Unfettered Letters

Railroad exhibit at Nelson

I have to admit that I am not a fervid aficionado of railroads, but I want to report that the exhibition “Art in the Age of Steam: Europe, America and the Railway, 1830-1960” at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is well worth a visit.

There are works of art I have never seen before and great paintings that are not usually lent by individuals and museums throughout the world.

I plan to return several times to get my fill of this show, and I hope railroad buffs will be joined by art lovers in seeing the works brought together by this exhibition. Don’t miss it!

Pinky Kase
Leawood

Editor’s note: “Art in the Age of Steam” continues through Jan. 18 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Expanding rail service

Frank Busalacchi, Wisconsin’s secretary of transportation, made a valid point in his column (7/9, Opinion, “Time to upgrade America’s passenger rail service”). Amtrak can help the nation cope with high gas prices.

Freight rail can do even more. Last year, U.S. freight railroads moved the average ton of freight 436 miles on a gallon of diesel fuel. And freight trains emit just one-third as much greenhouse gases per ton-mile as trucks.

Secretary Busalacchi lamented the lack of passenger railcar capacity. But of equal concern should be the lack of capacity on the nation’s rail freight network, where most passenger trains operate. Some corridors are already approaching capacity and can take little or no additional traffic. Other corridors will reach that same level in coming years.

Since moving more freight and passengers to the rails will reduce fuel consumption and pollution, action should be taken now to increase capacity so that both freight rail and passenger rail can continue to grow.

Edward R. Hamberger
President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of American Railroads
Washington, D.C.

Frank Busalacchi really got it right when he said it is time to reinvest in passenger rail service.

A recent Amtrak trip to Chicago was one of the most pleasant and relaxed travel experiences I have had in years Plus, we arrived 30 minutes early.

Busalacchi also mentions that there are $1.75 billion in federal funds available for state high-speed rail projects. High-speed rail would be a great fit for Missouri. Our central location makes us the perfect candidate for a high-speed rail hub serving our region or the entire country.

We could start with a triangle serving Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield-Branson. The construction and maintenance jobs could not be exported, and expanding the system in any direction would be the logical next step.

Ross Freese
Kansas City

Slow train trip to St. Louis

Recently, my granddaughter and I took Amtrak to St. Louis for a family event. It’s a darned good thing we weren’t in a big hurry.

By the grace of God and the tender mercies of the Union Pacific, it only took us six hours and 35 minutes to get from Independence to Kirkwood. We arrived an hour and 40 minutes late. By my calculation, we averaged a ballast-scorching 38 miles per hour between our state’s two major metropolitan areas.

I would suspect that 60 years ago someone would have found themselves called on the division superintendent’s carpet for taking the currently scheduled time of four hours and 47 minutes with one of the Missouri Pacific’s Eagles. The consequences of the time it took us would have been too terrible to contemplate.

If gasoline approaching $4 a gallon is a problem, the passenger rail service is not a very good solution.

Ross Warnell
Liberty

Rail crossing safety

We have all heard and seen it before: Someone is hit by a train (4/10, Local, “Answers are few as families mourn”). Kansas City is one of the largest rail centers in the United States. With all of the rail lines in and out of the city, it is surprising how little people pay attention to rail safety. Most accidents are at grade crossings, where a driver fails to yield and gets hit. Every day I see people cross tracks without stopping.

When coming to a railroad crossing, you should assume that a train can and will appear at any given moment, and that the crossing guards may not be working. If there are multiple tracks, make sure that all tracks are clear before crossing. You can stop quickly; a train cannot. Also, never walk on or near the tracks, as you may not hear the train approaching.

Everyone should know about Operation Lifesaver (www.OLI.org), which promotes rail crossing safety. It is sad when people are hurt and killed in a crossing accident, but these accidents can be prevented. Rail safety begins and ends with us. In crossing accidents, the one who is hit is not the only victim. Accidents affect the railroad crews as well.

Kelly E. McClanahan
Raytown

Traffic interchange for hub

Interesting that BNSF Railway Co. is having its strategic planner ask for a handout in Topeka to build an interchange at taxpayers’ expense (1/19, Local, “Gardner seeks interchange”).

It would seem strategic planning would have ensured that the railroad had an exit for its intermodal before it committed to this project.

How long will it take to build this interchange compared to when traffic will start flowing out of this site? How will this increased traffic be managed?

Maybe traffic ought to be limited until there is a reasonable way to manage the predicted load of 5,000-plus trips a day. Maybe the state could employ a little strategic planning before it starts giving away the taxpayers’ dollars for this project.

Interestingly, this is the same company that told Gardner voters it didn’t matter whether they voted to annex because the intermodal was coming anyway.

Pretty cavalier for a group that’s looking to the same taxpayers to pay for a way to expedite its traffic.

Pete Caffrey
Gardner

Amtrak funding

The Missouri Department of Transportation and Amtrak are exploring the possibility of expanding passenger rail service between St. Louis and Springfield. This is meant to relieve congestion on Interstate 44 because of the growing popularity of the Springfield/Branson area. It would also provide service to four other towns along the way (6/16, St. Louis Business Journal).

With the increased cost of gasoline and a greater awareness of energy conservation and efficiency, Amtrak expansion is a good idea.

But it appears that Republican U.S. Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri doesn’t share that vision. Recently he voted against the bill that increased the 2007 Amtrak budget from $900 million to $1.14 billion. (6/17, Star, A-11, “How They Voted”).

Without Graves’ vote, the bill passed. But Amtrak needs more money to avoid bankruptcy. If the House could have added funds equaling the “bridge to nowhere” in Alaska, $230 million, Amtrak could dodge bankruptcy next year.

Congressman Graves continues to promote oil drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. Expansion of Amtrak service in the U.S. would provide Americans an alternative to driving. But it would appear that Graves doesn’t understand the concept of energy conservation and efficiency.

Charles L. Beucher Jr.
Kansas City

Passenger rail

With air travel becoming more expensive, airlines cutting workers and fuel prices going higher, the solution to future transportation is rail travel.

One train and one driver can move hundreds of people safely, with less fuel, less pollution and less cost than any other mode of transport.

Instead of cutting money from Amtrak, as the Bush administration wants to do, funds should be increased to provide a separate track system between all major cities, using existing right of way or other locations. Passenger rail should not be on the same track as freight rail.

We cannot afford not to provide this service. The government wastes more money on the war in a few months than the rail system would cost.

J. Spielbusch
Independence

More rail, fewer cars

Kansas City is the second largest rail hub in the United States after Chicago. The railroad and its history are intertwined with that of Kansas City.

I have been an employee of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway for more than 13 years, and I often hear complaints from people who have to wait at crossings for a freight train to pass — or worse, from people who try to beat the train.

I wonder whether readers know that the train they waited for may have been an intermodal train hauling 280 truck trailers. That’s the equivalent of over 1,200 cars in traffic. Using more rail would mean significantly less pressure on our highways, as well as less time wasted by motorists. It would also mean increased safety and air quality.

Rather than griping about crossings blocked, we need to be pro-active and encourage public support for investment in grade-separation projects. These and other rail-infrastructure improvements would reduce conflicts between vehicles and trains.

Bill Stuhldreher
Kansas City