Download or read book Solutionary Rail written by Bill Moyer and published by . This book was released on 2016-11-04 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Solutionary Rail vision draws unlikely allies together. It provides common cause to workers, farmers, tribes, urban and rural communities via the tracks and corridors that connect them. Part action plan and part manifesto, this book launches a new people-powered campaign to transform the way we use trains and the corridors they travel through.
Download or read book Track Design Handbook for Light Rail Transit written by and published by Transportation Research Board. This book was released on 2012 with total page 695 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TCRP report 155 provides guidelines and descriptions for the design of various common types of light rail transit (LRT) track. The track structure types include ballasted track, direct fixation ("ballastless") track, and embedded track. The report considers the characteristics and interfaces of vehicle wheels and rail, tracks and wheel gauges, rail sections, alignments, speeds, and track moduli. The report includes chapters on vehicles, alignment, track structures, track components, special track work, aerial structures/bridges, corrosion control, noise and vibration, signals, traction power, and the integration of LRT track into urban streets.
Download or read book Getting There written by Stephen B. Goddard and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1996-11-15 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the glory days of the railroad to today's gridlocked, six-lane highway, Getting There dramatizes America's shift from rail to road transportation, how it has robbed Americans of the choice of travel options enjoyed by Europeans, and why it threatens the nation's economic future. Stephen B. Goddard reveals how government joined automakers and roadbuilders to nearly destroy the rails, and why the 21st century will witness high-tech remedies and a railroad resurgence.
Download or read book The LEGO Trains Book written by Holger Matthes and published by No Starch Press. This book was released on 2017-10-24 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn the model-making process from start to finish, including the best ways to choose scale, wheels, motors, and track layout. Get advice for building steam engines, locomotives, and passenger cars, and discover fresh ideas and inspiration for your own LEGO train designs. Inside you'll find: -A historical tour of LEGO trains -Step-by-step building instructions for models of the German Inter-City Express (ICE), the Swiss “Crocodile,” and a vintage passenger car -Tips for controlling your trains with transformers, receivers, and motors -Advice on advanced building techniques like SNOT (studs not on top), microstriping, creating textures, and making offset connections -Case studies of the design process -Ways to use older LEGO pieces in modern designs For ages 10+
Download or read book New Departures written by Anthony Perl and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2002-12-01 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: North America faces a transportation crisis. Gas-guzzling SUVs clog the highways and air travelers face delays, cancellations, and uncertainty in the wake of unprecedented terrorist attacks. New Departures closely examines the options for improving intercity passenger trains’ capacity to move North Americans where they want to go. While Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada face intense pressure to transform themselves into successful commercial enterprises, Anthony Perl demonstrates how public policy changes lie behind the triumphs of European and Japanese high-speed rail passenger innovations. Perl goes beyond merely describing these achievements, translating their implications into a North American institutional and political context and diagnosing the obstacles that have made renewing passenger trains so much more difficult in North America than elsewhere. New Departures links the lessons behind rail passenger revitalization abroad with the opportunity to recast the policies that constrain Amtrak and VIA Rail from providing efficient and effective intercity transportation.
Download or read book Morton written by David Collier and published by . This book was released on 2017-05-10 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A graphic novel lamenting the loss of train travel, the grip of family, mortality, art, and the human condition, with many other digressions thrown in for good measure. The book opens in media res as Collier finds out about his grandmother s death. While trying to publish his next book another close death shocks him to act on his dream to travel with his wife and son across the country by rail, before it is too late. Through the passing landscape he introduces his family (and the reader) to his old way of life and tries to track down the many characters he has lost touch with.
Download or read book Electrical Railway Transportation Systems written by Morris Brenna and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2018-03-07 with total page 628 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Allows the reader to deepen their understanding of various technologies for both fixed power supply installations of railway systems and for railway rolling stock This book explores the electric railway systems that play a crucial role in the mitigation of congestion and pollution caused by road traffic. It is divided into two parts: the first covering fixed power supply systems, and the second concerning the systems for railway rolling stock. In particular, after a historical introduction to the framework of technological solutions in current use, the authors investigate electrification systems for the power supply of rail vehicles, trams, and subways. Electrical Railway Transportation Systems explores the direct current systems used throughout the world for urban and suburban transport, which are also used in various countries for regional transport. It provides a study of alternating current systems, whether for power supply frequency or for special railway frequency, that are used around the world for the electrification of railway lines, long-distance lines, and high-speed lines. In addition, this resource: Analyzes multiple railway systems from a theoretical and realizable vantage point, with particular regard to functionality, electromagnetic compatibility, and interferences with other electrical systems Studies electric traction railway vehicles, presenting various types of drives and auxiliary devices currently in circulation Discusses solutions employed to ensure interoperability of vehicles that run along lines powered by different systems (e.g., DC and AC, at different frequencies) Electrical Railway Transportation Systems is an ideal text for graduate students studying the subject as well as for industry professionals working in the field.
