High Speed Rail.....in California????

A fascinating piece of propaganda proposing a high-speed rail line in California:



I'd like to see this project become reality, but it probably won't happen, as the capital investment is GIGANTIC, even by California standards, though it can be easily argued that the capital investment is far less than building more highways, which are much more expensive per mile.

While it's nice to see a state take the initiative on this, it would be nicer to see a national program pushing for high-speed rail across the USA.

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Armchair Railfan

Being stuck here in the Midwestern United States, I don't' get a chance to see the magnificent steam locomotives of the UK live and in person; so I have to settle for the next best thing: watching videos of British trains on YouTube!

Here is a wonderful example of what I'm talking about: a 5 minute video of a LMS "Black Five" 4-6-0 #45407 climbing up Hemerdon Bank, and really making a show of it. You can plainly hear the exhaust grow louder and slower as 45407 struggles with it's short train up the bank--fabulous! One can easily count the four "beats" per exhaust revolution of the drivers, a hallmark of two-cylinder steam locomotives.

Watch the video for yourself:



This video, along with a host of train videos from around the world, can be found at YouTube.

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Trains of Turkey

A wonderful site I've discovered is Trains of Turkey which features an outstanding collection of photographs of Turkish steam trains taken by Robin Lush during the late 1970's. Turkey was well known for featuring a wide variety of steam engines purchased from all over the world, especially from Germany, the UK and the USA.

Here is a sample of the visual feast awaiting you:


The mountians in the background make for an incredibly dramatic photo.

Go visit Trains of Turkey and check out the amazing collection of photo's. You won't be sorry.

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