotel check ins during an important vacation, because the rail lines that serve us are becoming clogged with traffic, without any foreplanning to address capacity and need for increased rolling stock. The adversity is that vacations and other personal rites are ruined (missed family reunions, funerals, and long awaited vacations), losing a job because of persistant delays on both commuter transit and intercity rail, and the high cost of moving purchased goods owing to increased running times over a given shipping lane. Adversity is also when potential passengers are forced to deal with crammed buses, congested highways, and the stress of driviing or chosing between a long distance drive or canceling something they would otherwise want to attend.

The collective suffering of a populated nation who must bear these consequences of poor recognition of passenger train contributions is a cause of bad health and chronic medical problems, both physical and mental.