1941 - Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad receives first of two Electroliners.
1963 - Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad ceases operation.
You see what happens. You get into this modern technology stuff, and BAM! Curtains. Quits. So long, toots.
The technology you really need to blame is this -
(http://www.fogcityjournal.com/images/photos/maze_std.jpg)
(http://www.transportation1.org/tif1report/figures/Fig-18-Interstate-Hwy-Syste.jpg)
-Brian
There was a whiteout on Highway 400 north of Toronto on the weekend. Any number of chain-reaction collisions; about 100 vehicles in all. Fortunately, IIRC, no major injuries except to the vehicles.
Ahoy, Captain Crunch.
Nah, it was the reliable rubber tire that killed the Interurbans. Remember Firestone and GM buying up and closing down all the electric railroads?
and Standard Oil.
Congress determined they were guilty as charged, and the fine was, what, a buck?
Is that why my dividend went down that yr ?
Curmudgeon said:
and Standard Oil. Congress determined they were guilty as charged, and the fine was, what, a buck?
You mean it isn’t GWB’s fault???
Ken Brunt said:To risk of having this moved to the Off-Topic forum...
You mean it isn't GWB's fault?????????????????????
In another life perhaps ??
That’s the good thing about the Oil compan’s glut, Think of the possibilites that electric trams and such could make a comeback in the future… Wishfull thinking but a possibility!! Have to agree with Brian, the Auto killed the City and mass transit in the US. All those soccer mom’s driving oversized suburbans down the highway!!! When I was in College I went on a trip to London and Paris, couldn’t believe how easy mass transit was, took several trains here and there, anywhere I wanted to go. and almost whenever. Can’t get to Binghamptom which is just 30 miles a way here in CNY! It’s ridiculous!! there are 7 roads that go directly there including 81 and state 11. We are forced into driving, what a waste, can’t wait for the oil to dry up and FU 2 big oil
Once the oil is dried up they will figure out another way to screw the common working folks. 
Just drove back from Atlanta on my own schedule, at the pace and time that I wanted to start and end. I wasn’t “forced into driving”, but chose that as my way to travel. That’s what is great about the United States, it’s called freedom.
That may be fine for you Ric. But some of us are forced into driving…or sitting at home. There are no other viable options. I’d love to travel in a relaxed manner and leave the driving to someone else…BUT The options suck. That’s not choice nor is it freedom.
Ric Golding said:Ric, I have experienced the other side of that "freedom" when I had to travel 25km each day to Amsterdam to work, If I wanted to be there by 9am I had to leave one hour earlier... other choice was to be late and wait until 11am or so when the traffic jams dispersed, then the travel time was 20min. The same thing in the evening. In the town where I lived, (Almere) there are no shops in a walking distance from absolute majority of households, you have to take a car to do just about anything. Granted, there is a bus transport but it is pretty weak in my opinion. The "funny" thing is that this town is 30 years old, it seems that the urban developers got the ideas from the United States;-)... Five years ago I gave my Celica to my brother and do not miss the car much, I can take a 2-10min walk to a number of shops and I can take a bicycle across entire central Tokyo, in splendid sunshine, go to Ginza or Nihonbashi or Akihabara at my own schedule and at the pace and time that I want to start and end;-), this is my freedom. And if I want to go anywhere further, local trains leave in every possible direction every 3-5 minutes, longer destinations 5-10, and so does the Shinkansen. Once I disembark the fast train, I can again connect using a local train or a network of local buses. I can get practically everywhere in Japan at my own schedule and at the pace and time that I want to start and end in a realistic timeframe (Shinkansen speeds are between 250-300km/h, which is somewhat faster than my Celica;-) without being exhausted by racing the motorway and stiff from sitting behind the wheel for hours... This is the extension to my freedom... Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi
Just drove back from Atlanta on my own schedule, at the pace and time that I wanted to start and end. I wasn't "forced into driving", but chose that as my way to travel. That's what is great about the United States, it's called freedom.
Personally I like the idea of using whatever mode of transportation I choose at whatever time frame I choose. At one time or another I’ve more than likely used every mode there is except a horse drawn cart. Right out of high school I started working for the phone company in Phila. Had to take the train then the subway to get to where I worked. Took damn near 45 minutes. Being that I worked for the phone company we were expected to be available 24/7 for emergancys. Ever try to get a commuter train at 2 in the morning. Ain’t gonna happen. As soon as I saved up enough money I had to buy a car. Travel time dropped to 25 minutes and I was available for those emergancys. Where I live now a car is the only option. They tried bus transportation, but it didn’t last long.
