Return of the Desert Wind?

[railiner]

But since Senator Reid and others are holding out for a true HSR service to be built by a private company,

I'm pretty sure that if there was genuinely a business case in which a private company (such as XpressWest) could build such a line without any government assistance and return a meaningful profit, that the line would already be under construction by now.
Anybody ignoring all other solutions in expectation of that golden egg is probably delusional.

What is even more delusional is the expectation that California will be willing to put money into a project that serves primarily to haul California money into Nevada.

On the other hand, I don't think anyone has lost money betting on the incompetence of CAHSRA.

On the topic of the Desert Wind: It really didn't attract overly many CA riders to Vegas and the later studies didn't show it to be an overly useful corridor as I recall. Let the route stay dead.

The Desert Wind did not really try to market itself as a California to Las Vegas gambler's train. Indeed, I believe space on that segment was limited, to insure space for later thru bookings beyond Las Vegas was available. Probably the same thing as the Zephyr between California and Reno....

 

[Anderson]

But since Senator Reid and others are holding out for a true HSR service to be built by a private company,

I'm pretty sure that if there was genuinely a business case in which a private company (such as XpressWest) could build such a line without any government assistance and return a meaningful profit, that the line would already be under construction by now.
Anybody ignoring all other solutions in expectation of that golden egg is probably delusional.

What is even more delusional is the expectation that California will be willing to put money into a project that serves primarily to haul California money into Nevada.

On the other hand, I don't think anyone has lost money betting on the incompetence of CAHSRA.

On the topic of the Desert Wind: It really didn't attract overly many CA riders to Vegas and the later studies didn't show it to be an overly useful corridor as I recall. Let the route stay dead.

The Desert Wind did not really try to market itself as a California to Las Vegas gambler's train. Indeed, I believe space on that segment was limited, to insure space for later thru bookings beyond Las Vegas was available. Probably the same thing as the Zephyr between California and Reno....

True...LAX-LAS would probably be high up on the list for a cut-off set of equipment if the route still existed (alongside EMY-RNO, CHI-MSP, CHI-STL...)

 

[andersone]

The True Gamblers Train is the CZ in the 80's

they used to put extra coaches and a dance car on in SF on Friday Night

and I watched them literally carry folks back on at Reno on Monday Morning,,,,,,

not that I will admit sneaking into their party car

a time or two

they didn't' care

as for the DW

my memory is they pulled the cars off at SLC,,,,,

but that was a long time ago

 

[jis]

Before there were through cars to Chicago, of course, the entire train terminated at Ogden. After the through cars came into existence, there still was at least one Coach Baggage and on e Coach AFAIR and of course the Engine that did not run through to Chicago. One Sleeper and at least one Coach did. It never was a very long train.

 

[gwschenk]

What is even more delusional is the expectation that California will be willing to put money into a project that serves primarily to haul California money into Nevada.

That's why there's no income tax in Nevada. Californians pay it for them. If California was smart, they'd turn Palm Springs into another Las Vegas.

 

[DesertDude]

It's too bad that the route of the Desert Wind doesn't more closely follow the I-15 corridor. If it went through St. George and Cedar City, I think that it would indeed be a successful route. If you've spent time living in northern Utah, you know that everyone who lives there travels to Cedar City, St. George, Vegas and SoCal for visiting family and pleasure trips. When my mom's parents were still alive and living in St. George, she would have loved to hop on a train as opposed to making that 5 hour drive all the time.

As for me, I would love to see the Desert Wind resurrected if it meant I could ride it to Caliente and see that gorgeous train station.

 

[zephyr17]

It's too bad that the route of the Desert Wind doesn't more closely follow the I-15 corridor. If it went through St. George and Cedar City, I think that it would indeed be a successful route. If you've spent time living in northern Utah, you know that everyone who lives there travels to Cedar City, St. George, Vegas and SoCal for visiting family and pleasure trips. When my mom's parents were still alive and living in St. George, she would have loved to hop on a train as opposed to making that 5 hour drive all the time.

As for me, I would love to see the Desert Wind resurrected if it meant I could ride it to Caliente and see that gorgeous train station.

You should take that up with E.H Harriman.

 

[DesertDude]

It's too bad that the route of the Desert Wind doesn't more closely follow the I-15 corridor. If it went through St. George and Cedar City, I think that it would indeed be a successful route. If you've spent time living in northern Utah, you know that everyone who lives there travels to Cedar City, St. George, Vegas and SoCal for visiting family and pleasure trips. When my mom's parents were still alive and living in St. George, she would have loved to hop on a train as opposed to making that 5 hour drive all the time.

As for me, I would love to see the Desert Wind resurrected if it meant I could ride it to Caliente and see that gorgeous train station.

You should take that up with E.H Harriman.

Indeed! Now it's water long gone under the bridge. And I can't conceive a circumstance, even in the future, when the state of Utah would take up an ambitious rail project connecting the Wasatch Front to St. George.

 

[CHamilton]

RailPAC says

Restoration of the Desert Wind is needed now!

 

[jis]

It will be done as soon as Railpac finds the funding for it to happen I am sure.

 

[Paulus]

RailPAC is in dire need of an editor on that article. I'm also quite curious as to why they think that no new equipment is needed: last I checked Amtrak didn't have the 36 cars and 6 locomotives just lying around. I'll also never quite understand the obsession with through cars to Chicago; that's more likely to kill OTP than anything else.

 

[GG-1]

I'll also never quite understand the obsession with through cars to Chicago; that's more likely to kill OTP than anything else.

Aloha

The times I rode the DW I flew into LA from Hawaii, spent time with my Daughter, then trained to Vegas. Each time I rode it the DW was full. As we got off in downtown Vegas, almost as many that got off from the west, were replaced by those leaving Vegas for points east.

 

[the_traveler]

I'll agree. I used to take the DW all the time from LV when I lived out west. I used LV as my "home" station even though I lived 125 miles south of there. The waiting room was always full, many got off and just as many got on - in both directions!

 

[chakk]

Flight time between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is 1 hr, 15 minutes. Downtown to downtown is closer to 2.5 hours.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[railiner]

many got off and just as many got on - in both directions!

Almost....virtually every train, especially the westbound, 'lost' a few thru passenger's that couldn't resist the temptation of the 'one-armed-bandits' in the waiting room, or further into the hotel casino during the station stop. Westbound, no big deal, as they could grab a Greyhound at the adjacent bus terminal for the quick 5 hour ride into LA, but if going East, a bigger problem.....