Download or read book Waiting on a Train written by James McCommons and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2009-11-06 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the tumultuous year of 2008--when gas prices reached $4 a gallon, Amtrak set ridership records, and a commuter train collided with a freight train in California--journalist James McCommons spent a year on America's trains, talking to the people who ride and work the rails throughout much of the Amtrak system. Organized around these rail journeys, Waiting on a Train is equal parts travel narrative, personal memoir, and investigative journalism. Readers meet the historians, railroad executives, transportation officials, politicians, government regulators, railroad lobbyists, and passenger-rail advocates who are rallying around a simple question: Why has the greatest railroad nation in the world turned its back on the very form of transportation that made modern life and mobility possible? Distrust of railroads in the nineteenth century, overregulation in the twentieth, and heavy government subsidies for airports and roads have left the country with a skeletal intercity passenger-rail system. Amtrak has endured for decades, and yet failed to prosper owing to a lack of political and financial support and an uneasy relationship with the big, remaining railroads. While riding the rails, McCommons explores how the country may move passenger rail forward in America--and what role government should play in creating and funding mass-transportation systems. Against the backdrop of the nation's stimulus program, he explores what it will take to build high-speed trains and transportation networks, and when the promise of rail will be realized in America.
Download or read book Amtrak America s Railroad written by Geoffrey H. Doughty and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2021-09-07 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the story of Amtrak, America's Railroad, 50 years in the making. In 1971, in an effort to rescue essential freight railroads, the US government founded Amtrak. In the post–World War II era, aviation and highway development had become the focus of government policy in America. As rail passenger services declined in number and in quality, they were simultaneously driving many railroads toward bankruptcy. Amtrak was intended to be the solution. In Amtrak, America's Railroad: Transportation's Orphan and Its Struggle for Survival, Geoffrey H. Doughty, Jeffrey T. Darbee, and Eugene E. Harmon explore the fascinating history of this popular institution and tell a tale of a company hindered by its flawed origin and uneven quality of leadership, subjected to political gamesmanship and favoritism, and mired in a perpetual philosophical debate about whether it is a business or a public service. Featuring interviews with former Amtrak presidents, the authors examine the current problems and issues facing Amtrak and their proposed solutions. Created in the absence of a comprehensive national transportation policy, Amtrak manages to survive despite inherent flaws due to the public's persistent loyalty. Amtrak, America's Railroad is essential reading for those who hope to see another fifty years of America's railroad passenger service, whether they be patrons, commuters, legislators, regulators, and anyone interested in railroads and transportation history.
Download or read book The Urban Rail Development Handbook written by Daniel Pulido and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2018-09-11 with total page 845 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cities across the globe are looking to develop affordable, environmentally friendly, and socially responsible transportation solutions that can meet the accessibility needs of expanding metropolitan populations and support future economic and urban development. When appropriately planned and properly implemented as part of a larger public transportation network, urban rail systems can provide rapid mobility and vital access to city centers from surrounding districts. High-performing urban rail services, when carefully approached as development projects, can help enhance quality of life by giving citizens access to employment opportunities, essential services, urban amenities, and neighboring communities. The purpose of this Handbook is to synthesize and disseminate knowledge to inform the planning, implementation, and operations of urban rail projects with a view towards: -- Emphasizing the need for early studies and project planning; -- Making projects more sustainable (economically, socially, and environmentally); -- Improving socioeconomic returns and access to opportunities for users; -- Maximizing the value of private participation, where appropriate; and -- Building capacity within project implementing and managing institutions This Handbook provides experiential advice to tackle the technical, institutional, and financial challenges faced by decision makers considering urban rail projects. It brings together the expertise of World Bank staff and the input of numerous specialists to synthesize international 'good practices' and recommendations that are independent of commercial, financial political, or other interests. The material presented is intended as an honest-broker guide to maximize the impact and manage the challenges of urban rail systems in cities in both developed and developing countries. Rather than identify a single approach, this Handbook acknowledges the complexities and context necessary when approaching an urban rail development by helping to prepare decision makers to ask the right questions, consider the key issues, perform the necessary studies, apply adequate tools, and learn from international good practice all at the right time in the project development process.
