-
Will Lithium Beat OIL?
Editorial By Noel T. Braymer By late 2010 several auto makers plan to roll out either plug-in electric hybrid or all electric cars. The keystone of these new cars will be the use of Lithium Ion Batteries. It has been long known that electric propulsion is clean, efficient and economical. The weak link has always…
-
Are the Airlines Now Like the Railroads Were 50 Years Ago?
Editorial By Noel T. Braymer The truth is the Airline Industry has never been profitable. While some airlines have made money some years, as a whole the industry loses money more often than it makes money. The recent spike in fuel costs has placed the Airline Industry into a tailspin. Several airlines have or are…
-
Why are Gasoline Prices So High Now?
Commentary by Noel T. Braymer  “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.” Adam Smith In a word the problem is inflation. Unlike the inflation of the 1970’s which was sparked by rising…
-
My California Rail Pass Adventure Trips 1 and 2
Report and PHOTOS by Noel T. Braymer For $159 dollars with the California Rail Pass you can travel on Amtrak trains and buses in California for 7 travel days over a period of 21 days! I had wanted to use the rail pass to travel around California for some time and the April 19 RailPAC/NARP…
-
Rail Passenger Service is a Non-Partisan Issue
Editoral by Noel T. Braymer With the Presidential Elections coming up at the end of this year, there is bound to be discussion of the positions the candidates have about Amtrak and rail passenger service. This has been highlighted by reports of opposition of the candidacy of John McCann by noted Conservative Republican and Rail…
-
Now is The Best and Worse of Times
Editorial by Noel T. Braymer Ridership on Amtrak, commuter and transit trains is growing and reaching all time records. Los Angeles will see the extension of the Gold Line from LAUS out to East Los Angeles by late next year and the start up of the Expo Line to Culver City by 2010. Metrolink will…
-
What’s the Holdup on the Sprinter?
By Noel T. Braymer The PUC gave approval to start service for the Sprinter two days before the March 9th start up The DMU Light Rail Service between Escondido and Oceanside is now scheduled to start service on March 9th. The North County Transit District last year had hoped to start service on December 16;…
-
California High Speed Rail Might Be On The Ballot This November
Editorial by Noel T. Braymer On this year’s November ballot if the governor doesn’t postponed it again, will be a bond issue for 9.95 billion dollars from the California High Speed Rail Authority. This money will go towards building a start up High Speed Rail (HSR) service between Anaheim and San Francisco. The assumption is…
-
What is the final word for California High Speed Rail?
By Noel T. Braymer George Skelton of the Capital Journal from Sacramento wrote some rather discouraging things about what is being proposed for the California High Speed Rail Project. This is what he wrote as published in the December 24 issue of the Los Angeles Times.”Turns out, as a Sacramentan, I wouldn’t be allowed to…
-
America wants more Rail Passenger Service
By Noel T. Braymer Back in November 4th of last year PARADE Magazine ran a story about Amtrak entitled “With high gas prices and airport delays, could we make our trains…A Better Way To Travel?” With this story PARADE Magazine ran a poll of its readers asking “Should America Invest more in Trains? In the…