Re: Caltrain electric question
Author: Dr Zarkoff
Date: 12-26-2021 - 18:27
> I thought floor of tunnels were supposed to be or actually lowered during installation of overhead electrical wires for passenger trains
Yes, this was done for so the tops of bi-level passenger cars would clear the trolley wire. Unless the floor was lowered sufficiently so double stacks could clear the tunnels' arch geometry, this hasn't necessarily solved the clearance issue because they have a wider profile at the roof line than the passenger cars. This is why all the RRs have been notching their tunnels, and I have no idea whether this was done to any of the SF tunnels.
> so double stacks could use the Illinois Street Bridge to reach pier80?
The Quint St lead from the Coast Main to pier 96 is south of this drawbridge, which means if double stacks could make it to Quint St., they wouldn't need to use it. With RR-ship container transloading, movement is rarely done directly from car to ship. The trains are received/dispatched from a large railroad yard nearby; the containers are loaded/unloaded to/from the cars in this yard; and the containers are moved between the yard and the ship by jitney tractors. There is no land available for such an operation on the SF Peninsula, let alone at Pier 96.
> or others so Port of S.F. could compete with Oakland
Because of the geometry of the SF Peninsula, not to mention land values, SF competing with Oakland for container traffic has always been a pipe dream.