http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/ Engadget Comments for Maglev, diesel-electric trains vie for support in US desert http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 9:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 9:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/
Please, oh please, have something from Anaheim to Vegas. Anaheim is about 10 minutes from my house. I would love to not have to drive to Vegas one of these days.]]>Feb 27th 2008 6:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/
but seriously, the idea of having to drive to victorville, leave my car there, then jump on a train that takes 2x as long as continuing in my car, then get off at some random spot probably not that near the strip, then jump in a cab or shuttle just doesn't sound that great.]]>Feb 27th 2008 7:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/
It's actually not all that common]]>Feb 27th 2008 6:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/
How would this compete with $99 roundtrip fares from LAX to LAS? If they set the fare at $100 roundtrip to compete, you'd need 120,000,000 passengers to ride it to pay off the initial investment; then comes operating expenses.

What this country needs is to expand passenger rail on dedicated track so that Amtrak trains can spend more time moving and less time stuck in Union Pacific rail yards.]]>Feb 27th 2008 7:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/
Our internet access is shit, our shitty health care costs 100x what it does in civilized countries, and we have no fucking maglevs. We never will. Our main export is Britney Spears.

Seriously, this country is a has-been in the 21st century. If you want to live in an up-and-coming modern country, move to China. Sure their human rights suck, but it's not different that the US was fifty years ago ("separate but equal" anyone? Such a great euphemism for apartheid) In fifty years, the US will be like Russia is now: backwards and corrupt to the core. Oh wait, it already is.]]>Feb 27th 2008 8:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 8:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/
and is (very slowly) progressing]]>Feb 29th 2008 1:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 28th 2008 3:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 10:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 6:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20000418maglev6.asp

In 2001, this race was narrowed down to Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010119maglev2.asp

Then, in 2002, the race was magically opened back up to include the LA-LV project.
http://www.post-gazette.com/nation/20020414maglev2.asp

The climatic and geographical challenges that the Pittsburgh project offers provides the most complete test for proving this as a viable national transit system.
http://www.post-gazette.com/maglev/

The LA-LV project is some senator's pet project that did not stand the initial criticism, and has only served to stall the awarding of the national funding necessary for any of these projects to move forward. Thanks a lot Don Young, R-Alaska.
]]>Feb 27th 2008 7:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 7:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 8:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 11:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 9:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 27th 2008 10:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/
2) If the California High Speed Rail line from San Francisco to Los Angeles (http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov) can somehow magically get built (hello budget deficit and rail nimbys), you've got a cheaper, easy link that can be made between Victorville and Palmdale. Plus, once a link is made to CA HSR, the two can actually travel on each other's routes. This means DesertXpress could travel from LV to LA by using CA HSR's route from Palmdale to Downtown Los Angeles. When the LA-IE portion of the HSR project is completed (decades away) you can then link via the Cajon Pass to Ontario Airport. Throw in a little Gold Line Foothill Extension (http://www.metrogoldline.org/about.html) and hello high speed inter modal transportation!

With the mag-lev route, you'd have to travel to Ontario and get off at the station and then WAIT for a CA HSR train to come pick you up. That is, once that LA-IE portion of the HSR is built (once again, decades away).

3) Why are we just "building" a mag-lev line instead of pumping money into research done in the U.S. to build better and badder mag-levs? As I understand it, if we built this line we'd actually be buying the technology from some company in Germany or Japan. Also, mag-levs still have a lower max speeds than high speed rail, so why build one now? Wait for the speeds to surpass high speed rail and then build it.

Although I think the DesertXpress is a better choice than the mag-lev project, I hope at least one of them gets built. If the CA HSR project happens to get its needed funding, investors would become much more interested in the DesertXpress. Either way, we need some kind of alternative to freeways.

Federal Railroad Aministration - MAGLEV Deployment Program (http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/200) - Including Project Status.]]>Feb 28th 2008 4:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 28th 2008 12:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 28th 2008 1:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/maybe next tmobile could roll out their 3G network?

i'm finally living in the future.]]>Feb 28th 2008 1:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 28th 2008 1:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 28th 2008 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/27/maglev-diesel-electric-trains-vie-for-support-in-us-desert/Feb 28th 2008 1:17PM