Recent content by jcl653

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  1. J

    Filthy bathrooms in refurbished Wilminton Delaware Station

    Amtrak should consider charging for the use of its bathrooms. Something like 25 or 50 cents would be enough to keep the riff raff out, and the revenue could help fund increased cleaning. I've seen this used all over Europe and it seems to work well.
  2. J

    Florida HSR Funds Sought

    The Wall Street Journal has a nugget of news (to me) at the end of an article published today: "The Federal Railroad Administration is expected to announce awards in coming days or weeks." Read the article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704099704576289452940073250.html
  3. J

    No Florida High Speed Rail

    Great news for the rest of the country. Now it's time for Obama to hand this money to the northeast. I would like to see the money spent on the tracks from Pittsburgh to Philly, Albany to New York, and of course Boston to Richmond.
  4. J

    Video Camcorder Suggestions?

    Many digital still cameras can now shoot HD video. From my experience, the quality on some of the higher-end cameras can rival dedicated video cameras. The benefit is that you end up with one camera that can shoot excellent stills and HD video. I would suggest taking a look at the recently...
  5. J

    Obama: more investment in rail (Labor Day)

    From Reuters on where the money will come from: Most likely the "new taxes" line was from FOX or another bogus TV news source.
  6. J

    AGR points for dining car voucher?

    On the topic of buying points, another free option is to sign up for the Starwoods Preffered AMEX card using their current 30,000 bonus point offer. My wife just did this. My link
  7. J

    AGR points for dining car voucher?

    I love eating in the dining car. I typically book roomettes on LD trains using AGR points, so meals are included. I was recently toying around with the idea of booking a LD coach seat with AGR points. The real hangup for me is that I would have to pay cash for meals in the dining car. Has...
  8. J

    Amtrak to allow bikes on Capitol Limited starting 2011

    Having biked the Great Allegheny Passage last year, as I see this development to allow bikes on trains as excellent news. Let's hope Amtrak expands this service across the nation. Any ideas on how they may accomplish this logistically?
  9. J

    Schedule changes to Keystone line go into effect Monday

    Lancaster Newspapers reports: What's the deal with a longer travel time? Let's hope this is temporary and due to construction. Any insight? UPDATE: Pennsylvania DOT press release states "From July 12 through late August, many schedules for both directions of the service will change due to...
  10. J

    Rail makes no sense

    Two notes to the original poster: 1: Learn math and calculate the real cost of driving versus taking the train. 2: Earn enough money so that paying $220 versus your "estimated" $70 isn't a big deal.
  11. J

    Paoli rail yard solar project gets $1 million from PA

    The Philadelphia Inquirer reports this morning:
  12. J

    Does adding sleepers increase profitability?

    It depends on Amtrak's mission. In my opinion, because Amtrak is publicly financed, their rates should be kept at an accessible level for median Americans. If, however, Amtrak's goal is to be self-sufficient, then sure, they should raise rates as high as the market will support. That said, I...
  13. J

    Does adding sleepers increase profitability?

    I had not thought of the fact that adding a sleeper could result in a nearly empty car. Regardless, Amtrak should have the capacity to add a sleeper/diner when the extra capacity is justified. They should not be limited by equipment. It's time for our nation to stop nickel and diming Amtrak...
  14. J

    Does adding sleepers increase profitability?

    As many of us are well aware, it's common for sleepers to sell out in the summer. This got me thinking: If Amtrak were to have a reserve of spare sleepers, would strategically adding them to routes during periods of high demand increase the routes profitability? I'm just guessing here, but it...
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