Vegasinc video article update on DX and Maglev articles.

All,

Here is a link to the video article for the stories from last week covering the DX and Maglev articles.

Its a large 5:00 minute file...

http://www.vegasinc.com/videos/2011/jun/13/5228/


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Ca/Nv Maglev News

Vegasinc asking questions when HSR & MAGLEV will move forward

All,
Vegasinc.com (from the Las Vegas Sun) have published (2) great question articles about BOTH DX and MAGLEV projects.  These articles show the real benefits to MAGLEV vs. DX.  We encourage readers to visit both links for the entire articles.  Richard N. Velotta wrote both articles.


"Is this train ever going to leave the station?"
http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2011/jun/13/train-ever-going/
By Richard N. Velotta
Monday, 13 June 2011
[..]
But it had—and still has—a serious flaw: It wouldn’t go anywhere near Hollywood. The line would end at Victorville, just south of which is Cajon Pass, a steep grade from the Los Angeles Basin to the high desert. The high-speed rail technology can’t climb the Cajon Pass grade. True, there are freight train tracks between San Bernardino and Victorville, but curves would be too tight for a high-speed train to maintain speed. The whole idea of having a high-speed system from LA to Vegas is to make the trip competitive with airlines. A slowdown at Cajon Pass would defeat the purpose.


Critics have publicly flogged the DesertXpress proposal from Day 1. Who in their right mind would drive from Los Angeles to Victorville, park their car in a lot, climb aboard a train for an hour and 20 minutes and then rely on public transportation once in Las Vegas?


Forget about Las Vegans wanting to go to Southern California. Victorville as an end point has always been a nonstarter for us. We would have even less desire to find our way into the vast California megalopolis on public transportation after getting off “the train to nowhere.” Yeah, you could rent a car at the Victorville station, but what’s the point? It would be easier and less expensive to simply drive the three hours through Victorville and then on to Los Angeles.


[continued]
What does the management of DesertXpress think? No one would comment on the California developments, although in recent public appearances, officials have blissfully repeated that the route through Victorville is the way to go.
Unfortunately, I had also hoped to talk with them about recent concerns raised by homeowners along the proposed route into Las Vegas and how the train and its elevated track would be a noisy visible nuisance.


I also want to know what they thought of Texas developer Chris Milam’s ambitious plan to build baseball and soccer stadiums and a basketball arena at Interstate 15 and Russell Road. This is the same area DesertXpress officials have said is their No. 1 choice for a train station.


Have Milam’s people and the DesertXpress people—both represented locally by influential Sig Rogich—even spoken with each other?


And what about the status of DesertXpress’ $4.9 billion loan application through the Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing program, which provides direct federal loans and loan guarantees to finance development of railroad infrastructure?
[...]


 (new article)


"If 'Plan A' for HSR derails, 'Plan B' stands ready...."
http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2011/jun/13/if-plan-derails-plan-b-stands-ready/

By Richard N. Velotta

Monday, 13 June 2011

[...]

So what happens if high-speed rail plans in California derail? Is there a Plan B to get Las Vegans to LA?

The answer is obvious: Revive the original idea of using maglev technology, which wouldn’t be hindered by the steep grades of Cajon Pass and could shuttle passengers to and from Anaheim in about the same time it would take DesertXpress to run from Las Vegas to Victorville. The maglev plan, backed by the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission and endorsed by the Nevada Transportation Department and several Southern California municipalities along its route, is still alive.

Neil Cummings, president of American Magline Group, the company contracted to carry out the commission’s plan, says not much has happened since July 2009 when the scope of work for the starter segment of the project and $45 million in funding were approved.

“We’re still pursuing all possibilities to make this happen,” Cummings said last week. “Unfortunately, there’s been no communication from the Federal Railroad Administration, which has been beyond frustrating.”

[...]
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Additional ARTIC press details released....

All,
We came across what appears to be a press-release "article" from Architypereview.com publishing additional details for the ARTIC (anaheim) station.  


Here are some of the details but, we suggest going to the link and reading the entire story....
http://architypereview.com/17-train-stations/projects/479-anaheim-regional-transportation-intermodal-ce/description

[...]

ARTIC will be sized to accommodate the transportation services provided by the following operators:

• Metrolink

• Amtrak

• OCTA Local Bus

• Anaheim Resort Transit Shuttles and Circulators

• Anaheim Go Local rubber tired mixed-flow shuttles

• “Fly-Away” type Airport Shuttles

• Connection to off-site private intercity buses

• Private Tourism buses

• Taxi Services

The ARTIC Project components include:

• Main Intermodal Terminal building

• At-grade bus facility

• On-site surface parking and retention of the existing station’s surface parking

• Terminal site work

• Improvements within the LOSSAN corridor

• Stadium entrance

• Above-grade passenger concourse

• Off-site/Douglass Road work

Project Data:

Square Footage:	66,000 sq. ft.
Site Size:	16 acres
LEED Rating:	Platinum
Construction Cost:	$183.8 million
Year Built:	2014

[...]


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Ca/Nv Maglev News

Vegas Stadiums still not tapped out yet

All,

With the recent Nevada legislative sessions "killing" all proposed Stadiums (UNLV, Behind the Strip, and the 3 stadium prospect from the owners of the Area 51 Baseball team) due to not creating a tax area for supporting the stadiums the projects, the projects are still looking for additional possibilities.

