Car Life/757s

[Edward H. Lybarger]

When the 757 was new with Eastern in the early '80s, I thought it was a
treat to fly.  That was before the carriers raised the seats and squeezed
them together to maximize the sardine effect.  In the past year or so, I've
become acquainted with Airbus Industrie through short hops on 319s/320s, a
transcontinental round trip on 319s, and two trans-Atlantic round trips on
330s.  For me, at least, they absolutely blow away anything Boeing has to
offer (I haven't tried a 777, so that's excluded).  The pressurization
system is the smoothest, most continuous I've ever experienced, and the
wider narrow-body cabin makes for much more comfortable seating.  And US
Airways' 330s, with 60 fewer seats than the same -300 model that Aer Lingus
flies, is the most comfortable long haul craft I've been on.  I'm hoping
they don't disappear into Untied, but am not holding my breath.  The latter
is incapable of managing itself, let alone taking on the integration of a
major acquisition.

Boeing makes great airplanes.  They're just stuck with a narrow-body
fuselage that dates from the mid-'50s, and the competition has made hay with
that.  I go out of my way to avoid the 757 or MD-80 out of Pittsburgh,
though I am fine with a DC-9-30!  My best flight of 2000 was on the C-54
(DC-4) that visited the Washington County Airport in late July.  I trust
they'll come back next year!

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
[mailto:owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org]On Behalf Of Greg King
Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2000 6:20 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: Re: Car Life


By the way,

I'm also an aviation entusiast and a private pilot, I rather like the 757
but, love the DC-3 (have 5 hours on type) and would go anywhere on one
(especially if I was driving!) but if I had get somewhere in a hurry, I'd
prefer a 757 over all else Mr Boeing or Mr Airbus has to offer! Sorry that's
a wee bit off list!

Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: Edward H. Lybarger <twg at pulsenet.com>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2000 4:48 AM
Subject: RE: Car Life


> If you've ever been in the middle seat in the last row on a full 757,
you'll
> understand why I'd opt for the DC-3!
>
> Ed
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> [mailto:owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org]On Behalf Of Kenneth
> Josephson
> Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2000 3:27 AM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Subject: Re: Car Life
>
>
>
>
> Derrick J Brashear wrote:
>
>
> > But, just because it had longevity, don't assume it was necessarily
> "better" than
> > today.
>
> True. You may have noticed several prominent coach manufacturers were left
> out of
> my little rant. A Boeing 757 is certainly "better" than a DC-3 though the
> latter is
> well known for its longevity. (This last statement is guaranteed to get a
> reaction
> from Bob Rathke or Ed Lybarger.) Anything can be made to last for decades
if
> one
> throws enough money at it. But Marmon, Brill and postwar Pullman trolley
> coaches
> were noted for their longevity as well as providing generally trouble free
> service
> for over three decades when given the chance. While our favorite traction
> system is
> well known for being a predominently Westinghouse equipped system, most
long
> term
> trolley coach operators seemed to prefer GE equipped trolley coaches over
> Westinghouse equipped units when all other things were equal. There were
> several
> notable cases where the Westinghouse equipped half of a GE/Westinghouse
> split order
> of identical trolley coaches were retired or sold off  before the GE
units.
>
> My point is that a guaranteed subsidy to a fat and sassy public agency
will
> not
> inspire the same call for longevity and serviceability that the private
> transit
> industry and its suppliers needed when the PCC concept was born.
>
> I heard a rumor that people living between Mattapan and Ashmont were more
> worried
> about the possibility of receiving hand-me-down Boeings from the Green
line
> than
> losing their PCCs to bustitution or a Red Line heavy rail extension. Ken
J.
>
>
>