Whitewolf here we come! Alpine + Squaw. Dreams can come true.

[nickwm21]

And there has to be a bar car!

sent from the future using my mind powers

[splat]

Yeah, and Winter Park had a ski train till not that long ago. I was just pointing out the parallels between the two. Either way, I think it's a great idea, especially keeping people who are not used to driving in snow from clogging up the highway during storms.

That might be the biggest plus of all, shredgnar.

Chain check at the train station.

[skinnyskier]

Train service to Truckee probably wouldn't have enough ridership to justify double tracking the line over Donner Summit and adding train sets. Even extending service to Reno probably wouldn't generate enough ridership. If container traffic from Oakland ever forced the railroad put in a second track over Donner Pass, there would be capacity for more passenger trains.

[splat]

The cost of an additional track would be beyond prohibitive but, if all parties tried to think outside the bun, I can't see why they couldn't piggyback ski train cars on one of the seemingly hundreds of freight trains currently making the run every day...

[skuff]

Hmm, Vail resorts arrives and within a few years, people are talking about a train from the nearest population centers. Sounds vaguely familiar to somewhere else I know.

Springfield?

North Haverbrook, maybe?

[The Dad]

I'm eagerly awaiting you and the rest of the bay area crew bitching that the train leaves at 5 and there's a 100yd walk to the nearest cab

Personally, I'm eagerly awaiting my next ski day, but hey, whatever floats your boat. But I'd be fine with a 5pm departure in either or both directions.

The cost of an additional track would be beyond prohibitive but, if all parties tried to think outside the bun, I can't see why they couldn't piggyback ski train cars on one of the seemingly hundreds of freight trains currently making the run every day...

Probably because they're so fucking slow.

But the alternative would be short areas of double track to allow passing/opposite directions when necessary. For all I know, they already exist.

[powfiend]

http://www.tahoetram.com/ this would be great, although even less realistic than improving the train system. Why is europe so must more advanced than us?

[snapt]

So Troy is turning down 45million to hopefully have his own little resort in 15 years? Dude's not right in the head.

[Hugh Conway]

Probably because they're so fucking slow.

I didn't have to wait long at all! Current train service is ~6 hrs to emeryville from truckee Passenger rail will be too fucking slow for the bay area yuppies who all want rail but don't want to use or pay for it. and definitely don't want to pay for high speed rail. that shit ain't cheap.

[bodywhomper]

I didn't have to wait long at all! Current train service is ~6 hrs to emeryville from truckee Passenger rail will be too fucking slow for the bay area yuppies who all want rail but don't want to use or pay for it. and definitely don't want to pay for high speed rail. that shit ain't cheap.

ha ha -> "train" service to truckee, you mean "motorcoach service".... http://www.capitolcorridor.org/route...subnav=coaches

not that that's a problem, but it ain't the train.

[Hugh Conway]

ha ha -> "train" service to truckee, you mean "motorcoach service".... http://www.capitolcorridor.org/route...subnav=coaches

not that that's a problem, but it ain't the train.

no, I meant the daily train that leaves Truckee roughly midday.

[bodywhomper]

you mean the california zephyr. i've been told by conductors of the cap corridor (who are also sometimes zephyr conductors) that there is some discretion about how skis are stored on the train. the decision is made by the conductors of the actual train. for instance, conductors may only allow the skis to be placed in the baggage car, which apparently cannot be offloaded in truckee.

imo, if more people use the CA zephyr train to truckee for skiing and there are multi-voiced opinions to amtrak about needing re-assurance that they will be able to offload in truckee with their skis, amtrak will listen and accommodate the reasonable request. get enough people riding to truckee and maybe they'll consider increasing the frequency of passenger service to truckee.

[VC]

http://www.tahoetram.com/ this would be great, although even less realistic than improving the train system. Why is europe so must more advanced than us?

Let start small first, how about a bus stop in Glenshire.


Back to the reason I came to this thread in the first place, has white wolf actually been open?

[turboLT]

I didn't have to wait long at all! Current train service is ~6 hrs to emeryville from truckee Passenger rail will be too fucking slow for the bay area yuppies who all want rail but don't want to use or pay for it. and definitely don't want to pay for high speed rail. that shit ain't cheap.

I love the anti Bay Area sentiment on this board. Without the metropolis most of truckee and the resorts around it wouldn't exist. I've met lots of yuppies who were ninjas in a previous life before they chose cushy city jobs. They sit in an office but could still beat the fuck out of me any day.

/rant

Trains would be cool because you can get really drunk on them. Not sure about getting around from Truckee though.

[splat]

you mean the california zephyr. i've been told by conductors of the cap corridor (who are also sometimes zephyr conductors) that there is some discretion about how skis are stored on the train. the decision is made by the conductors of the actual train. for instance, conductors may only allow the skis to be placed in the baggage car, which apparently cannot be offloaded in truckee.

imo, if more people use the CA zephyr train to truckee for skiing and there are multi-voiced opinions to amtrak about needing re-assurance that they will be able to offload in truckee with their skis, amtrak will listen and accommodate the reasonable request. get enough people riding to truckee and maybe they'll consider increasing the frequency of passenger service to truckee.