Part of the 3 stadium project across from Mandalay Bay was to also possibly house the DX station into one of the stadiums.

You can read the entire story here:
http://www.lvrj.com/business/proponents-of-stadiums-not-folding-123442734.html

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Ca/Nv Maglev News

Desert Tortoise remains on threatened species Solar projects delayed

All,
We came across this article about how the Desert Tortoise will remain on the threatened list.


This will effect all future projects (Solar, Maglev, DX, Ivanpah Airport, etc..) in the Primm Nv., Ivanpah Nv., and parts of San Bernardino County in Ca.


http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/threatened-28084-species-desert.html
[...]

Desert tortoise to remain on list of threatened species

KAREN JONAS

2011-06-03 14:50:30

A recently released five-year review of the status of endangered and threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continues to list the desert tortoise as threatened.

Threatened species are those that are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Fish and Wildlife is required to review each endangered or threatened species at least every five years.

Because the desert tortoise is a threatened species, all energy projects in the Mojave Desert have to make sure that the reptile is disturbed as little as possible and projects which find larger numbers of the tortoises than expected — such as the Ivanpah solar project near the California-Nevada border — can be shut down or delayed.

As part of the review, new information is considered on the population trends, population distribution, habitat conditions, and conservation measures of the species, according to Fish and Wildlife. A species is determined to be endangered or threatened based on present or threatened destruction of its habitat, disease or predation, inadequate regulations regarding the species, being overused for scientific purposes, and any other natural or manmade threat to the species.

[...]

• DX, (because the tracks are laid at grade level) lots of animal tunneling areas will be required to be built under the tracks.
• MAGLEV (because of the tracks are slightly above grade level) holes are made within the "slip-form" of the track... (from this weeks Maglev Movie Monday).

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Ca/Nv Maglev News

Maglev Movie Monday

All,
Its been a few slow weeks in the MAGLEV world so heres another set of youtube videos to enjoy.


Neil Cummings (President American Magline Group spoke at High Speed Rail Tour 2010.  Here are the powerpoint slides about the CA/NV project and the entire overview.
(Part 1)

(Part 2)



Karl Frank with Hirschfeld Industries discusses Guideway Capital Costs.  Also video showing the milling of the beam from Max Bogel, and new guideway design.
(Part 1)

(Part 2)



Here is a newer Shanghai video that was uploaded this month.  Not anything vital, however you do get to see the conductor operating the safety buttons for the automatic doors (around :50) and it appears that they are doing some repair work on the other track and switch to the maintenance bay as you can see support vehicles (with sheds on flatbed trucks around 2:30).  Be advised that there is mild techno music playing though out the entire video.




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Proposed MAGLEV project Orlando Airport to Disney World needs 90 more days.

All,


Remember back in March that former state Sen. Jim Sebesta was going to announce plans for a MAGLEV line within 90 days from MCO to Disney World just after the Florida HSR project got scrapped.  
http://canvmaglevnews.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html


Well the 90 days have come and gone.  Mark Holan who originally wrote the article and contacted Jim Sebesta about the project and heres what he had to say.


http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/2011/06/fast-rail-prediction-time-frame-expires.html
[...]

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/2011/06/fast-rail-prediction-time-frame-expires.html?s=print 

Fast-rail prediction time frame expires 

Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Mark Holan 

Date: Thursday, June 2, 2011, 1:23pm EDT 

Mark Holan 

Staff Writer 

Email: markholan@bizjournals.com 

Former state Sen. Jim Sebesta wants another 90 days. 

On March 4 he predicted a private company would announce plans within three months for a 

maglev (magnetic levitation) rail line between Orlando International Airport and Disney World. 

The prediction, aired during a BayNews 9 panel discussion, came in the wake of the Florida 

Supreme Court ruling to uphold Gov. Rick Scott’s decision to kill the proposed high-speed train 

between Orlando and Tampa. 

“All I can say is there is stuff going on,” Sebesta said this week from his St. Petersburg home. “It 

is being worked on. Things are happening quietly behind the scenes.” 

Sebesta, a former state Senate Transportation Committee chairman, said he is working on the 

project as a consultant and is bound by a confidentiality agreement. 

“Nothing would warm my heart more that to announce to central Florida that it is on the way,” he 

said. “It’s a real estate development deal, make no mistake about that.” 

Talk of a maglev line between Disney and Port Canaveral, where the entertainment and leisure 

giant operates a cruise ship, has circulated for more than a decade. 

Disney’s press office in Orlando could not immediately comment. 

Tony Morris, president and CEO of American MagLev Technology Inc., which bid on earlier 

efforts to bring rapid rail transit to Florida, said his company is not involved in any negotiations.

Maybe Gov. Scott knows something, which may have influenced his decision to kill the bullet train. 

Orlando is still waiting for the governor’s decision on whether to move forward with SunRail. 

Maybe U.S. Rep. John Mica, the Orlando-based chairman of the House Transportation and 

Infrastructure Committee, figures into the mix. 

Maybe we will know more in the next 90 days.

[...]


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