So I was waiting at a crossing for a train to go by and I am looking at the double-stacked shipping containers on like 40 cars. And I got to wondering.... I wonder how much it costs to ship one of those... and I wonder if it would be cost effective to drive your car into one, outfit it with a hammock, generator, TV, fridge and microwave, and travel around the country by rail for cheaper and faster than you can on Amtrak's shitty passenger service.
Looking at one of the websites though it looks like you need to talk to an actual person to get rates.
Cost-efficient, environmentally friendly, and able to move a ton of freight more than 470 miles on a single gallon of fuel, rail is a smart way to move freight.
So somebody else do that and crunch the numbers. I may have just invented a new paradigm in travel.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
If you want to move as slowly as humanly possible, trains are your bag.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
That's hard to believe. Last time I looked into it, it took about 2 weeks to people-train across the country, if it wasn't an "express." They stop at every damned little town. I can't believe perishable food and shit can spend 2 weeks on a train. Well, i can believe it, I guess. I just find it... unwieldy.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
I doubt things that can spoil move by train. You think moving a ton of freight 400-whatever miles on a gallon of bullshit is done quickly? What magical combustion engine are those locomotives packing?
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
GORDON wrote:That's hard to believe. Last time I looked into it, it took about 2 weeks to people-train across the country, if it wasn't an "express." They stop at every damned little town. I can't believe perishable food and shit can spend 2 weeks on a train. Well, i can believe it, I guess. I just find it... unwieldy.
I think all the stuff that spoils goes by truck now days. With the 3 days stocking they do in stores now, about the only food freight anymore goes to distribution centers and probably not very often.
"... and then I was forced to walk the Trail of Tears." - Elizabeth Warren
I think all the stuff that spoils goes by truck now days
Bingo. I believe the majority of freight trains travel at a national speed limit of 10mph unless they're on non-excepted tracks. They are specifically not allowed to carry passengers. I doubt they top out at much more than 60-70mph. You'd also better hope you're lucky enough not to get a train shipping hazardous materials, because 10mph will be speedy.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
I live near near the major East-West rail route across America. I constantly see long freight trains barreling through at high speeds. That's what makes me wonder about gaming the system.
I've always wondered why terrorists didn't just nuke the route out in Nebraska somewhere. They could take out I-80 and the major rail route all at once, and really fuck up our economy.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
Yeah but what class track is the highest you can get for freight?
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
79 mph if they have all the extra crap they need to qualify for speed? And it sounds like that's still discouraged. That's a decent highway speed. But those aren't the trains going 400+ miles on one gallon of hippie pipe dreams.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Malcolm wrote: But those aren't the trains going 400+ miles on one gallon of hippie pipe dreams.
Which ones are?
Common sense and physics say you don't get "distance + speed" without plenty of stored energy to fuel it, and a gallon of anything less than liquid schwartz isn't enough to move a 25-ton freight car 400 miles at 50mph, let alone the several you see on your average cargo train.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Malcolm wrote: But those aren't the trains going 400+ miles on one gallon of hippie pipe dreams.
Which ones are?
Common sense and physics say you don't get "distance + speed" without plenty of stored energy to fuel it, and a gallon of anything less than liquid schwartz isn't enough to move a 25-ton freight car 400 miles at 50mph, let alone the several you see on your average cargo train.
You really cannot read. It would only need to move that freight car 16 miles.