News from the Globe and Mail that railroads in the United States may soon receive more revenue from moving containers and trailers of consumer goods than from hauling coal. A report commissioned by the railroad industry says that the "intermodal" shipments - those moved by a combination of road and rail - could become the industry's biggest single source of revenue by 2003 equating to $9 billion US or more than twenty per cent of total revenue.
Could this be an integrated transport system?
Friday, September 20, 2002
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Runaway train went down the track
News from Wales of a train that left of its own accord.
This must be the most exciting thing to happen in Rhymney for many a long year.
This must be the most exciting thing to happen in Rhymney for many a long year.
Thursday, September 12, 2002
USS Chesapeake - strange coincidence
The USS Chesapeake first came to my attention when strolling in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax, Nova Scotia where I saw a plaque which says:
"Confidence in the British Navy faltered early in the War of 1812 when American vessels won several single ship engagements. This pattern was broken on June 1st 1813 when HMS Shannon, commanded by Captain Philip Broke, closed with USS Chesapeake under Captain James Lawrence off Boston harbour. The latter was taken in a short and bloody fight and brought into Halifax by her captor on June 6th. This engagement was long considered a naval classic. It marked a change in British fortunes at sea and vindicated Broke's insistence on gunnery training, neglected by the Navy since Trafalgar."
After my return to Toronto I chanced upon this BBC item detailing the ultimate fate of the Chesapeake.
"Confidence in the British Navy faltered early in the War of 1812 when American vessels won several single ship engagements. This pattern was broken on June 1st 1813 when HMS Shannon, commanded by Captain Philip Broke, closed with USS Chesapeake under Captain James Lawrence off Boston harbour. The latter was taken in a short and bloody fight and brought into Halifax by her captor on June 6th. This engagement was long considered a naval classic. It marked a change in British fortunes at sea and vindicated Broke's insistence on gunnery training, neglected by the Navy since Trafalgar."
After my return to Toronto I chanced upon this BBC item detailing the ultimate fate of the Chesapeake.
Virgin breakthrough
The first train to reach Swanage, Dorset from the mainline network for thirty years arrived on 7th September 2002.
Christened The ‘Dorset Voyager’ at a special ceremony the train was supplied by Virgin Trains. Half a mile of track had to be specially restored to connect the Swanage Railway with the national network.
See the website of this railway run by enthusiasts.
Christened The ‘Dorset Voyager’ at a special ceremony the train was supplied by Virgin Trains. Half a mile of track had to be specially restored to connect the Swanage Railway with the national network.
See the website of this railway run by enthusiasts.
Thursday, September 5, 2002
smart secret
I received the following from my brother who is on tour in Germany:
"We had a very amusing visit to the Smart emporium in Dusseldorf; needless to say, with two weeks to go before the launch at the Paris show, most staff had never heard of the Roadster and kept insisting 'you VILL have a Smart cabriolet!'
Eventually, a lady conceded there was such a thing but they had no information and would send me some; I bet they don't; they didn't reply to my email. Apparently this is typical of Germany."
Strangely the local paper here in Toronto, The Etobicoke Guardian, carried a feature on the new smart roadster and coupe this week - in a market where the smart is not sold. The maxim is customers always know more about products than the staff selling them.
Check out the smart roadster here.
"We had a very amusing visit to the Smart emporium in Dusseldorf; needless to say, with two weeks to go before the launch at the Paris show, most staff had never heard of the Roadster and kept insisting 'you VILL have a Smart cabriolet!'
Eventually, a lady conceded there was such a thing but they had no information and would send me some; I bet they don't; they didn't reply to my email. Apparently this is typical of Germany."
Strangely the local paper here in Toronto, The Etobicoke Guardian, carried a feature on the new smart roadster and coupe this week - in a market where the smart is not sold. The maxim is customers always know more about products than the staff selling them.
Check out the smart roadster here.
Wednesday, September 4, 2002
Abandoning traffic lights
In short get rid of the lights at junctions and let drivers sort it out among themselves aided by a 20mph speed limit. Apparently there are ten fatal road accidents in the UK every day. What about roundabouts? More BBC.
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