Highspeed rail is B$it

[Jibartik]

America cant even build a decent road and Im going to believe we could lay a delicate spiderweb across the country?

Never gonna happen.

California was supposed to prove states could do it.

Couldn't even do that!

I'm not even certain it'd be better for the environment, what is the actual infrastructure footprint of building all this? Could it be = to air travel today for like 25 years?

We built trains in america once, because we needed them, and they were the best thing we ever invented at the time. But they just dont compare to planes unless your only concern is climate change, which we've passed the point of no return on by like decades anyway so no reason to try to fix that, because Gaia is about to for us. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Danth]

Originally Posted by Jibartik [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Couldn't even do that!

I understand why it happens, but even so, it pisses me off at some level that Amtrak, today, usually can't match the speeds railroads were routinely running 80+ years ago when they were stuck with steam engines and heavyweight plain-bearing rolling stock.

That's not even counting the whispers and legends like the claims of the S1 hitting 130 and 140+ on the flatlands west of Crestline and doing it with a thousand-plus tons on the drawbar.

We could've done it, but we elected to go a different route. I agree it's probably the wrong time to try to change tack now. Conditions might change later on.

Danth