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The thing that amazes me is that the map hasn't really changed if you are going by rail. My grandma lived in Colorado Springs and my mom and I used to drive the
by jetti 14y ago
The thing that amazes me is that the map hasn't really changed if you are going by rail. My grandma lived in Colorado Springs and my mom and I used to drive there to see her for Thanksgiving because flights were too expensive. Leaving out of Chicago, it would take about 15 to 18 hours of driving to get to Colorado Springs. We would try to make the trip all at once and as a tall teen, it would be miserable being stuck in the passenger seat of a smaller two door convertible for so long. I asked my mom why don't we take the train and her response shocked me. Not only was the train from Chicago to Colorado Springs more expensive than flying, it was a 24 hour trip as well. If you look at the map from 1930, it it shows as about 1 day from Chicago to Denver/Colorado Springs area.
- dalke 14y agoBy itself that isn't so surprising. After all, the trip by horse-drawn coach hasn't improved much either. Cars are point-to-point. Berlin to Paris by train is about 12 hours. By car it's about 10, because there's no need to stop and change. While Frankfurt->Paris is 4 hours by non-stop ICE, and 5 by car.
- ChuckMcM 14y agoThis is a great point, and one the maps sort of gloss over, which is you step from transportation system to transportation system you get faster, walking to horse drawn wagon, to train, to car, to plane. And as some have mentioned to the Internet which can eliminate the need to travel at all if you exploit it well. My wife and I took the California Zephyr from Oakland to Chicago and then the Capitol Limited from Chicago to Washington DC. It took several days (we overnighted in Chicago as the chances of making the connection there on Amtrak are effectively zero). It was a lot of fun, and quite relaxing, but clearly cross country trains sort of peaked in the late 40's early 50's and haven't moved a whole lot since in this country.
- dalke 14y agoThey should also have mentioned that the telegraph "can eliminate the need to travel at all if you exploit it well." :)
- jetti 14y agoExcept train technology has improved with high speed rail so there is a possibility of an increase in speed.
- masklinn 14y ago> Berlin to Paris by train is about 12 hours. By car it's about 10, because there's no need to stop and change. Actually, Berlin to Paris by train is 12h if you take direct night trains. During the day, the best trips are ~8h15 with 1 train change (Paris Nord through Köln [Thalys + ICE] or Paris Est through Mannheim [TGV + ICE])