Light Rail in Albuquerque!

[JProg305]

I wish there was train service between Denver and Albuquerque. That would make my trip to New Mexico and Colorado alot easier. Some of Obama's high speed transit plans focus on connecting various other major cities to each other (including Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas with an extension heading north to OKC and Tulsa, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, several cities in California, and the corridor between Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago with extensions heading towards Cleveland). Would be nice if even half of these plans could be implemented. How long is the drive between Denver and ABQ, around 5 or 6 hours? Or am I way off.

[mortimer]

JProg305 asked:

> How long is the drive between Denver and ABQ, around 5 or 6 hours?

It depends.

If you are Mr 6 FOOT 3 (80's Rock Star - Everybody's Workin for the Weekend) you can make it in 5-6 hours.

I tend to go a bit slower and generally take 8 hours counting a couple of pee breaks.

Zoidberg said:

> ... we're going to see major currency deflation before we see gas prices increasing that high again.

If we have currency deflation, then by definition we would have price inflation (higher prices).

With some 12 or so Trillion dollars having just been created out of thin air and the US trade deficit
falling to multi-year lows - still over $300 Billion/year, I would take that bet. The currency deflation
part, that is. Not the low gasoline prices.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by JProg305

Denver and ABQ, around 5 or 6 hours? Or am I way off.

Most of my friends/associates say they do it in 6 hours. I usually take 10 to 12 hours the 5 or 6 times we have done it. I like to make a lot of stops, eat a nice meal, enjoy the trip...


Rich

[abqsunport]

6 hours flat for me usually--depending on the traffic in the springs. Right now, its a hundred dollars to fly between the two cities (thanks to the Southwest Effect) and I don't understand how that would be less convienient than the train???

[GregW]

Scientist, tinkerer, railroad advocate reporting for duty. I'll work up an essay for this discusion but it is still before official coffee. However the key to high speed rail is destinations, terrain, distance, passenger density and a few others.

Thanks for the mention. GregW

[mortimer]

GregW promised to ...

> ... work up an essay ...

I was thinking more along the lines of your thoughts on getting trains up to 100+ mph and back to
zero in the space of 4-5 miles or running at 100+ mpg up a steep grade (ie. Santa Fe to Los Alamos).

What with short attention spans and all, I'd be careful with essays.

[GregW]

Mortimer - partial response to your question.

So far there are very few technologies, (maglev, linear induction motor, reaction forces) that can accelerate, or even operate, a rail guided train at more than a 5% slope. This is equivalent to an acceleration of 1.6 ft/sec^2. This is about the limit of steel wheel on steel rail traction. It is also near the standing passenger comfort level.

I'll do some calculations later. GregW

[mortimer]

Santa Fe end-of-line for the Railrunner is about 6900 ft.
There is a climb to about 7200 ft and then down to about 5900 ft at the Los Alamos turnoff at Rt 84/Rt 502.

The lowest point is about 5600 ft at the Rio Grande.
It rises to 7200 ft at Los Alamos in about 5 miles.
While that's an average grade of about 3%, it's sure to be more in places.

[Zoidberg]

I suppose the most irritating thing about going to Los Alamos from Albuquerque is that if they could only build a direct connection, it wouldn't take any longer than going to downtown Santa Fe.

Now a rail connection from the turnoff at Santo Domingo through Cochiti, White Rock, and LA.. that would get considerable ridership, since roads along that route routinely get vetoed by the reservations. Rail would probably meet a similar fate though.

[bradly]

Street Car!! Street Car!!
Build it!

I'm just tryin to pis s Mort off