New speed record

My dad ( who was alive when this deal went through in the 50s/60s) told me this was the deal: The Fed wouldn't pay for the highways around Chicago. Illinois formed the Toll Highway Authority to sell bonds to finance construction of I-294 and I-94 to the Wi/Il state line. The deal was the toll booths would be removed once the costs were paid for.

The highways were almost paid for back around 1991. I was still working in Deerfield and listening to Chicago radio every day. All of a sudden the Toll Authority realized they were wasting money leasing office space around Chicago/burbs and needed a brand-spanking-new $100 million office building. Now once _that's_ paid off the toll booths will be removed.

Another fairy tale worthy of the Grimm brothers. I can't wait to see what they THA thinks of the next time it's almost out of business.

Jay CNS&M North Shore Line - "First and fastest"

Must be some juicy sinecures involved. Maybe just throw them in the oven?

More like, "Oh my God, what'll we do after our political patronage jobs are gone?" The governor appoints the members of the Toll Highway Authority, subject to State Senate approval, IIRC. I left the state 10 years ago.

Jay CNS&M North Shore Line - "First and fastest"

...

We have an electronic pass that records the toll.... Illinois has had that for several years.

Jim Stewart

But not practical for those of us who visit Chicago only on family duties.

Railroad bridges cost roughly $5000 per linear foot installed. Your plan would get you twenty miles of track before the entire $550 million was spent. That's a high-speed network connecting all of those cities?

And don't even get me started on construction & mainteneance issues... the railroad needs a continuous right of way, either through direct ownership of the land or easements for construction and maintenance...

Don't know what all the fuss is about; the Athearn Hustler has been breaking the HO scale speed of sound for years.

Brian

Illinois Tollway has I-Pass. It's still a tollbooth with all the political patronage involved. That doesn't help all the truckers or out-of-staters, though. The toll backups around Chicago are almost legendary.

I remember back around 1978, first weekend of June. A Jehovah's Witnesses convention let out at the same time as the Rex Mays Classic (now Miller 225). There was a traffic backup from Milwaukee to Chicago. Literally. I was in it. Bailed out at Rawson Ave. on the south side of Milwaukee. Went to Illinois and out Hwy 173 to the tollway. All the traffic was still there, with truckers on the CB saying it was like that all the way to Chi-town.

Jay CNS&M North Shore Line - "First and fastest"

Can't. River's in the way.

The problem was the city father's didn't want ugly girders visible from underneath, so they installed concrete box girders - roadway and support framework all in one piece. The problem is that the roadway cannot be resurfaced because it's part of the support structure, kind of like unibody.. Once the concrete separates from the rebar it all has to be replaced. And it's time.

Jay CNS&M North Shore Line - "First and fastest"

Dear sir, I was waiting for this one to come up! Cordially yours, Gerard P.

Dear folks, We could just slow down. People seem to get more done when they aren't rushing around. Still, the Chinese maglev is good engineering, because it serves its purpose. Its purpose is to generate bragging rights...just like their space program...just like our space program, for that matter... Cordially yours, Gerard P.