California agency auction: 135 TON Locomotives for sale

[RJSV]

Thanks,  folks.
   Some clarification,  as far as I know.
   CALTRANS - -:   Caltrans is the lead agency for automobile based systems.   I believe the agency was formerly called California Highway Commission.
   But the history,  here in East Bay's Hayward,  San Leandro,  Oakland,  Fremont,  is as a roadway planning and also urban property holder,  which maybe doesn't sound sinister enough.   That's because CALTRANS would go in,  condemning swaths of land straight through the heart of community,  and,  often,  becoming a defacto Landlord,  for years and years before any freeway construction or ground clearing can happen.
   Hayward rejected the Route 238 so-called hillside freeway,  that would have built another 6 laned and sound walled parallel route, to the giant 880 freeway.
   This history relates pretty heavily to the whole Silicon Valley life package,  that,  as we know here, contributed some background feeling used in the movie 'OFFICE SPACE'.

(Rt. 238 is essentially a no-build status).

   Just thought I would help clarify that.
--------------------------------------------

   Caltrain is the agency over the rail system stuff.  I actually feel same as Thermahippy, here.   I last owned my car,  2009,  and it was a relief,  to donate!

   So...back to topic.   No agency in Canada, or Cuba, for example, could BUY themselves another diesel-electric Locomotive...
Sounds familiar:
   Some (agency) tried to go forward,  unburdened by the past.  But...sorry;  NO GO on that sale;  THAT decision was made by the seller.  (Or the Federal mandate).   No,  that little piece of technology gets trashed.

   Waste is,  naturally,  one thing that humans seem to notice,  and despise.

[Analog Kid]

Caltrain is the agency over the rail system stuff.

Only on the San Francisco peninsula, on the former Espee commuter line between SF and San Jose. (The line actually extends south to Morgan Hill.) That's the extent of their domain.

BTW, since you mention Bay Area freeway outrages: 1) check out the San Francisco "freeway revolt" of the 1950s. Caltrans had planned several freeways through the city that would have ripped neighborhoods to shreds. People pushed back, organized and basically said "Fuck, no!". Some of them got built (like the notorious ugly piece of shit that was the Embarcadero Freeway that was mercifully torn down after being damaged by the 1989 earthquake), but most didn't.

2) In a truly outrageous scheme, Caltrans planned to punch Hwy. 380, which today is just short stub near SFO that connects 101 with 280, all the way through west to the coast at Pacifica. See reaction described above for the pushback that rendered this a no-go.

[RJSV]

  Thank you for that mention of Caltrain.

   I'm guessing then that each new project is a separate deal;   with Federal 'Green' project money,  and control ?
Example perhaps,  let's say a new line,  Sacramento to Fresno....

O.M.G.   Is all this only for electrification,  on special Federal program and subsidies ?

I'm concerned about climate change involved disasters but this here is a lot of PHONEY SHIT!
Even worse,  giving legitimate mitigation measures an impediment.
   
   I'm maybe stupid,  but I've benefitted from many years of local actions and community meetings.  Learned a lot about government agency tricks.

So, (to repeat),  is CALTRAIN only for piecemeal little pet projects, in electrification ?
We don't have the energy,  if we calculate the numbers.

We can't 'unburden the present' in order to, uh, go back to forward, or shhhh;  unburden the Pasch'.
   Be the change.   (At least I got that, empty phrase correct.)

(I'm just kidding.)

[Analog Kid]

I'm starting to wonder if maybe any time is a bad time for you to post ...

Anyhoo: Not sure what your image of Caltrain is; it's the body that runs just that one railroad line, from San Francisco to San Jose-ish. Yes, they just completed an electrification project, actually a huge deal for the RR, but years overdue, waaaay over budget, plagued by stupid shit mistakes ... But yes, electrification was a whole separate deal with sources of funding and all.

Read that blog I linked above if you're interested in horror stories about Caltrain. There are some doozies.

[RJSV]

   Thanks,  I'll check out that post.

You might want to check out,  privately for yourself,  a few, or more political and election related verbal 'presentations'....if you are curious where I've gotten some material,  for a bit of pointed sarcasm.
You see,  the REAL babble prone nonsense dispensing stuff is way better,  than any purely made up sarcasm that I've engaged in.
But since I've avoided names or other more direct (politically related) issues,  maybe it appears as babble.
   But, no;   I'm just not very good at issuing sarcasm based on things I'm seeing and reading.   If I put in more clarity,  it goes astray of Forum guidelines.

   My musings and (attempted) sarcasm is nothing,  compared to the ones that speak in circles.

[themadhippy]

  years overdue, waaaay over budget, plagued by stupid shit mistakes

Are they owned by the british by any chance

[Analog Kid]

Nope, totally 100% homegrown 'Murican, as in "we know better than the rest of the world how to design and build stuff". (It's a public agency, not a private enterprise.)

[RJSV]

   A while ago,  the subject of political postings here came up (probably not the first time).   THIS Forum managers and many members know,  that the politics,  religious,  racial,  etc.  topics can mess up the 'decorum',...running the risk of offending some portion or culture of readers.
   Due to the often 'loose' relations,  between folks who never met each other,  we can't tolerate the heavier 'combatants' engaging among the topics.   I agree.

   I mean;  imagine if some Xtra hot headed person comes on,  picking fights aggressively,  and making others uncomfortable.  That's not good,  partially because we are already very thinly relating to each other,  and over distances.

   I'm too aggressive,  sometimes.   I wished to discuss VACCINES, some,  here.   It did not go well (thread locked),  due to fact that some folks can't resist letting loose a whole sudden dump of contention.

   Post a picture of your cat,  maybe a bit off,  but start discussion of war and politics and things degrade.  Poor Dave and other tenders here likely rest their heads on the desk (or worse),  when trying to manage a bunch of children,  at each other's throats.

Folks:   You always send PM question to myself,  if it's something controversial,  as there isn't a risk of offending THOUSANDS of readers.

   For any political related details,  you maybe have to go to your (own) TV Set,  although I'll take on a PM question.

(We had been on the topic,  of politicians issuing verbal 'babble'.)

[RJSV]

   Today's news, November 19, 2024,  the rail engines and cars have been sold, in a package deal,  apparently.
   The legislature had passed a bill to 'rescue' the diesel engine ban,  I suppose just in a one off deal, here.

[Analog Kid]

   Today's news, November 19, 2024,  the rail engines and cars have been sold, in a package deal,  apparently.
   The legislature had passed a bill to 'rescue' the diesel engine ban,  I suppose just in a one off deal, here.

They were sold to Peru, which is nice, as they'll be actually running down there.

Article here.

Last week, Caltrain announced it had sold 19 of its F40 locomotives and 90 of its recently retired gallery cars to Lima, Peru, for a new commuter rail service. The equipment was deemed surplus following the electrification of Caltrain between San Francisco and San Jose. Caltrain is being paid $6 million for the locomotives and cars.

“This agreement will help Peru embrace a more sustainable future while also bringing millions of dollars to help us keep Caltrain running,” stated Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard in a press release. “Our former Caltrain passenger cars and locomotives will enable the start of new commuter rail service in greater Lima, cleaner air for commuters and community members and the access to opportunity that great public transportation provides.”

As part of the state funding for the electrification, the F40 locomotives were supposed to be rendered unusable, per California state law. However, Caltrain was able to obtain a waiver from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District because of the environmental benefits of establishing a new commuter rail service in Peru. The deal was brokered with the Government of Lima, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.