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The Turbo train wasn't amazingly successful, though that was more due to Canadian National's refusal to upgrade the track. It had technical issues, too, and the rail industry hated it because it was made by an aircraft company. A common theme in the US rail industry, even though the BART cars made by ROHR, and the DC Metro ones made by ROHR too, lasted an amazingly long time, and worked well*. Established builders (Pullman, St Louis Car, ACF, etc), couldn't get their act together and went under.
UP's turbos were a goner after the chemical industry found a use for the 'bunker oil' that they burned. It was previously a waste product, basically free. Then plastics became a thing, and guess what they needed as a feedstock...
*I still remembered watching in astonishment, as a kid, how on the DC metro, the driver would punch a start button, the doors would close, the train would start itself, and he'd watch the platform side as it pulled out, then close the window and walk over to the control console and monitor operation.
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11-20-2020, 04:13 PM
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