The picture above is a paper model of an electric locomotive. I got it in the mail from the Rail Passengers Association a few weeks ago. It came as the card you see in the photo above, just the right size to fit in an envelope. I scanned it and printed it on card stock to make the larger version you see above. Why did the RPA send it out? Here’s the message on the card:
Here’s the kit part of the mailer. All you need to put it together is scissors to cut it out and glue to hold it together. I printed it on card stock. It appears to be based on a generic electric locomotive design, like the West German E-10.
While this project is for fun, what’s behind it is serious.
The RPA is working to defend and improve America’s passenger rail system. They have a hard fight at the best of times, which these are not. Amtrak is cutting back its service and seeing a big drop in ridership because of the pandemic. This is cutting into Amtrak revenue. While airlines and cruise ships are looking for big bailouts, we cannot forget America’s rail systems too. There will be more bills going forward to address the pandemic, and infrastructure will be part of it, so let’s not forget about trains. (RPA membership info here.)
Rail is more important that most people realize. While there’s a lot of support on social media for the truckers keeping freight moving across the country right now, freight railroads are also still on the job. (Not everyone is happy about the way they’re doing it though.) Amtrak isn’t the only passenger system hurting; mass transit is taking a hit everywhere as people try to keep a distance. The health of all these systems will be important as we try to get the economy going again — when it’s safe.
Some places have been experimenting with making transit free — that is, doing away with fares and funding their systems by other means. This can boost ridership and reduce traffic congestion. It saves the money that has to be spent managing fares. It makes it easier to budget without having to guess at income from fares; a situation like this with temporary disruption would have less of an impact. It would go a way towards addressing the systematic inequality in our economy, and could make a big difference getting the economy going again.
Rail is also important for the climate crisis. Over 30% of the greenhouse gas emissions in America come from transportation, and rail is inherently more energy efficient. The pandemic’s travel restrictions are a big demonstration of how much of a factor it is. The cut in overall air pollution is producing dramatic demonstrations of what a difference getting carbon, etc. out of the economy could make. (It also has health implications in general, and specifically for Covid-19.)
We could make a huge chunk of those emissions disappear just by shifting as much freight as possible from trucks to trains for long distance runs. If we electrify our rail corridors and use wind and solar to power them, we can have near zero emissions AND use those corridors for a HVDC national power grid to connect that power to the country. (That’s what Solutionary Rail is proposing.)
I hope everyone is coping out there and staying healthy. Here’s the link to yesterday’s project ICYMI. I’m thinking of posting about one tomorrow that could provide days of paper craft fun.
Enjoy!