Erasmus B Dragen Wrote:
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> How are the rail advocate or rail sided
> politicians doing in this race?

Tom Wolfe, who won the Pennsylvania gubernatorial contest, stated during his campaign that he'd like to increase Amtrak service across the state. Whether the Republican legislature will cooperate with him remains to be seen.

However, looking at this from the other side of the coin, three anti-passenger rail governors were re elected in Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin. I was very surprised by the hefty margin that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walk was re-elected. He was probably the most stridently anti-rail of the three.

At the federal level the Senate flipping to the Republicans and more Republicans have been elected to the House of Representatives. These are not your father's Republicans. They so little value in passenger rail transportation. Don't expect major improvements in Amtrak and rail transit in the near future. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the next Congress approves budgets which result in sharp reductions in or elimination of all long-distance passenger trains.

This will not bode well for steam and diesel excursions which use Amtrak locomotives and rolling stock.