The retro look itself may not seem to have much market impact, but smoother riding and faster trains would. And the old designs were just that - unlike the lumbering clumsy designs we have now. We could now do even better than back then; by relearning a few lessons the industry seems to have forgotten.

The California double deckers are the darn roughest riding beasts I have ever been on - a bit like brama bull! Even on BNSF track, their side to side sway will periodically throw the unwary into someone's lap. Often, I cannot even accurately use a mouse on my laptop - just shut it off and forget it! One can tell from the grimaces of new customers that they won't be back soon if they don't have to be. Even Amtrak's superliners, though much smoother, still sway excessively - sometimes enough to make a sailor sea-sick (I WAS a sailor once).

Some people, such as my wife, cannot easily tolerate this. It is indeed a far cry from the smooth rides the ATSF once gave us on the old San Diegans - as smooth as a DC9 gliding through a calm Sunday morning. And fast too - 90mph! I am sure there were smooth rides elsewhere as well.

This will require a much lower center of gravity and lighter weight, combined with modern suspensions - maybe even tilt suspensions. And all that in turn requires a return to single level cars with engines certainly no taller the old F and E units. Might as while make 'em look like that too - while were at it!

Just imagine a light weight low slung train PULLED by two back to back 1800 horsepower "F like" units (same net horsepower as now). Or perhaps one unit at each end. The engine's inards could be somewhat similar to the new "Green Goat" hybrids, which are already low-slung. They would be highly efficient in any corridor with a lot of start-stopping.

Now just top it all off with couple of those low-slung cars on each train being fitted with real Budd domes and you will have something with real public appeal. Something highly marketable!

OPB