 |
Re: Eureka City Council Mulls New Rail Line
Author: mook
Date: 12-31-2011 - 18:01
Looks like to me like it would cost less than the Fresno phase of HSR ... barely.
Assuming the proposal has some bit of legitimacy, the map linked in the article (https://s3.amazonaws.com/hanks_bucket_of_cool/trainmap.png) in general doesn't look bad -- until you consider:
- why drop all the way down into Hayfork and back out again? Some serious grades and tunnels that way. If you like the Ridge Route why not just go around on top of the ridge - you're going to get back up to it anyway.
- while the geology might be marginally more stable than at river level along the Eel (old NWP) or Trinity (Hwy 299), that's only relative. All the hills in that part of the state are ready to fall if glanced at. If you're on top of the ridge you just have farther to fall. Plus of course a lot more rain and (on the ridge) snow than most other parts of the state to lubricate the slide.
- why go into the middle of downtown Redding (OK, I know the wheezes: downtown where? Redding is a city of some size, and it does have a remnant of a downtown) for a connection. Doesn't UP have a yard in Anderson or someplace else around there that would better located to minimize cost/hassles?
And if it's proposed by a private group For Profit, they should do it like Desert Xpress did. Do the preliminary engineering, line up the private and other non-Federal land, and do the extensive environmental studies (lots of Federal land in the way!), then if it still looks good you might be able to get Federal LOANS (not grants) to build it. Asking for money up front to just study it in its present form is nuts.
Assuming the proposal has some bit of legitimacy, the map linked in the article (https://s3.amazonaws.com/hanks_bucket_of_cool/trainmap.png) in general doesn't look bad -- until you consider:
- why drop all the way down into Hayfork and back out again? Some serious grades and tunnels that way. If you like the Ridge Route why not just go around on top of the ridge - you're going to get back up to it anyway.
- while the geology might be marginally more stable than at river level along the Eel (old NWP) or Trinity (Hwy 299), that's only relative. All the hills in that part of the state are ready to fall if glanced at. If you're on top of the ridge you just have farther to fall. Plus of course a lot more rain and (on the ridge) snow than most other parts of the state to lubricate the slide.
- why go into the middle of downtown Redding (OK, I know the wheezes: downtown where? Redding is a city of some size, and it does have a remnant of a downtown) for a connection. Doesn't UP have a yard in Anderson or someplace else around there that would better located to minimize cost/hassles?
And if it's proposed by a private group For Profit, they should do it like Desert Xpress did. Do the preliminary engineering, line up the private and other non-Federal land, and do the extensive environmental studies (lots of Federal land in the way!), then if it still looks good you might be able to get Federal LOANS (not grants) to build it. Asking for money up front to just study it in its present form is nuts.
