89 year old built a train in his back yard with some new/old technology

[liberal N proud]

[shenmue]

1. Yes

[procon]

2. From a distance, people driving past probably think it's a real train. I wish! nt

[HipChick]

3. So why don't we have bullet trains from coast to coast again?

[liberal N proud]

4. Been asking that for years

[Warpy]

6. A five sided building in northern VA is the reason

along with spineless Congressmen who cave to the plutocracy and pour the nation's wealth into it so the plutocrats can sleep better at night.

Empire and a bloated military. They're why we can't have nice things.

[certainot]

9. because whenever democrats suggest any kind of such thing on the

local or national level the think tanks put together a propaganda package to spew out the appropriate talk radio stations so republicans and blue dogs can stop it before it gets started.

not kidding. it's like what they've done with single payer and media reform and any other 'socialist liberal giveaway' program that will raise taxes, destroy jobs, and destroy american freedoms to burn fossil fuels and drive cars.

next time you local state dems suggest high speed rail etc, turn on the local limbaugh station and hear the local blowhards blow hard until they convince half the countryside its unamerican and claim it will soon be the home of the homeless, etc.

it doesn't have to be true or logical because when they say it day after day from radio stations that dominate the countryside, liberals are listening to music and wondering why their suggestions and solutions are being met with such irrational but well-established alt reality.

[Kaleva]

11. Coast to coast bullet trains don't compete with air travel.

China has a 1,428-mile high speed rail line but there are questions about the initial high cost, safety and sustainability.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Airlines get subsidized airports, air traffic control, and defence subsidized aircraft. . . nt

[lpbk2713]

17. And they can do anything they want in the name of security ...

and get away with it.

[Kaleva]

20. You could subsidize train stations, trains and controllers but there's the cost of rail lines.

The sky is free and doesn't require maintenance. High speed rail lines would be very expensive to build and then there's the cost of maintaining them.

Also, if it takes 8 hours to travel the distance of 1400 miles on China's longest high speed rail line, that would mean ti's take about 16 hours to travel cross country here in the US. And that's in a straight line with no stops at a speed of 180 mph. It'd be cheaper and much faster to travel the distance by air.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

22. Long distance favors aircraft. Medium distance favors high speed rail. Short distance favors

Long distance favors aircraft.

Medium distance favors high speed rail. Think LA to San Francisco, BosWash corridor, Dallas to Houston, Chicago to Detroit, Jacksonville to Miami, Kansas City to Denver. Faster than car, more convenient than flying because of luggage and getting to/from two airports.

Short distance favors electric cars.

Roads are subsidized by tax dollars. Thank goodness because Big Brother doesn't need to track every movement of every vehicle for micro-payment tolls and "security".

[Kaleva]

23. I agree with what you said 100%

[Blue_true]

15. Funding.

Such an engineering feat would be a massive undertaking. Private companies won't undertake such a project unless their efforts are backed by public funds, with the private companies taking all the profit once the system is operational.

Bullet trains won't be able to use existing tracks and would need protection like special fencing or limited access tunnels or elevated platforms.

In short, the reason why we can't have coast to coast bullet trains is the same reason why we can't fix our roads, sewers, airports, we do not have the uniform political will to do so.

[erronis]

18. Succinctly stated, and correct. A country that is based on greed is not going to succeed.

[ProudLib72]

5. That is really cool!

I wish someone with deep pockets would invest in this idea.

[Brother Buzz]

7. That's cool, and I suspect the initial application would be closed people-moving systems

Shopping malls, sports complexes, state fairs.....or the big plum, Disneyland.

Hey, deep pocket Disney corp, time to rebuild that futuristic monorail that was so cool, like, a half century ago.

[Blue_true]

16. Atlanta already have that at it's airport. Rapid people moving shuttle trains that run underground

[Brother Buzz]

19. Shuttle trains powered by pneumatically propelled magnets?

Airports, indeed, would be good places to install this system if it pans out.

[NBachers]

8. I hope he's got a staff of people who know everything he knows and can continue after he dies.

I'd hate to see his vision die with him.

[Kaleva]

10. It's stuff like this that makes me believe that the human race will survive.

[malaise]

14. +1,000

Rec

[YCHDT]

13. OMG, that man is near 90 ... here's what good health care can bring us too !!!

[peggysue2]

21. Fabulous

What a wonder this man is, still vital and creative at nearly 90 years of age. Gives me hope for the future.

A chunk of positive, uplifting news, for sure. Which is an important respite from the ongoing crises we've been experiencing.

Thumbs up for genius at any age!

[MyOwnPeace]

24. Again, it's all politics...........

Roads - government owned & maintained (well, kinda')
Airports - government/public authority owned
Railroads - privately owned and maintained

There's no money in passenger travel (see Amtrak!). Railroad-provided passenger travel died in the 50's and 60's - as did many railroad lines/companies.

So, here comes the "politics" - do we provide "public transportation" to all citizens (the gov't will have to provide money - again, like Amtrak). Look at what the RePugs try to do to Amtrak EVERY year!

And is this any different than health care - education - environment?

What would be best for the United States of America?

What would be best for the 1%?

Who counts?

Who decides?

RESIST - and VOTE!

[liberal N proud]

25. There would be money in rail travel if it didn't take a week to cross the country

Look to Europe, they use both low and high speed trains and the trains are full.

As air travel becomes more expensive and difficult, the high speed rail could supplement with more comfort and convenient. It is far more efficient as the numbers of travelers can be scaled up very easily.

Amtrak struggles for the same reason the US Postal Service does, because it is starved by congress.