Very interesting reading about a complex subject; thanks to all who have ' dumbed it down ' for us laymen.
Several of the posts predict the perils of having politicians involved in the selection process of a PTC system. But aren't the nation's railroads just as susceptible to the panderings of the various manufacturers ??? As mentioned already, cost will be a huge factor,and railroads are cheap( at least with their own money ). Couldn't XYZ Co. promise the ABC RR a system " with all the bells & whistles " that's cheaper than the competition ??? Supposing XYZ convinces several of the Class 1 's to sign on; wouldn't that system ( for better or worse ) then become the de facto standard ??? Will Class 1's have any influence over the Feds in the selection process ??? How about propriatary & copyright issues ??? Will a manufacturer bite the bullet & share their technology with the industry, for the mutual benefit of all ??? ( As Lenz did with DCC in model railroading ) Or will this turn into a Beta vs VHS deal ???
And no, I don't mean Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast ...