Nashville TN: Music City Star

[atsf sp]

Why don't they run any later trains? I went to Nashville this summer and I was surprised to see the last train was around 6. The main street is full of people at night and wouldn't some of these, if not many, find it easier to take the train home. Plus the amount of drinking going on, wouldn't the city maybbe want this more so there willl be less Drunk Driving. And I was dissapointed because the limited schedule did not allow me to see a train when I was there. I came half an hour after the last train into the city, and left after the first train which I was not able to get to because my family (and I) were asleep.

[Spokker]

Why don't they run any later trains? I went to Nashville this summer and I was surprised to see the last train was around 6. The main street is full of people at night and wouldn't some of these, if not many, find it easier to take the train home.

Probably for the same reason most commuter rail agencies don't run late night service, they are commuter rail agencies. They just don't have the funding to run trains that late.

[atsf sp]

Why don't they run any later trains? I went to Nashville this summer and I was surprised to see the last train was around 6. The main street is full of people at night and wouldn't some of these, if not many, find it easier to take the train home.

Probably for the same reason most commuter rail agencies don't run late night service, they are commuter rail agencies. They just don't have the funding to run trains that late.

I live in Boston and we have one of the most bankrupt systems around. But the trains here run till midnight as final departure times.

[GWoodle]

I saw an estimate where $25K may be required to add an extra run to existing service. I suspect having extra crew may be more than the cost of fuel, etc. I'm not sure what work rules MCS crews work under.

Nashville isn't Boston, or Chicago. Having a public transit system is new to us.

Sadly, the only extra trains run Friday night only.

[Otto Vondrak]

I saw an estimate where $25K may be required to add an extra run to existing service. I suspect having extra crew may be more than the cost of fuel, etc.

You're absolutely right... running later trains means more train crew costs, more fuel costs, more dispatcher and support staff costs...

[ne plus ultra]

I saw an estimate where $25K may be required to add an extra run to existing service. I suspect having extra crew may be more than the cost of fuel, etc.

You're absolutely right... running later trains means more train crew costs, more fuel costs, more dispatcher and support staff costs...

This is just way too simplistic. Of course adding service adds to costs. No one would dispute that. But it's not clear that it adds very much, proportionate to existing investments and existing running costs. Clearly, costs like advertising, fixed investments in ticket kiosks, capital costs for stations and station hardware like benches need not go up. Many support staff costs do not go up (staffing an information phone line, webhosting and web design, etc.) Very likely, on-train staffing costs don't go up proportionally to the amount of service being added, because it's simply cheaper to hire someone to staff two runs in the morning than to staff a run in the morning and another in the evening. It's cheaper to have an "extra board" or back-up staff on hand if you've got a larger pool of staff who they may be subbing for.

[ne plus ultra]

Well, it looks like they're set to try out the Lakewood spur service:
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0WTTkrAYo1KR ... /1001/NEWS

I'm still not clear how this will work. Either they have additional equipment, or they're borrowing it. They say the existing service won't be affected. One wonders if they could pull this off in October why they couldn't pull off a second 4th of July run. Maybe the additional equipment wasn't available then.

One problem for the Star has been lack of nearby employment centers near the station. I'm sure a mere trial run isn't going to revitalize the station area. But would a permanent addition of a 2nd train begin to create incentives for some employers to locate nearby?

[GWoodle]

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/c ... sportation

The article is mostly about new BRT (Bus rapid transit) service. It will run on Gallatin road from Rivergate to downtown. The "rapid transit" part calls for the bus to get a green light & go before the regular traffic. I don't know if this will work or not. There isn't any spare ROW to do "bus lanes". The MTA will be lucky to have enough right turn lanes to have bus stops at some high traffic places.

The end of the article sets up the MCS demonstration run to Lakewood. The MCS must have a 3rd F40 with 2 gallery cars to run the service.
AFAIK the MCS has 3 engineer/conductor to operate the trains. They must have someone from the extra board to be conductor. They may have a short track for one run to hit the hole.
You can bet I will be out to get pictures. The big Hobby Lobby/Big Lots parking lot features a wide sweeping curve where the single track crosses both Old Hickory & Lebanon.
May need some volunteers to ride from Lakewood City Hall to downtown. S/b a $2.00/$4.00 ride.

[ne plus ultra]

Without getting too far afield on BRT, I'll just say that while you may be right about the bus getting the green "before" other traffic, I doubt it. That would require some sophisticated equipment AND a commitment to ticket other drivers (or they'd quickly learn to go when the bus-light turned green). And for what? It wouldn't actually help to let the bus go before other traffic.

What this sounds like is more typical "signal priority", meaning that stops will be on the far side of the light, and when the bus approaches the light, a controller on the light will recognize its approach (via some sort of radio transmission) and hold the green longer so the bus can get through the light (along with any cars that happen to be approaching the light at the same time).

Anyway, thanks for the info and link.

[GWoodle]

http://rtarelaxandride.com/downloads/RT ... ersary.pdf

3rd Anniversary celebration. Some good news under new management!

[GWoodle]

http://www.musiccitystar.org/downloads/ ... ervice.pdf

FREE Train Rides Oct 13! See link for details.

[ne plus ultra]

The Lakewood experiment has been over for 10 days now. I'm surprised not to find news about the results. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I thought there would be follow-up by now. Did anyone see this train?

[GWoodle]

I saw this train. Got some pictures too. Youtube does have some video if you search for MCS


1) The train added 1 inbound trip in the AM & 1 outbound in the PM. Junction with the N&E mainline east of Donelson. The train offered another stop from the Donelson station.
The Donelson station is also well served by Lebanon Road + another bus on McGavock to Opry Mills Mall.
2) It's about 5 miles from Lakewood to Donelson. Grade crossings with no gates restricted speeds to 40 on the single track branchline.
3) Had some fun railfanning from the Donelson station. Caught some EB & WB services. From 4:30-5:30 you can shoot the inbound/outbound trains.
4) For the duration, the MCS used 3 F40's, the 3rd unit still in Amtrak Talgo/West coast colors. 2 units painted in the MCS scheme.
Used 3 cab/coaches. Most trains are 2 cars long. 1 was 3 cars long. Station is marked for up to 4 cars in a train. All cars painted in MCS scheme. Some paint is peeling in the Nashville sun.
5) Just east of Donelson, the MCS has a short siding to allow trains to meet. Inbound trains enter & wait for the outbound to pass.
6) The track at Donelson is posted for 60/40 speeds. Passenger train would seldom reach those speeds due to station stop. 2 person crew with 1 conductor & 1 engineer.
7) Tickets are sold trackside from a machine. Put in your $2.00 or CC & get ticket & receipt.

It's too bad the train couldn't have run for downtown fireworks or a Titans game. Long term success will depend on growing traffic on I-40. In the future, the MCS must get on CSX rails toCollect some traffic from I-24 & I-65. It also needs better local support.

[GWoodle]

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20091 ... mas+parade

Christmas Parade Trains.

http://nashville.about.com/b/2009/11/30 ... e-2009.htm

Parade Friday Dec 4

A l

[ne plus ultra]

Here's the wrap-up on the Lakewood experiment:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20091 ... r+Lakewood

30 pax a day (meaning 15 people inbound and then 15 out). They're saying they never intended to consider a permanent train from Lakewood. That this was just about publicizing the availability of the existing train to people in the Lakewood area. Maybe that's true. If not, it's a decent retrospective excuse, I guess.