From: ahk@chinet.com   
      
   Stephen Sprunk  wrote:   
   >On 17-Apr-15 21:02, Michael Finfer wrote:   
      
   >>One of the issues here is that SEPTA chose a PTC system that is   
   >>incompatible with the one CSX will be using.  I am still shaking my   
   >>head over that.  Interoperability was supposed to be one of the key   
   >>features of operating a national system.   
      
   >There is no "national" PTC system; every railroad is developing their   
   >own, and while at least some of them are supposed to be interoperable,   
   >in practice that never turns out as well as promised.  We also won't get   
   >the benefits of economy of scale that way.   
      
   What the hell does economy of scale have to do with anything? There are   
   huge, expensive problems to overcome, like lack of radio spectrum   
   capacity particularly in Chicago and that FCC is way way behind on   
   issuing licenses for all the new transmitters and relay stations,   
   and the complete idiocy of the design that the entire railroad infrastructure   
   plan must be downloaded into the locomotive each and every time the   
   fucking consist changes direction because, you know, somebody installed   
   a brand-new turnout in the last hour.   
      
   It's one massively stupid fuckup. Economy of scale is mostly irrelevant.   
      
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