Alex Wolford
@thetexanrhino.bsky.social
Writer Covering Transportation, Cities, and Sometimes Other Stuff
Work on Substack & Medium + @dmagazine.bsky.social
Dallas, TX | Columbia, MO
https://linktr.ee/TheTexanRhino
Work on Substack & Medium + @dmagazine.bsky.social
Dallas, TX | Columbia, MO
https://linktr.ee/TheTexanRhino
Pinned
They Have The People
No Kings and Peaceful Protest
substack.com
New story about the recent No Kings protests and peaceful demonstration in our current moment.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Go read this. I can't say it reflects well on Dallas, but it is unmistakably our reflection.
The Dallasification of the American Dream, Part Two:
Paranoia merchants of the endless exurbs sit in gleaming new homes, fingering their weapons, aiming at enemies that exist in their minds.
www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/america-is...
Paranoia merchants of the endless exurbs sit in gleaming new homes, fingering their weapons, aiming at enemies that exist in their minds.
www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/america-is...
America Is Becoming Dallas
Part Two: Sprawling to Freedom
www.hamiltonnolan.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Go read this. I can't say it reflects well on Dallas, but it is unmistakably our reflection.
A Union Pacific manifest train rumbles into Union Station as the Dallas streetcar crosses overhead on the Houston Street Viaduct. Barely visible on the other side of the convention center, a DGNO train can be seen following close behind.
Photograph by Matt Shell.
Photograph by Matt Shell.
November 25, 2025 at 1:36 PM
A Union Pacific manifest train rumbles into Union Station as the Dallas streetcar crosses overhead on the Houston Street Viaduct. Barely visible on the other side of the convention center, a DGNO train can be seen following close behind.
Photograph by Matt Shell.
Photograph by Matt Shell.
Reposted by Alex Wolford
"there are no third spaces anymore" wrong. blast furnace
November 25, 2025 at 12:59 AM
"there are no third spaces anymore" wrong. blast furnace
A crewman snags new train orders as the Katy Flyer passes by Hunt depot, just south of Greenville, May 1962.
Photograph by John B. Charles.
Photograph by John B. Charles.
November 24, 2025 at 11:07 PM
A crewman snags new train orders as the Katy Flyer passes by Hunt depot, just south of Greenville, May 1962.
Photograph by John B. Charles.
Photograph by John B. Charles.
She took the midnight train goin’… to Plano, Texas?
November 24, 2025 at 12:29 AM
She took the midnight train goin’… to Plano, Texas?
The M/S John W. Johnson ferry prepares to dock at Galveston, having just arrived from Port Bolivar on the morning of July 9, 2017. This ferry line is one of two that TxDOT operates and one of three in Texas.
Photograph by Matt Harvey
Photograph by Matt Harvey
November 23, 2025 at 9:26 PM
The M/S John W. Johnson ferry prepares to dock at Galveston, having just arrived from Port Bolivar on the morning of July 9, 2017. This ferry line is one of two that TxDOT operates and one of three in Texas.
Photograph by Matt Harvey
Photograph by Matt Harvey
Finally back in Texas.
November 23, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Finally back in Texas.
One of these in a nationalized livery is the future of American railroading.
November 22, 2025 at 6:41 AM
One of these in a nationalized livery is the future of American railroading.
Dallas Union Terminal, on the morning of September 10, 1964. The Santa Fe's "Kansas Cityan" and the Katy's "Texas Special" are on the left and right, with the Twin Star Rocket running from Minneapolis to Houston in the middle.
Photograph by John B. Charles
Photograph by John B. Charles
November 21, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Dallas Union Terminal, on the morning of September 10, 1964. The Santa Fe's "Kansas Cityan" and the Katy's "Texas Special" are on the left and right, with the Twin Star Rocket running from Minneapolis to Houston in the middle.
Photograph by John B. Charles
Photograph by John B. Charles
Dudes rock
November 20, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Dudes rock
In January 1956, Dallas became the 5th city in America to offer an air taxi service. Seen here sitting on top of the Statler-Hilton Hotel, this "Helix Air Transports" aircraft was part of a service to shuttle guests between local airports and the hotel.
Photographer Unknown.
Photographer Unknown.
November 20, 2025 at 4:22 PM
In January 1956, Dallas became the 5th city in America to offer an air taxi service. Seen here sitting on top of the Statler-Hilton Hotel, this "Helix Air Transports" aircraft was part of a service to shuttle guests between local airports and the hotel.
Photographer Unknown.
Photographer Unknown.
It's true that "you can't justify a bridge by the number of people swimming across the river."
Unless you're Amtrak.
It's not a good rail service, but Americans keep buying tickets. Latent demand is so high, people have started swimming the river.
Good work from @kait.bsky.social
Unless you're Amtrak.
It's not a good rail service, but Americans keep buying tickets. Latent demand is so high, people have started swimming the river.
Good work from @kait.bsky.social
Airports are in chaos as the holiday travel season approaches—and the railroad is looking pretty good by comparison, Kaitlyn Tiffany writes. theatln.tc/rSbDzame
November 20, 2025 at 12:38 AM
It's true that "you can't justify a bridge by the number of people swimming across the river."
Unless you're Amtrak.
It's not a good rail service, but Americans keep buying tickets. Latent demand is so high, people have started swimming the river.
Good work from @kait.bsky.social
Unless you're Amtrak.
It's not a good rail service, but Americans keep buying tickets. Latent demand is so high, people have started swimming the river.
Good work from @kait.bsky.social
The El Paso Streetcar running along Stanton Street, having just passed the Stanton/Kerbey station. The PCC streetcars now used on this route were restored after being abandoned at the city's airport when streetcar service was terminated in 1974.
Photograph by Blair Kooistra.
