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| Real Preservation Problem?$$$$TEA21 https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2370 |
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| Author: | HRMO'Biph [ Sun Dec 09, 2001 11:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Real Preservation Problem?$$$$TEA21 |
My dear Brethren, Whether we put 'em on the road or shove 'em in the house, the question is REALLY about money. Now for something completely different (sort of) Many of us have had high hopes for programs like TEA 21, but here's a sad example of federal funds at best misdirected, at worst, wasted. I know of a RR project to save a RR for freight service, and maybe, down the road, historic excursions; buisinesses and agriculture along the line have already suffered as a result of the service loss. The state where the effort is underway still has 55mil. in un-directed, TEA 21 "enhancement" money. The the local rail authority attempted to get funding for the purchase and rehabilitation of the line, and were turned down. Why? Because the state agency decided that "enhancement funds" would be best utilized for "adaptive reuse." In other words, they wouldn't fund the purchase of an actual RR for just under a million, but WOULD fund its conversion to a trail for MORE money. The line still has THREE intact, usable depots on it. If the group wanted to turn them into depots again, funds were unavailable; if they were to make them into such things as a meetng hall for the local ladies sippin' and sangin' society, cha-ching, funding done. Other semi-private shortlines that were able to get funding were for rehab so their owners could engage in more efficient car storage. This same State found money (8million) to reboiler its own three locomotives currently in service and under FRA inspection. Even the CMO says there is nothing wrong with the old boilers, but that is what they had to do to get more funding. To top it off, this same RR got TEA 21 money to rebuild its mainline for the new AAR car weight increases, even though it will never, ever interchange any freight. A group in Louisiana got almost a million to fix up an SP mike, with no where to run it, while the Southern Forest History Museum, with three locomotives, a few miles of VERY overgrown track, machine shop, McGiffert Loaders, and sawmill (think the EBT of the South)can't get anyone to buy'em a cup of coffee. They are in dire need of just stabilization cash, but they get told by THEIR state agency that TEA 21 just can't be used for that kind of thing. Until there is a true set of National guidelines,and funding standards enforced,all of us will suffer at the hands of the wrong minded but politically well connected. Any thoughts? HRMO'Biph PS And we need to give more thought to actual Rail-Road preservation, and getting some lines in the hands of sympathetic owners or there won't be any place to run much of anything. Five miles of your own RR is worth a billion miles of mainline, class 1. lorija799@aol.com |
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| Author: | Gary Landrio, Stone Consu [ Mon Dec 10, 2001 10:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real Preservation Problem?$$$$TEA21 |
> Any thoughts? We have worked with TEA-21 money for several projects. And we have had both success and failure applying for these funds. The reality is that this is like 50 flavors of ice cream. Yes it is as federally funded program. BUT, it is administrated by each state DOT. First you need to find out what is your state's hot buttons. In New York and Pennsylvania we found that you can funs almost any project if you can in some minor way combine it with a trail. In a couple of cases we were able to buy the line with TEA-21 money by promising its future use by a trail. This is almost backwards of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) abandonment procedure of interim trail use. We got interim rail use. There are many other ways to get these moneys to flow. And I am not suggesting that it is easy. But it has been done and by good presentation miracles can happen. Stone Consulting & Design garyland@stoneconsulting.com |
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| Author: | Ted Miles [ Tue Dec 11, 2001 12:30 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real Preservation Problem?$$$$TEA21 |
You ask for thoughts? How would you like to live in the most populas state in these United States and see not one dollar of Ice Tea funds go to rail preservation. The people who run the highways here in California CALTRANS have sewn up the program, while little tiny states like Michigan have spent many dollars in rail preservation or enhancement. Think of the range of preservation projects that are going out here and how they could benifit by those dollars! I am really steamed; narrow gauge of course! Ted Miles ted_miles@NPS.gov |
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| Author: | Dave [ Tue Dec 11, 2001 9:37 am ] |
| Post subject: | Just another symptom |
of the disrespect we culturally seem to have for our industrial heritage. Railroads are seen as the antethisis of whatever is natural and beautiful since they provided the utility of location necessary for the industrial revolution which, according to the popular "green" POV, destroyed much of the earth. How much education does it take to learn a dispassionate view of history, or to unlearn modern, politically correct prejudices? The beneficial part railroads could play in a greener environment by displacing thousands of long haul trucks (assuming we had a rational national transportation policy) somehow has never gotten through to the public. So, trails are safe (politically) as are intersection improvements, road sign removals, and turning the depot (architecture, not industry) into a boutique or tourist information center, compared to preserving railroads or coal mines or steel mills (add your local economic engine here). No wonder to me we don't get no respect or funding. Dare I again suggest a national approach to public awareness and education from the railroad industry? Dave irondave@bellsouth.net |
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| Author: | Stuart Hale [ Fri Dec 14, 2001 12:56 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Just another symptom |
> Dare I again suggest a national approach to > public awareness and education from the > railroad industry? I think that would help, but the big RR's are interested in profits, not educating the public on the value of railroads as transprtation, whether it be freight or passenger. I was just contemplating the other day taking out a couple adds in the Wall Street Journal. the slogans I had come up with are and I quote: "Help save America's highways, ship by rail" and "Have you ridden a passenger train lately?" Those aren't copyrighted, but if one of you makes a bunch of money from them, I'd like my cut. Anyway, I can't afford to run an add in the WSJ, so, so much for that idea. Something you don't see now is all the fancy adds that were in all the magazines in the early part of the last century advertising the named trains and stuff. Now the only time you here about an rr is if there has been an accident or when Amtrak is begging for more money or when your sitting at a grade crossing cursing cause your late to work and are having to wait on the train. I know I'm just pointing out stuff that most of you already know, but railroading isn't a dot.com job and most people arent interested in it anymore. I't not glamorous. RR's marketing isn't geared toward public opinion anymore. I guess the only way I can think of combating the trail movement and sagging public opinion would be for us to get together and start advertising the benefits of railroads as transportation and start pointing out how the nation was built on the backs of the railroads and wouldn't be where it is today without them. Of course that takes money and a lot of people have to put petty differences aside and work together as a team and stuff, but it's an idea that someone needs to look into. I probably haven't said anything new, so I'll pipe down now. Later, Stuart Mid-South Rail Heritage Foundation gnufe@apex.net |
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