by John_Perkowski
I thank GBN for his moderation skills, and for his thoughts.
I don't have much experience with auto-train, though I would have liked to have ridden the private company version. I think part of their business plan included being family friendly, even in coach.
My thoughts on intermediate stops involve a business procedure and a marketing procedure:
- The business procedure is to build the consist as a series of mixed trains ... 2-3 passenger cars and their supporting racks, repeat. That way, at a midpoint, you cut out the stopping cars, cut in any gaining cars, and roll on.
- The marketing procedure is to sell city pairs ... LA-Albuquerque, LA-Kansas City, and LA-Chicago, if using the old Santa Fe. If using the UP (LA&SL route), then LA-SLC, LA-Cheyenne, LA-Omaha, and LA to Chicago.
Mr Norman's and MR G's points on costing are important, and that is the crux of the policy issue. I think the first stop needs to be about a day out ... has to require the traveller to have overnighted in a hotel, or else he/she will just drive through. That's why I bypassed Las Vegas in the paragraph above. I don't think the economics support that.
If Mr Norman is right, and cost be hanged for those using the existing auto-train, then this idea may well be dead at the front door.
As far as the price of fuel, I'll let the dogs lie on how we got here. The fact of the matter is, though, I'm looking at each trip to see if it makes sense. A dollar only spends from my pocket once.
John Perkowski
I don't have much experience with auto-train, though I would have liked to have ridden the private company version. I think part of their business plan included being family friendly, even in coach.
My thoughts on intermediate stops involve a business procedure and a marketing procedure:
- The business procedure is to build the consist as a series of mixed trains ... 2-3 passenger cars and their supporting racks, repeat. That way, at a midpoint, you cut out the stopping cars, cut in any gaining cars, and roll on.
- The marketing procedure is to sell city pairs ... LA-Albuquerque, LA-Kansas City, and LA-Chicago, if using the old Santa Fe. If using the UP (LA&SL route), then LA-SLC, LA-Cheyenne, LA-Omaha, and LA to Chicago.
Mr Norman's and MR G's points on costing are important, and that is the crux of the policy issue. I think the first stop needs to be about a day out ... has to require the traveller to have overnighted in a hotel, or else he/she will just drive through. That's why I bypassed Las Vegas in the paragraph above. I don't think the economics support that.
If Mr Norman is right, and cost be hanged for those using the existing auto-train, then this idea may well be dead at the front door.
As far as the price of fuel, I'll let the dogs lie on how we got here. The fact of the matter is, though, I'm looking at each trip to see if it makes sense. A dollar only spends from my pocket once.
John Perkowski