Yeah, but who's gonna lug the skis over to the resorts for those passengers?

proper planning prevents piss poor performance.

[Patches]

The problem with the daily train through truckee is it is incredibly unrealiable headed west. It starts in Baltimore, and gets here when it gets here. Sometimes its a full day late, and 4-6 hours late is quite usual.

The problem with the bus service is the times don't work for weekend vacations. They need eastbound trains friday night and westbound sundays- and they don't exist.

[turboLT]

The problem with the bus service is the times don't work for weekend vacations. They need eastbound trains friday night and westbound sundays- and they don't exist.

Great point.

[Hugh Conway]

I love the anti Bay Area sentiment on this board. Without the metropolis most of truckee and the resorts around it wouldn't exist. I've met lots of yuppies who were ninjas in a previous life before they chose cushy city jobs. They sit in an office but could still beat the fuck out of me any day.

You misunderstand. I live in the Bay Area and hate the people here. The snots in Tahoe are worse.


The delays point is huge - those really do eat up the vacation. Similar things when I'd looked at a train based ski trip out of seattle - couple hours to a day delay.

[The Dad]

I know very little about this, but that's rarely stopped me.

Isn't there commuter train capacity that is used midweek but not weekends that runs on the same spec track etc.?

[bodywhomper]

another simple-ish thing would be to run some of the capital corridor commuter train(s) all the way to truckee (or reno w/ a stop in truckee). the train service to and from auburn is very limited; that'd probably need to change. there's also a quirkiness with the track used that provides service to the auburn station that would need to be overcome. that stuff aside, when (time of day) would bay area (and davis/sacramento/roseville-types) want to leave from those stations and what time would you want to get back to those stations? i have no idea how long the stretch between auburn and truckee takes for amtrak (w/o freight or train-snowplow delays). auburn to sac takes ~1hr and sac to oakland is a little less than 2 hrs.

[splat]

Someone needs to write Warren Buffet about this.

[TahoeJ]

I just got off the phone with Warren and he said that sounds like a horrible investment strategy. No dice.

[VC]

I love the anti Bay Area sentiment on this board. Without the metropolis most of truckee and the resorts around it wouldn't exist.
/rant

This is the attitude that annoys the shit out of me. Please come to where I live with the self righteous attitude that my town only exists because of yourself. Truckee wouldn't be what it is today, but who says thats a bad thing. I live here for the mountains and snow pack, not because of the high housing prices, generally low wages of the tourist industry and the tourist catered downtown. This isn't a jaded local, I'm so core rant, I realize that not everyone can live here and welcome tourists/second home owners, but get off your high horse.

[powfiend]

This is the attitude that annoys the shit out of me. Please come to where I live with the self righteous attitude that my town only exists because of yourself. Truckee wouldn't be what it is today, but who says thats a bad thing. I live here for the mountains and snow pack, not because of the high housing prices, generally low wages of the tourist industry and the tourist catered downtown. This isn't a jaded local, I'm so core rant, I realize that not everyone can live here and welcome tourists/second home owners, but get off your high horse.

So true! I got no beef with people from the bay, just the attitudes they bring. The fact that they think they are doing us a favor by coming up and spending their hard earned $$$ here, like somehow its making the locals rich, hah! The best is when they bitch about being stuck in traffic on the way to squaw on the weekends! Its almost if they dont realize that it is them who is creating it! But i got mad love for the bay, I grew up down there and love visiting, do allot business down there and even grocery shopping more often than in Truckee. However I dont bring a self-righteous, im the reason you are here/ my life in the mountains is way better than your life in a cubicle attitude with me. Much love to everyone who comes up to enjoy the beauty of tahoe. Lets try n create some mutual respect, leave your egos in the city.

BTW i dont think whitewolf has any chance of opening for at least a few more years. It seems doubtful that Troy is willing to sell to KSL at all if he didnt accept 45 M. I think he wants to maintain a certain level of control which KSL isnt interested in sharing

[Hugh Conway]

This is the attitude that annoys the shit out of me. Please come to where I live with the self righteous attitude that my town only exists because of yourself. Truckee wouldn't be what it is today, but who says thats a bad thing. I live here for the mountains and snow pack, not because of the high housing prices, generally low wages of the tourist industry and the tourist catered downtown. This isn't a jaded local, I'm so core rant, I realize that not everyone can live here and welcome tourists/second home owners, but get off your high horse.

It's not a high horse. It's the fucking truth. There would be no economy - no ski areas - and nobody living there - without the mass amounts of tourists that flock to Tahoe. You most likely wouldn't be living there. It certainly couldn't support the local population.

So yes powfiend, they are doing you a favor.