Download or read book Drawdown written by Paul Hawken and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-04-18 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • New York Times bestseller • The 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world “At this point in time, the Drawdown book is exactly what is needed; a credible, conservative solution-by-solution narrative that we can do it. Reading it is an effective inoculation against the widespread perception of doom that humanity cannot and will not solve the climate crisis. Reported by-effects include increased determination and a sense of grounded hope.” —Per Espen Stoknes, Author, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming “There’s been no real way for ordinary people to get an understanding of what they can do and what impact it can have. There remains no single, comprehensive, reliable compendium of carbon-reduction solutions across sectors. At least until now. . . . The public is hungry for this kind of practical wisdom.” —David Roberts, Vox “This is the ideal environmental sciences textbook—only it is too interesting and inspiring to be called a textbook.” —Peter Kareiva, Director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here—some are well known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air. The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth’s warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. These measures promise cascading benefits to human health, security, prosperity, and well-being—giving us every reason to see this planetary crisis as an opportunity to create a just and livable world.
Download or read book China s High Speed Rail Development written by Martha Lawrence and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2019-06-24 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past decade, China has built 25,000 km of dedicated highspeed railway—more than the rest of the world combined. What can we learn from this remarkable experience? China’s High-Speed Rail Development examines the Chinese experience to draw lessons for countries considering investing in high-speed rail. The report scrutinizes the planning and delivery mechanisms that enabled the rapid construction of the high-speed rail system. It highlights the role of long-term planning, consistent plan execution, and a joint venture structure that ensures active participation of provincial and local governments in project planning and financing. Traffic on China’s high-speed trains has grown to 1.7 billion passengers a year. The study examines the characteristics of the markets for which high-speed rail is competitive in China. It discusses the pricing and service design considerations that go into making high-speed rail services competitive with other modes and factors such as good urban connectivity that make the service attractive to customers. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Chinese experience is the rapid pace of high-quality construction. The report looks at the role of strong capacity development within and cooperation among China Railway Corporation, rail manufacturers, universities, research institutions, laboratories, and engineering centers that allowed for rapid technological advancement and localization of technology. It describes the project delivery structures and incentives for delivering quality and timely results. Finally, the report analyzes the financial and economic sustainability of the investment in high-speed rail. It finds that a developing country can price high-speed rail services affordably and still achieve financial viability, but this requires very high passenger density. Economic viability similarly depends on high passenger density.
Download or read book Optimal Trajectory Planning and Train Scheduling for Urban Rail Transit Systems written by Yihui Wang and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-21 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contributes to making urban rail transport fast, punctual and energy-efficient –significant factors in the importance of public transportation systems to economic, environmental and social requirements at both municipal and national levels. It proposes new methods for shortening passenger travel times and for reducing energy consumption, addressing two major topics: (1) train trajectory planning: the authors derive a nonlinear model for the operation of trains and present several approaches for calculating optimal and energy-efficient trajectories within a given schedule; and (2) train scheduling: the authors develop a train scheduling model for urban rail systems and optimization approaches with which to balance total passenger travel time with energy efficiency and other costs to the operator. Mixed-integer linear programming and pseudospectral methods are among the new methods proposed for single- and multi-train systems for the solution of the nonlinear trajectory planning problem which involves constraints such as varying speed restrictions and maximum traction/braking force. Signaling systems and their effects are also accounted for in the trajectory planning model. Origin–destination passenger demand is included in the model formulation for train scheduling. Iterative convex programming and efficient bi-level approaches are utilized in the solution of the train-scheduling problem. In addition, the splitting rates and route choices of passengers are also optimized from the system point of view. The problems and solutions described in Optimal Trajectory Planning and Train Scheduling for Urban Rail Transit Systems will interest researchers studying public transport systems and logistics whether from an academic or practitioner background as well as providing a real application for anybody studying optimization theory and predictive control.
