4 ms·

Practical Engineering already explained the correct solution to this problem: https://youtu.be/zqmOSMAtadc?si=UUlmnk9sI-leq0SV https://youtu.be/zqmOSMAtadc?si=

Practical Engineering already explained the correct solution to this problem: https://youtu.be/zqmOSMAtadc?si=UUlmnk9sI-leq0SV https://youtu.be/zqmOSMAtadc?si=UUlmnk9sI-leq0SV But of course, American infrastructure was built on the cheap, and is not maintained correctly. This is why we can't have nice things.

kylehotchkiss 3mo ago
We have like 220,000 miles of railroad. We do have nice things: a working freight railroad system that helps reduce transit costs.
- AlotOfReading 3mo ago
  If the freight rail system were as good as it should be, long distance trucking would be a rounding error instead of the dominant freight mode.
  - anonymars 3mo ago
    Trucks and trains serve different purposes. My understanding is the US has a higher percentage than most of freight carried by rail. Indeed at the expense of its passenger rail
    - TylerE 3mo ago
      Airlines killed passenger rail, not freight. Prior to it all being rolled into Amtrak virtually every railroad was losing money on passenger service.
      - reaperducer 3mo ago
        The Post Office shifting mail transport from trains to planes is what changed the economics. The passenger trains also carried mail, which helped make them profitable. Then the mail, and the money, moved to passenger planes.
        Scoundreller 3mo ago
        Canada is moving away from moving regular mail by air to cut costs. Dunno if it will move by train or truck. Probably too late to add much volume on the ground.
  - coryrc 3mo ago
    Long distance trucking gets heavily subsidized by all other road users. Damage is caused by the fourth power of weight, but trucking only paid 35% of maintenance while being responsible for 99% of the cost. https://truecostblog.com/2009/06/02/the-hidden-trucking-industry-subsidy/ https://truecostblog.com/2009/06/02/the-hidden-trucking-indu...
anonymars 3mo ago
Why couldn't this also help with continuous-welded rail? Your own video points out that it's still prone to trade-offs: rail breaks in the cold are better than buckling in the heat, but what if you could reduce the high point with white paint so you could expand the practical temperature range?
- brookst 3mo ago
  Or paint that turns black at low temp and white at higher temp?
  - HappMacDonald 3mo ago
    This is what I want on my house and my car
deleted 3mo ago
[deleted]
cgyvbunji 3mo ago
> American [rail] was built on the cheap, and is not maintained correctly edit: I'm not sure anymore; I know most of the network is well maintained, but there could be large sections that are not, I'm not up to date on it.
- defrost 3mo ago
  It's certainly been doing better since the previous US administration put some cash in the infrastructure jar. 2025 Infrastructure Report Card | ASCE The 2025 grades range from a B in ports to a D in stormwater and transit. For the first time since 1998, no Report Card categories were rated D−. Among the 18 categories assessed, eight saw grade increases. ~ https://infrastructurereportcard.org/ https://infrastructurereportcard.org/ I dare say the next report card might not be so rosy. Rail: B- ~ https://infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/rail-infrastructure/ https://infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/rail-infrastru...

kylehotchkiss 3mo ago

We have like 220,000 miles of railroad. We do have nice things: a working freight railroad system that helps reduce transit costs.

AlotOfReading 3mo ago
If the freight rail system were as good as it should be, long distance trucking would be a rounding error instead of the dominant freight mode.
- anonymars 3mo ago
  Trucks and trains serve different purposes. My understanding is the US has a higher percentage than most of freight carried by rail. Indeed at the expense of its passenger rail
  - TylerE 3mo ago
    Airlines killed passenger rail, not freight. Prior to it all being rolled into Amtrak virtually every railroad was losing money on passenger service.
    - reaperducer 3mo ago
      The Post Office shifting mail transport from trains to planes is what changed the economics. The passenger trains also carried mail, which helped make them profitable. Then the mail, and the money, moved to passenger planes.
      - Scoundreller 3mo ago
        Canada is moving away from moving regular mail by air to cut costs. Dunno if it will move by train or truck. Probably too late to add much volume on the ground.
- coryrc 3mo ago
  Long distance trucking gets heavily subsidized by all other road users. Damage is caused by the fourth power of weight, but trucking only paid 35% of maintenance while being responsible for 99% of the cost. https://truecostblog.com/2009/06/02/the-hidden-trucking-industry-subsidy/ https://truecostblog.com/2009/06/02/the-hidden-trucking-indu...

anonymars 3mo ago

Why couldn't this also help with continuous-welded rail? Your own video points out that it's still prone to trade-offs: rail breaks in the cold are better than buckling in the heat, but what if you could reduce the high point with white paint so you could expand the practical temperature range?

brookst 3mo ago
Or paint that turns black at low temp and white at higher temp?
- HappMacDonald 3mo ago
  This is what I want on my house and my car

deleted 3mo ago

[deleted]

cgyvbunji 3mo ago

> American [rail] was built on the cheap, and is not maintained correctly edit: I'm not sure anymore; I know most of the network is well maintained, but there could be large sections that are not, I'm not up to date on it.

defrost 3mo ago
It's certainly been doing better since the previous US administration put some cash in the infrastructure jar. 2025 Infrastructure Report Card | ASCE The 2025 grades range from a B in ports to a D in stormwater and transit. For the first time since 1998, no Report Card categories were rated D−. Among the 18 categories assessed, eight saw grade increases. ~ https://infrastructurereportcard.org/ https://infrastructurereportcard.org/ I dare say the next report card might not be so rosy. Rail: B- ~ https://infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/rail-infrastructure/ https://infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/rail-infrastru...