Regardless of who manufactures the version in use by a particular railroad, it must be interoperable with the versions to be used by the other railroads and Amtrak. This was a requirement and is one of the major contributing factors toward both the complexity of PTC and the delays in implementation.
Curt
Originally Posted by Scrapiron Scher:
As a former teacher of government I can honestly say no one is more disgusted with the manner in which the government is functioning than I am. No one is more disgusted with the self serving Congress than I am. This thread is a perfect example of how a group of people, here on the OGR Forum, have a better understanding of the implications of a railroad slowdown/shutdown than do the members of Congress
i do not blame Congress in its entirety. Congress cannot elect itself. If the American people do not take on a greater role in electing better candidates or demanding term limits, we get what we deserve. DEMAND term limits. INSIST on throwing out Congress people who want to be sent back to Congress term after term. If this example is not enough, what is?
Unfortunately, it doesn't work, it only makes it worse. We have implemented term limits in California and it has been a disaster. It has gotten to the point of corporate takeover of politics that we could do no worse if we just surrendered and stopped electing people altogether. They are a sham of representation. Our elected representatives are now so utterly incompetent at everything except self promotion and beholden to the money that controls them they probably cannot even get to their seat in the legislature daily without some lobbyist holding their hand.
So you are correct in theory but the details of reality elude us. And money likes it that way.
Originally Posted by juniata guy:
Regardless of who manufactures the version in use by a particular railroad, it must be interoperable with the versions to be used by the other railroads and Amtrak. This was a requirement and is one of the major contributing factors toward both the complexity of PTC and the delays in implementation.
Curt
Curt
But there are NO standards as to what to be compatible with as I understand it? Making several systems compatible when no one knows what they need to be compatible with seems very difficult? Expecting several different companies to get together on their own and make a bunch of stuff that is all compatible with everyone else' s stuff seems impossible? Unless (and hopefully) I am wrong about there being some standard for all this somewhere?
I guess the reason I remain so interested in railroads and thus modeling of railroads is their history so fascinates me. They are a complete microcosm of America, the best and the worst of us. I'm actually a bit surprised one or more of the current incarnation has not decided to change the gauge of the rails because they have determined it is better for their unique and special needs.
Why 4'8.5" anyway? There is nothing magical about that number. But it is the number Cornelius Vanderbuilt told Abraham Lincoln would be the gauge or none of his railroads would interchange. And he was the 800# gorilla in the room. Most of the other railroads in the room, from the B&O to the building California railroads (which all preferred and were installing and using 5' gauge) has no say. Also, most of the Southern railroads were 5' gauge and it helped minimize the south getting supplies surreptitiously from the north via rail.
Everything we see as so standard in railroads today including janney couplers and airbrake systems the individual railroads fought against tooth and nail as not being the best for their special and unique needs.
So does it surprise me that the railroads are only united in being against any more standardized anything? Not one micron. The problem is more and more people are demanding their representatives do something about the problems surrounding railroads in their backyard. And PTC is NOT a panacea and at best will only alleviate one of a multitude of issues.
As has been noted here level crossings are probably the biggest. The railroads are free to recommend anything. Congress would be ecstatic if they only had to pass something handed to them. But they only fight everything. So something will be imposed on them, and it is their fault.
I think this thread has run its course. I just deleted some political responses that had nothing to do with the subject of PTC.
I have closed the thread and we can all move on.
