What happened to Atlas Hovercrafts?

[RMHoward]

Ock,
Im not trying to be a pain in your rear.  I just dont see it.  Maybe im wrong.  It seems to me that our era of passenger railroads is a bygone era.  When my wife and i travel west of Gainesville, to places like High Springs, Newberry, Alachua, etc (the real Florida, it seems to me), you see the remains/effects of railroads on those little towns.  It is very quaint and i love exploring the old lines.  I would love to see us go back to those times.  Maybe we will.  But, it seems like an uphill battle to me.  Its so hard to get anything done in this country anymore.   I like your idea of the Ortega river behind NAS Jax but i think it would be a better natrue cruise than one for transportation.
Rick

[Ocklawaha]

HERE'S A BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTO ESSAY FOR THE NON-BELIEVERS...

Don't sweat the small stuff. What you are noting is the complete transition of railroading from a single (lose car) industry to single industries, 5 man crews, divisions, shops, and depots... Indeed it was a really fun time to observe railroading and it is nearly as much fun exploring it's history. However that era has past, I am reminded of that with my recent experiences in South America. In Colombia the railroads built out at nearly 2,000 miles of track, but due in part to the mountains dividing it into distinct segments - even though it was connected and comprehensive the national system NEVER carried more then 19% of the nations substantial freight traffic. Keep in mind here the Colombia is one of the richest countries in natural resources in the entire world and that 24% of all food imported into the USA, 2nd in Oil imports, coal, ore, etc... all originate in Colombia. The railroad system that I worked with in 1982 was gone by 2000, the whole thing shut down and rotting away except for a couple of very short segments, like a cement branchline near Bogota. The old FCN was a microcosm of the US railroads of 1960. Overbuilt! Not so much in route miles but in plant, there were more yards, shops and divisions where crews were changed out then carter had pills. I went in with a group part of which included the Inspector General, and the Professor of Railway Engineering from the National University. What we accomplished could be considered by the nostalgic as wholesale slaughter! We took this former massive plant and slimmed it down to a single track mainline, sitting on high granite ballast, concrete ties and 90-110 pound rails. We inked deals with huge American-Brasilian-Colombian COAL companies, oil companies and agri-interests. Containers replaced box cars and modern American made diesels replaced aging steam locomotives or early diesel products.

To borrow the words of another alien educated in America, "We awakened a sleeping giant!"  Today the railroads are on the grow again, traffic is soaring, BILLIONS are being invested in a new cut-off from the plateau where Bogota is located to the Magdalena River. Locally, a new coal terminal is raising on the banks of the St. Johns River on north Talleyrand, and the little railroad with less then 19% is blowing downgrade with 200 car trains... Modern trains, single product, single commodity, single destination, single customer, computerized, and rolling at speeds unheard of just 30-40 years ago and doing it with 2 man crews working all the way through to the coast.

Guess who is talking about High Speed Trains? Yeah, that same little country is now looking at investment in new Spanish Built tilting trains that can handle the mountain curves at much higher speeds. All of this is a model of a new type of railroad, a railroad that has more in common with wireless internet then it does my beloved coal fired steamers...

This is the change that has many saying the railroad's are dead/dying/etc... YEP, just like a bunch of caterpillars and they are blooming into butterflies.

Not tu Abuelo's railroad anymore eh?










DEAR GOD JAXPORT! PUERTO SANTA MARTA'S GOT RAIL! hee hee!



Didn't completely lose my head, this little Mikado, is in front of the old office in Bello!

Hope this illustrates what I'm talking about, and passenger rail has experienced a similar change from yesterday to tomorrow...

OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

Welcome to our show Captain, expert opinions welcome. As I live across the river from the giant hulk sitting at Green Cove Springs, I agree that it is a lost cause. At best maybe somebody could salvage it for a barge like houseboat... if it didn't sink first.

Hovercraft or conventional boats seem the only way to go, as I believe getting up on foils would involve some manatee slicing and dicing. Because of what is around the river frontage in northeast Florida I'm thinking a pseudo passenger ferry in the urban core, at most I could see something along the lines of a narrow boat reaching up the Ortega or Cedar, into downtown, but it might be more like "A Slow Boat to China."


OCKLAWAHA

[RMHoward]

 Hamrag said "self-professed transport 'experts''

Hey Hamrag,
Yes sometimes folks stray from the original topic.   I started this thread, so its ok with me.  Not sure anyone claimed to be an expert, however the whole idea of this forum is conversation, so get over your holier than thou attitude, Capt or not.  No lectures needed here from YOU about staying on topic.  Thanks for the insight on Atlas Hovercraft.  From the tone of your post, I take it that good old Kurt wouldnt take your advice, at one point?  Sure would be nice if Kurt would clean up after himself when he leaves a place.  Amazing he was able to find financing again, after the fiasco in Green Cove. 
Rick

[hamrag]

Hi Howard, no lecture intended, so have removed my post lest it offends.

[HoverCapt]

Well Hello
 I realize I am coming into this on the tail end of things. I ran across this thread to and felt the need as a ex Atlas employee to put in my 2 cents. I followed this project from the beginning  2 years into it I became part of it. Feeling the need to set the record straight here.
 
Let me start by saying that the bigger picture for this project has been missed. We did not in any way think we would be the only option for travel up and down the river. We simply wanted to provide another choice to the public to make the trip. Getting even a small portion of the people that make the trip off the roads would decrease the amount of traffic on our roadways. Based on the operational cost studies, it would have been very affordable for the average person to make the trip. As for the environmental issue concerning the manitee, there is no part of the craft the travels through the water once the craft is on hover. Understanding the way the craft operates is key in any project moving forward concerning a hovercraft. All studies completed proved that the craft would actually be a positive impact on our river. (JTA has completed 2 studies).
 The second part of this is Jacksonville river system was not our only focus. Looking at a bigger picture this size craft is more suited to run near coastal waters, which is why it would have been put into operation between Miami and the Florida Keys. This was no secrete and most people that where involved knew this. JTA or any other Company that was interested in learning what the project was about was given the information concerning the possibility of smaller craft. It was the intention to build the proper size craft for the job.
 Now to answer the question that has inspired all of our input. Atlas closed it doors to it's employees in May 2008 due to the lack of funding. Even though hovercraft have been around for over 60 years there still those of us that do not understand the concept of it, proven by the earlier conversation. As for Kurt Peterson, it is my understanding that he is still in the area and has moved forward to other hover possibilities. Abandoning the Atlas craft to decay where it sits.