Considering that today is Wednesday, it is time to introduce the first themed event of this blog:
Why Not Trivia? Wednesdays
The decision to make it Wednesday instead of Tuesday or Thursday was not an easy one. Which is to say that it was made entirely because I didn't want to wait.
Fun Fact: Of the once numerous interurban railways that once existed in the United States, the South Shore employs the very last remaining passenger electric trains.
To be honest, I thought that the industry was well spread as of nowadays. Of course, passenger trains are still employed by plenty of businesses, such as Amtrak, but electric passenger trains are the sole specialty of the South Shore line.
It is very difficult for train lines to be profitable due to the high running and startup costs of railways. Understandable given the circumstances, then, that the United States would not be particularly concerned with funding a niche form of transit, especially given the lack of government support for railways as of lately.
The diminishing US railway industry is sad for us all. Let us hope that the South Shore line continues to run well into the future.
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| An electric passenger train of the South Shore Line |
It's very surprising to hear that electric trains have fallen out of fashion. I suppose I always took it for granted that electric trains were a widespread practice around the US, with my life so intertwined in what turned out to be the last remaining example!
Fun Fact: A second South Shore Line station out of South Bend has been proposed by several sources. If created, this station would replace the existing South Bend International Airport installation.
Personally, I don't like the idea of replacing the old International Airport Terminus. It's such a nostalgic location for me, but I can admit that the route is a bit cumbersome and does waste time. The view of North Bendix Drive isn't exactly the height of entertainment.
Still, I can't help but agree with the voices calling for a downtown location instead of a west airport location. Putting in all that effort just to change what side of the airport the station is on, feels rather like a lot of effort for a very small change.
That's just my layman's opinion, of course. I'm not privy to the discourse that goes into decisions like these. For all I know, that statement has grievously offended several flavors of academics that I didn't even know existed!
Do you think a hypothetical new end station should be in downtown South Bend, or should it be on the west side of the South Bend International Airport?
Anyways, I'm sure that's plenty of trivia for one day. Next Wednesday, look forward to a new set of facts more fun than these, which turned out a little more sad than I probably was intending.
Stay tuned!
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| An electric train of the South Shore Line running through Michigan City |
(Image credits to Han Zheng on Flickr)