Photograph by Blair Kooistra.
November 19, 2025 at 3:42 PM
The El Paso Streetcar running along Stanton Street, having just passed the Stanton/Kerbey station. The PCC streetcars now used on this route were restored after being abandoned at the city's airport when streetcar service was terminated in 1974.
Photograph by Blair Kooistra.
Photograph by Blair Kooistra.
Good piece about the very weird place Dallas's streetcars are in.
In the fall of 2017, after MUCH discussion and debate, the Dallas City Council approved a route that would have connected the Oak Cliff/Bishop Arts and Uptown/downtown streetcar lines. The work was supposed to be completed by 2023. But here we go again. Again.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: Yet again, an attempt to link the Oak Cliff and downtown Dallas streetcars
It’s been a few years since I last rode the streetcar from downtown Dallas to Bishop Arts – probably, oh, since The Dallas Morning News moved out of the Young...
www.dallasnews.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Good piece about the very weird place Dallas's streetcars are in.
Reposted by Alex Wolford
The suburban transit agencies trying to secede from Dallas's DART are basing their plans on unrealistic visions of "microtransit." Nearby Arlington, Texas already shows the limits of that. Good @dallasobserver.com piece. www.dallasobserver.com/news/dart-co...
What Will Replace DART if Cities End Their Contracts?
Two cities allowing voters to elect to leave DART in May have offered microtransit systems as an alternative. They're flawed.
www.dallasobserver.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:03 PM
The suburban transit agencies trying to secede from Dallas's DART are basing their plans on unrealistic visions of "microtransit." Nearby Arlington, Texas already shows the limits of that. Good @dallasobserver.com piece. www.dallasobserver.com/news/dart-co...
With Amtrak's FY25 ridership numbers out, we can see how the Texan routes have done this year:
Texas Eagle - 372,135 (+14.3% over FY24)
Sunset Limited - 91,493 (+18.9% over FY24)
Heartland Flyer - 80,876 (+0.6% over FY24)
Texas Eagle - 372,135 (+14.3% over FY24)
Sunset Limited - 91,493 (+18.9% over FY24)
Heartland Flyer - 80,876 (+0.6% over FY24)
November 18, 2025 at 5:32 PM
With Amtrak's FY25 ridership numbers out, we can see how the Texan routes have done this year:
Texas Eagle - 372,135 (+14.3% over FY24)
Sunset Limited - 91,493 (+18.9% over FY24)
Heartland Flyer - 80,876 (+0.6% over FY24)
Texas Eagle - 372,135 (+14.3% over FY24)
Sunset Limited - 91,493 (+18.9% over FY24)
Heartland Flyer - 80,876 (+0.6% over FY24)
Amtrak's Sunset Limited stares down a German ICE train in front of the Alamodome, summer 1993. The European trainset was toured around the country in the hopes of raising support for high-speed rail.
Photograph by Fred M. Springer.
Photograph by Fred M. Springer.
November 18, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Amtrak's Sunset Limited stares down a German ICE train in front of the Alamodome, summer 1993. The European trainset was toured around the country in the hopes of raising support for high-speed rail.
Photograph by Fred M. Springer.
Photograph by Fred M. Springer.
Reposted by Alex Wolford
“It feels like every day I look at the news and then the headline just reads, ‘Sorry, more things you’ve lost,’"
www.texastribune.org/2025/11/18/t...
www.texastribune.org/2025/11/18/t...
Texas public schools “deadname” kids under new state law
The law requires school employees to use names and pronouns that conform to students’ sex at birth.
www.texastribune.org
November 18, 2025 at 2:09 PM
“It feels like every day I look at the news and then the headline just reads, ‘Sorry, more things you’ve lost,’"
www.texastribune.org/2025/11/18/t...
www.texastribune.org/2025/11/18/t...
Really liked this story from @labreportdallas.bsky.social. Some obvious transit connections in the issues discussed here.
labreportdallas.com/p/cottonwood...
labreportdallas.com/p/cottonwood...
A New Approach for the Most Notorious Trail in Dallas
The Cottonwood Creek Trail in North Dallas has long been an unsolvable problem. City Hall’s new partners believe they know what's been missing.
labreportdallas.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Really liked this story from @labreportdallas.bsky.social. Some obvious transit connections in the issues discussed here.
labreportdallas.com/p/cottonwood...
labreportdallas.com/p/cottonwood...
Op-ed from a former Plano City Council member making the case for why Plano should leave DART.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
DART is no longer a transit solution for Plano
Former Plano council member writes that DART hasn’t adapted to the needs of Dallas-Fort Worth.
www.dallasnews.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Op-ed from a former Plano City Council member making the case for why Plano should leave DART.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
From the other site:
November 17, 2025 at 5:15 PM
From the other site:
The TEXRail train "Vaquero" flies over a Fort Worth and Western train at Hodge Yard. The FWWR train is led by an SD60M locomotive no. 2035, named "Butch Cassidy."
Photograph by Jason Burke.
Photograph by Jason Burke.
November 17, 2025 at 1:21 PM
The TEXRail train "Vaquero" flies over a Fort Worth and Western train at Hodge Yard. The FWWR train is led by an SD60M locomotive no. 2035, named "Butch Cassidy."
Photograph by Jason Burke.
Photograph by Jason Burke.
Just got around to it and have to say ninajirachi's new album is great. Highly recommend it.
November 17, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Just got around to it and have to say ninajirachi's new album is great. Highly recommend it.
The DART green line being constructed through Downtown Carrollton in 2008.
Photograph by Scott Dorn
Photograph by Scott Dorn
November 16, 2025 at 10:52 PM
The DART green line being constructed through Downtown Carrollton in 2008.
Photograph by Scott Dorn
Photograph by Scott Dorn