Calling Mr Jennings
Firstly, I was surprised this is a new topic. Secondly, I was surprised Cliff hadn’t posted this trip, as our self-confessed hermit has a bit of a reputation for extreme railroading.
With that in mind, I saw this article and thought this could be the next classic MD Jennings Adventure; Think Indiana Jones, only with more dodgy track, fewer snakes and considerably more questionable infrastructure.
This particular scenario involves an 800-kilometre railway, built on melting permafrost and some rather ingenious engineering. It seems Canada has ambitions to turn Churchill, Manitoba, into a major Arctic shipping hub. There’s just one small problem: the Hudson Bay Railway, connecting it to the rest of Canada, is slowly sinking into the thawing ground beneath it.
The engineering challenges are extraordinary. We’re talking passive refrigeration pipes designed to keep the ground frozen, ballast galore, drones and AI monitoring the railway. There’s a wonderful irony here: climate change is opening up Arctic shipping opportunities while threatening the very railway needed to take advantage of them.
Now, I can’t help thinking this sounds like just the sort of expedition that would appeal to our resident reluctant railway adventurer.
Coming soon to an LSC thread near you (perhaps):
Maryland Jennings and the Curse of the Sinking Train
Starring the intrepid explorer, armed with a camera, his wife, a sense of adventure and absolutely no intention of staying home.
SPOILER ALERT: The real adventure is already underway… So if you want to know the rest of the story before Cliff gets there, read on. There’s even a YouTube Shorts!