Download or read book Mediated written by Thomas de Zengotita and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2008-12-01 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this utterly original look at our modern "culture of performance," de Zengotita shows how media are creating self-reflective environments, custom made for each of us. From Princess Diana's funeral to the prospect of mass terror, from oral sex in the Oval Office to cowboy politics in distant lands, from high school cliques to marital therapy, from blogs to reality TV to the Weather Channel, Mediated takes us on an original and astonishing tour of every department of our media-saturated society. The implications are personal and far-reaching at the same time. Thomas de Zengotita is a contributing editor at Harper's Magazine and holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University. He teaches at the Dalton School and at the Draper Graduate Program at New York University. "Reading Thomas de Zengotita's Mediated is like spending time with a wild, wired friend-the kind who keeps you up late and lures you outside of your comfort zone with a speed rap full of brilliant notions."-O magazine "A fine roar of a lecture about how the American mind is shaped by (too much) media...."-Washington Post "Deceptively colloquial, intellectually dense...This provocative, extreme and compelling work is a must-read for philosophers of every stripe."-Publishers Weekly
Download or read book Trains Buses People written by Christof Spieler and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2018-10-23 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What are the best transit cities in the US? The best Bus Rapid Transit lines? The most useless rail transit lines? The missed opportunities? In the US, the 25 largest metropolitan areas and many smaller cities have fixed guideway transit—rail or bus rapid transit. Nearly all of them are talking about expanding. Yet discussions about transit are still remarkably unsophisticated. To build good transit, the discussion needs to focus on what matters—quality of service (not the technology that delivers it), all kinds of transit riders, the role of buildings, streets and sidewalks, and, above all, getting transit in the right places. Christof Spieler has spent over a decade advocating for transit as a writer, community leader, urban planner, transit board member, and enthusiast. He strongly believes that just about anyone—regardless of training or experience—can identify what makes good transit with the right information. In the fun and accessible Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit, Spieler shows how cities can build successful transit. He profiles the 47 metropolitan areas in the US that have rail transit or BRT, using data, photos, and maps for easy comparison. The best and worst systems are ranked and Spieler offers analysis of how geography, politics, and history complicate transit planning. He shows how the unique circumstances of every city have resulted in very different transit systems. Using appealing visuals, Trains, Buses, People is intended for non-experts—it will help any citizen, professional, or policymaker with a vested interest evaluate a transit proposal and understand what makes transit effective. While the book is built on data, it has a strong point of view. Spieler takes an honest look at what makes good and bad transit and is not afraid to look at what went wrong. He explains broad concepts, but recognizes all of the technical, geographical, and political difficulties of building transit in the real world. In the end,Trains, Buses, People shows that it is possible with the right tools to build good transit.
Download or read book Railtown written by Ethan N. Elkind and published by University of California Press. This book was released on 2014-01-22 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The familiar image of Los Angeles as a metropolis built for the automobile is crumbling. Traffic, air pollution, and sprawl motivated citizens to support urban rail as an alternative to driving, and the city has started to reinvent itself by developing compact neighborhoods adjacent to transit. As a result of pressure from local leaders, particularly with the election of Tom Bradley as mayor in 1973, the Los Angeles Metro Rail gradually took shape in the consummate car city. Railtown presents the history of this system by drawing on archival documents, contemporary news accounts, and interviews with many of the key players to provide critical behind-the-scenes accounts of the people and forces that shaped the system. Ethan Elkind brings this important story to life by showing how ambitious local leaders zealously advocated for rail transit and ultimately persuaded an ambivalent electorate and federal leaders to support their vision. Although Metro Rail is growing in ridership and political importance, with expansions in the pipeline, Elkind argues that local leaders will need to reform the rail planning and implementation process to avoid repeating past mistakes and to ensure that Metro Rail supports a burgeoning demand for transit-oriented neighborhoods in Los Angeles. This engaging history of Metro Rail provides lessons for how the American car-dominated cities of today can reinvent themselves as thriving railtowns of tomorrow.
Download or read book Principles of Railway Location and Design written by Sirong Yi and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-10-25 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Principles of Railway Location and Design examines classification and classing methods of railway networks and expresses theories and methods of railway route selection and design. Railway networks represent modal transfer, which significantly alleviates traffic congestion and pollution The book introduces capacity enhancing methods for existing railways and implementation plans and technical conditions for improving existing passenger railways, building new high speed railways and developing heavy haul railways. The book covers ten areas of unfavorable geological conditions including slide areas, debris flow areas and earthquake areas. Practical solutions with detailed presentations have been provided. This valuable reference book summarizes and extracts the high speed railway route selection design. The book covers basic principles and methods by referring to research data of high speed railway technology in China and other countries, as well as engineering practice data. Provides classification and classing methods of railway networks, integrated with principles and methods of railway route selection and design Describes enhancing methods for existing railways, and an implementation plan for existing passenger railways, new high speed railways and heavy haul railways Presents route selection principles and methods for regions with bad geological conditions, including landslide, debris flow and earthquake
