Cool article, complete with photos, in today’s PD. James Ewinger writes about the luxurious private cars people around the country, including about 40 Ohioans, spiffed up, brought up to standards and used like Air Force One quality transportation.
To show you how popular the idea of passenger rail is in this day and age, the article posted at 1 am and there are none of the usual snarky comments on it (yes I realize the day is young).
Quote from the article:
Will Carney, operations superintendent for the Cuyahoga Valley line, is also a private owner. He has a car built in 1916 for Solomon Guggenheim. It is also where Cleveland mogul O.P. VanSwearingen died in 1936. …Listen, nobody ever waved at a jet,” said John Tyson, a Reno, Nev., television reporter who owns a 1928 car built originally for the Canadian National Railway.
Some people own them outright to use (attach) to an existing rail system when they want to go somewhere. Some are owned by rail aficionados who then run charter rail companies. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad falls into this category.
How about incentives (what kind?) to private companies who are willing to help refurbish and bring up to standard individual rail cars that can then be used by Amtrak and any other passenger rail line by companies who would love the alternative to flying.
Hats off to Mr. Ewinger for including links to other rail websites…sometimes the PD (and other MSM) is lacking in taking advantage of the embedding features on line — Mr. Ewinger obviously knows the value and I salute him.
The Chapel Hill Rail Car site truly lends itself to great visualization of what this private car idea is all about. And it replicates what I always consider the sophistication and beauty of the old rail car experience. (Not that I am old enough to remember, but you know what I mean!)
I would consider this Oliver Hazard Perry car, named the Resplendent, as not only a luxury version of Air Force One but a Ritz Carlton suite on drugs. Three bedrooms, gorgeous seating area, and all the modern amenities like a plasma tv and a DVD player (I would be so mesmerized to be on a train I bet I would not stop looking out the window long enough to watch the tv).
Anyone interested in a Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Rail trip in early summer? I would love it if we could get one together!
Peace Out – 3C
1 response so far ↓
1 How About Stimulus Money to Refurbish These Rail Cars and Get More Passenger Rail Lines Up and Running? < It’s all about the trends // May 16, 2009 at 11:02 am
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