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The Shasta Route

Connecting Oregon and California by Passenger Rail
Overview and suggestions by Hans-Joachim Zierke

Table of Contents

1. Index of Annotations.
2. Introduction and first considerations
   • Introduction
   • Page 1: New Function for the Shasta Route: The Missing Link
   • Page 2: First Filter: Is a Highspeed Rail project feasible?
   • Page 3: First attempt at second filter: Which traffic functions could be provided by an upgrade?

If you are familiar with the details of railroad operation in both the USA and Europe, you are encouraged to skip the next two parts. If not, you can skip first, read on, and return, as soon as you are irritated by the numbers given. Probability is high. Page 4: Comparison to European operations does not allow judgement - an example Page 5: Curve speeds - what's possible and what's real Page 6: Why are Amtrak trains so slow? One effect, many reasons - this makes change difficult. Page 7: Different traffic function results in different infrastructure Page 8: Conclusion of Page 7 Page 9: The influence of railroad organization and traffic policies. Page 10: Conclusion of Page 9 Page 11: Track maintenance and safety margins Page 12: Conclusion of Page 11 Page 13: Results of railroad history Page 14: Conclusion of Page 13 Page 15: Quality of regulations Page 16: Conclusion of Page 15 Page 17: Why Amtrak trains will stay slower, plus an important conclusion

5. Back to the Shasta route: Developing the assumptions about technical data, a process with major influence on results.
   • Page 18: Trains for Shasta Route curves - the problem and the fastest solution.
   • Page 19: Trains for Shasta Route curves - fastest solution for the real world of unmodernized regulations.
   • Page 20: The example trains, giving a basis for calculation
6. Preparing and performing the first part of calculations.
   • Page 21: Setting speed zones. Part 1
   • Page 22: Zone 1: Sacramento to Red Bluff
   • Page 23: Zone 2: Red Bluff to Milepost 233
   • Page 24: Zone 3: MP 233 to Redding
   • Page 25: Zone 4: Shasta Lake Realignment, Redding to Milepost 296
   • Page 26: Zone 5: Sacramento River Canyon, lower part, MP 296 to Dunsmuir
   • Page 27: Zone 6: Climbing out of the Sacramento River Canyon, Dunsmuir to Azalea
   • Page 28: Zone 7: Azalea to Black Butte
7. At this point, conclusions about Natron Cutoff service are advisable.
   • Page 29: Natron Cutoff - looking at population density, estimating a timetable.
   • Page 30: Second attempt at second filter: Which traffic functions could be provided by an upgrade?
   • Page 31: First result: Overnighters on the Shasta Route, via Natron Cutoff.
8. Preparing the second part of calculations, changing direction to the Siskiyou range.
   • Page 32: Siskiyou Line - past and present
   • Page 33: Siskiyou line track quality
   • Page 34: Siskiyou line grade
   • Page 35: Siskiyou line curvature
   • Page 36: Basic strategy for the Siskiyou line. This page lists the assumptions for Siskiyou Line timetable calculation.
   • Page 37: Setting speed zones via the Siskiyou Pass
9. Performing the second part of calculations.
   • Page 38: Zone 8: Black Butte to Edgewood
   • Page 39: Zone 9: Shasta Valley
   • Page 40: Zone 10: Willow Creek, Klamath River, Cottonwood Creek
   • Page 41: Zone 11: The Siskiyou Pass
   • Page 42: Zone 12: Down to the Rogue Valley

Importance and improbability of rail transit in the Rogue Valley. The described transit system is not implementable under current federal regulations. Therefore, readers can skip this part. Page 43: Importance of transit for the success of long distance traffic Page 44: Bringing back rail transit to small town areas - examples. Page 45: Timetable examples for Rogue Valley rail transit Page 46: Transit example 1: Ashland - Central Point Page 47: Transit example 2: Ashland - Grants Pass               Work in progress.              Page 48: Commuter trains and the need for speed

11. Preparing and performing the third part of calculations, along the track from Ashland to Roseburg.
    • Page 49: Setting speed zones in southern Oregon
      (Page 46 is a temporary, empty page. It will get filled, when the detail pages have reached Roseburg.)
    • Page 50: Zone 13: The Rogue Valley
    • Page 51: Zone 14: Grants Pass to Leland

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Last modified: 2005-10-28