No, I am not really kidding. Well, at least not entirely.

I wonder if some of this $20bil Tehachapi turkey could not be salvaged for freight. Beef up the elevateds to handle freight axle loads, patch in here and there to the existing Loop line, run one way as on the Sherman Hill route, keep the wire and go robot-controlled.

If not I guess they'll dynamite those elevateds eventually - I am convinced the State will have to divest this thing, like Conrail, and the new buyers will also go broke. I mean there hasn't been any passenger service over the route since the end of the SF Chief.

Tejon is vastly superior but notice there was not word one about that obvious alternative in the Vartabedian article. But the Chandlers used to own the LA Times so I suppose that is to be expected.