[AT] quiet list-- ethonal

[Henry Miller]

On Friday 22 February 2008 19:41:49 Ralph Goff wrote:
>
> And there is another subject that really gets to me. It took years to build
> up a great rail transport system and only a few to cut it down and move
> almost everything by truck. Overcrowding the highways with heavy trucks
> that I doubt can move freight with anywhere near the efficiency of a
> railway system. If we were serious about "going green', wouldn't it make
> sense to get the railways moving much of what is moved by trucks today?
> Just my opinion. Experts and economists feel free to enlarge on this
> theory.

Don't feel so bad about them, most railroads are doing very well, seeing great 
profits, and shipping more freight than ever.   The local short lines are 
going bust, but the long cross country railroads are doing very well.  High 
oil prices help them, because they use 1/3rd the fuel of sending freight by 
truck. (per amount shipped - obviously a train uses more fuel, but it pulls 
100 cars)   

All that junk we get from china gets put on a train and shipped to a city, and 
then from the city to the stores.    Long distance semis are mostly used when 
you are in a hurry, but it isn't important enough to fly.   (There are a 
bunch of exceptions to this, but in general if it can go by train does for 
part of the trip, because the cost is so much less)