You are saying that 50 years later, diesel trains are faster than steam trains were? Actually, I think the US had the fastest steam trains in the world. But we have not even kept up the infrastructure, much less improved it since then. The RR we have today are good for slow heavy freight. I rode the train back from Portland Oragon two-three years ago, and I doubt it ever hit 50mph and that was an express. Back in the 40's and early 50's steam driven passenger trains routinely averaged 72mph across the country, including stops and mountain ranges. While you were creeping along the two lane highway at and average of 30mph or so the flyers ran by you at 90+mph, and even then I think the record for a scheduled passenger run was in about 1900. Yes, eventually France and Japan built trains that ran 200mph or so, but they had to have special track to run on.
The USA a country with the best of the bleeding edge of technology, and the worn out junk, with nothing in between (Wal-Mart and Space Ship One). -graywolf mike wilson wrote: > Bob Sullivan wrote: > >> I've been a model railroader on and off all my life, besides being a >> railfan and a one time railroad employee in the '70's. >> >> My knowledge and experience is confined to the USA, and Mike Wilson is >> right. Outside the US (UK, India, others) steam lasted longer and >> moved faster. >> > > I was actually saying that intercity diesel-electric trains in the UK > are _much_ faster than steam ever was. They regularly _cruise_ at a > speed which was the record for steam locomotives. > > Scares the willies out of me but only 'cos I'm not driving. > > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