I’m with Ric. I like the freedom of choice this country gives you. As for “big oil”, it employs a hell of a lot of good people in this country, my father was one of them. As for comparing European and Japanese modes of transportation with the US, it’s like comparing apples to oranges. Most European cites are a thousand years old or better. They were laid out for horse drawn wagons, narrow and twisted, not built for cars. Most of the cities in this country are 200 years old or less. We have a history of always being on the move. As for me, I like to drive. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want, be it out to Ric’s for a weekend of running trains or down to the local grocery store. I can’t imagine being without a car. Some day we may run out of oil, but if history is any indication, we’ll come up with a viable and economic alternative. We always have and without any government interferance, we always will.
Hi Ken.
Perhaps you could enlighten us to exactly when it was our societies have had to find a totally different long term, as in forever, economic alternative to the car and hydrocarbon fuels.
Short term maybe, when there was a shortage of oil during WW2, and gas bags were carried on the roofs of cars.
This is going to be different. We are facing no more oil ever.
Ken, and Ric, to like to drive is one thing, but to have to drive is another. I like to drive too - from time to time. And of course, sometimes I miss the car (in particular when I want to take several locomotives to a steamup…) Cars will always offer a practical individual, personal transport solution in sparsely populated areas. But never mind about passenger cars. What really bothers me is why European (and perhaps US) governments have almost killed rail transport of goods? I mean, for the past 80 years, local and narrow gauge lines were in decline worldwide due to the competition of transport by cars. Finally, they almost all died out in 60s and 70s depending on the country. I think in Europe, only Switzerland retained rail transport at a reasonable level, corresponding with its status from some 50 years ago. But maintaining the road/railway balance is entirely in disposition of (wise and planing ahead) governments. I really cannot understand why citizens have to pay for making and maintaining more motorways instead of railways. Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi
Zubi -
You said - “I really cannot understand why citizens have to pay for making and maintaining more motorways instead of railways.”
Rail service in the USA competes for freight traffic with all other modes of transportation. Some times it is cheaper, sometimes it is not.
Citizens pay for everything, who else would pay for it? I guess I don’t understand that part of your statement.
I live in a small community of 3400 people, we are 50 miles from a large city, 70 miles from a large airport and 28 miles from a light rail commuting system, that could help get me to the airport. It took me 8 hours to drive to the conference in Atlanta. If I would have flown, I would have had to go 1 1/2 hours in the opposite direction and have to be there 2 hours before my flight and worked to the airline and light rail systems schedules. The flight would have gone to Atlanta, Ga. by way of Charleston, South Carolina. That is flying over my house that I drove in the opposite direction from my destination and flown over my destination to then fly back to my destination. Total time, at best 6 hours to get to the destination. When we got in Atlanta on Saturday all the people that flew complained of flight delays because of snow. We had no weather problems and, as I said, started and ended the trip at the times we chose. I live 2.6 miles from work, but most times I do most of my work from home as my office is here. I can choose to walk, ride a bike or drive to work. When the temperature is 7 degrees, I usually choose to drive. 
Each individual’s situations are different. People, nor institutions of questionable higher learning, nor governments can tell or force free people to all do the same things. Some people give in and are controlled like cattle, some people are forced to comply because it is lesser of the evils or easier, and some of us resist because we have chosen to live free or die trying and will never conform to what some group or social experiment thinks would be the best for mankind.
I wish you the best and hope you can enjoy freedom as you know it.
Tony, I was generalizing about alternatives. At one time whale oil was used for illumination, coal and wood used for heating, animals used for transportation.
I don’t have a crystal ball, so when or how that alternative will occur is beyond my comprehension, but what I am sure about is that somewhere in the world someone or a group of someone’s is working to find that viable alternative. Whether I see it in my lifetime is another story.
I like to drive my own truck wherever and whenever…I also like to tow my own camper whenever, to wherever.
I have many times given thought to mass rr transit here in the Southeast, an every time I run into a block…I know it would be good for some(few), but not all(majority)! The way the towns and counties are laid out here are not readily accessible to rail/mass transit…it just wouldn’t work, at least in Spartanburg SC…so I will continue to buy Diesel and contemplate BioFuel.
cale
Ric Golding said:
Zubi -You said - “I really cannot understand why citizens have to pay for making and maintaining more motorways instead of railways.”
Rail service in the USA competes for freight traffic with all other modes of transportation. Some times it is cheaper, sometimes it is not.
Citizens pay for everything, who else would pay for it? I guess I don’t understand that part of your statement.
