>> In order to be somewhat competitive with airlines and have a chance of not requiring operating subsidies, the hsr has to return to the
>> Grapevine alignment. And I think the I-5 route could be a good deal for a starter line if the overpasses mostly would not have to rebuilt.


It definitely should go for a much more direct alignment than through Tehachapi. About 5-10 miles east of the grapevine, the canyons are aligned right to make the climb. And a quick check suggests only two 8-10 mile base tunnels would be needed.

But nevermind! Regional politics make all decisions in California, not physics, not economics and definitely not practicalities - and never actual human need.

But also nevermind, if you expect it to not need a subsidy. IT WILL!

Just the same as the airlines need federal subsidies (10 to 15 billion per year); or highways over 50 billion per year.

And you might as well nevermind, if you ever expect it, even at 200mph (only on level ground), to be competitive with airlines. IT WON'T BE!

But it doesn't have to be. The automobile takes the lion's share of the travel market anyways. And it will, even at only 110mph, be very competitive with the highways.

As to the notion that we "Deserve it"; I'd like to know how so. Seems to me that in order to deserve anything in particular, we would first have to be able to afford it, having already created and held onto enough of our own wealth (no stealing); and then be capable of building it and operating it. Oh, and I almost forgot - capable and willing to protect it! And must I say it - willing to actually use it.

Is any of that true in America anymore? One begins to wonder nowadays!

Perhaps we have just now awakened to the fact that we continued to fiddle-faddle in the fifth grade - so to speak - all these years; while others in this world have been advancing grade by grade - as far as rail technology goes (actually in a lot of other ways too).

But isn't it just typical American pride and arrogance, to presume that we just always "Deserve" the best stuff - same as everybody else; even while we are proving incapable of creating it, or even just paying for it out of our own righteously created and earned resources.

The hard reality is, that such pride and arrogance that says we can just magically skip several grades to catch up, will continue to be our downfall. We need to just quit all the fiddle-faddle, prepare better, then move on to the next grade. At this point in history, that means 110mph, mostly diesel hauled trains, on existing but beefed up and expanded capacity R.O.W.. The only places new R.O.W. should be considered is where there isn't any already - such as over the grapevine area.


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>> Well, it probably begins with good parenting. Was it Honda (?) who just made a public apology to our government for problems?
>> Meanwhile, our automakers just make excuses and ask for handouts.. Yeah, I think parenting has a lot to do with it. OFF TOPIC!!


It was the Japanese president of Toyota making all the apologies. But he first made them directly to the public, before any government involvement had been reported. Later, he apologized again, before a grandstanding congress. Sadly, Toyotas are still no more prone to this problem than any other make, especially the Chevy Astro. At 22 incidences per 10,000,000 toyotas; this is way way overblown - but he apologized anyway!

And I think your right about the bad parenting.

Remember that those who led the cultural and moral rebellion of the sixties, were mostly very young children during WWII; when both pappa and mamma were suddenly taken out of the home for very compelling reasons. Who the hell did the parenting during those several years. Parenting in that era had to be kind of catch as you can, for a lot of people. I suspect it couldn't be helped, but family culture and moral stability have been headed downhill ever since.

But enough, as we digress into the imponderable. . . .

OPB