The situation here is a bit different in that the 13-mile Stirling-Alloa-Longannet freight line closed to through traffic in 1982, and was completely out of use by the mid-‘90s. Last year, it was reopened to great fanfare by the politicians, in order to (a) reintroduce a passenger service to the town of Alloa, and (b) give unit coal trains to Longannet power station (Europe’s third largest coal-fired station) a more direct route than their previous circuitous journey via the highly congested Edinburgh & Glasgow main line and Forth Bridge. Unfortunately, residents in houses built while the line was dormant are now complaining about noise and vibration from coal trains. The reopening was very popular at the time (and passenger traffic has greatly exceeded expectations), but needless to say the local politicians are queuing up to squeal loudly about compensation for the residents, banning night traffic and reducing the line speed for freight. (There is a general election due soon, in case you hadn’t guessed).
I would happily trade their train vibrations for the earthquake vibrations I’ve encountered - not as frequent, granted, but a LOT more violent!
Or, for a phenomenon I encounter about as frequently as those good folk are bothered by passing trains - combat aircraft taking off from my friendly, neighborhood Air Force Base. If they think trains are loud…
Politicians listen to the loudest outcry, not the most reasonable one.
As I understand it, the tracks were removed from might have been a former trolley line many years before - but the right-of-way was never formally abandoned, and somehow the then-PGE - later British Columbia Railway, now CN - acquired the rights to it. In the meantime, gardens were planted, garages and sheds - maybe even some houses, etc. - were built on the R-O-W, and there were similar worries about the disruptions when the tracks and train service were restored. This article - in the 1st copy of Trains I ever purchased by a subscription - is a collection of about a dozen editorial cartoons from a local/ provincial newspaper, and they are pretty funny. One of my favorites is about speculation that the West Vancouver Garden & Beautification Society (or similar) might resolve that the PGE’s RS-3 (?) locomotives should be decorated with flowerpots to make them fit in better ! [(-D]
I wonder if it occurs to them what the coal is actually used for. I bet they don’t complain when they flip a light switch and there is power available. And I wonder if they realize how the wood that was used to build their houses arrived in the lumber yard. Those trains had to go past somebody’s house in order for these spoiled brats to have their abodes. But as long as it’s somebody else’s house, that’s ok then.
From Merriam-Webster: Treatise**: a systematic exposition or argument in writing including a methodical discussion of the facts and principles involved and conclusions reached**.
How, then, are we to express our opinions regarding the relationship of our elected officials and the reasons for the decisions they make regarding railroad operations and the effect they have on the population?
Simple, use another subject or approach. Just don’t be political. Rules is rules.
Less glibly, you can talk about the effects/outcomes, just stay away from commenting on the affiliations, orientation, intelligence, morality, and any other irrelevant characteristic of the person who wishes to have the legislation put in place, or who has done so. In other words, confine your opinions to the potential salutary or deleterious results, and do not offer comments about the person proffering the approaches or methods. You could even comment on the reasoning or logic/illogic as you see it, but don’t link the problematic thinking to the utterer or proponents in such a way as to politicize the discussion.
Does that make sense? No ad hominems, just the facts as you see them where the facts are material in nature with respect to railroading.
Bad - “Senator Gabby doesn’t have two clues. If they did, they’d rub together.”
Better (and subject to close scrutiny)- “Senator Gabby proposed yesterday that AMTRAK be dissolved and sold to private interests for pennies on the dollar. I think it was a stupid idea.”
Best - “Legislation was introduced in Congress that will see AMTRAK dissolved and sold to private interests. I don’t feel they gave sufficient weight to …”
Coal trains? you should have heard all the whining and gnashing of teeth here when the unused for 2 years freight line thru my city was reopened as a light rail trolley line, Oh the noise! Oh the horns! Oh the vibrations!!! Wah wah wah!!
The trains are extremely quite, the horns sound like an anemic duck quacking! and you can barely feel anything when they go by…Sheesh!
Paul, you are behind the times.[:)] The cartoons appeared in an issue of Robert Young’s Railway Progress in the fifties, at the time that the Prince George Eventually (as the PGE was often known, as it then existed only between Squamish and Lillooet), was constructing its long-delayed line. I am glad that Trains did publish them so that so more people could see them and appreciate the humor which defused some opposition; should they have been mentioned to CN as it laid its plans to run more trains on the EJ&E?
The general theme so far is poking fun at politicians in general as opposed to a specific political viewpoint (or from a specific city, region or country).
Scenerio: NJT links the old EL Greenwood Lk Div. cum Boonton Line to the former DL&W Montclair Line, electrifies it and begins service to Hoboken or NYPENN weekdays only because the NIMBYS don’t want to be disturbed on the weekends with the sounds of trains, train horns, nor did they want the grade crossings being blocked. NJT complies but holds out that the future might bring about service anyway; NIMBYS scoff. Today, there are non rail related road bridge projects, etc. which are being attended to on weekends so that weekday train traffic does not get disrupted. And now the NIMBYS are complaining they don’t have weekend train service saying NJT is dragging its heels! That’s NIMBYism at its fullest perfection!
I would rather the now dormant Minnesota Zephyr tracks behind my house turn into a commuter rail line than a bike/jogger path that the state has been talking about for a few years.
Let’s not forget the definition of a NIMBY. Not In My Back Yard. NIMBYs aren’t opposed to trains (or whatever the cause), they want the track to run SOMEWHERE ELSE. No doubt by the houses of people who make less money and/or have less political connections than they do.