5 ms·

Amazon should build some narrow ones.

by moocowduckquack 13y ago

pixie_ 13y ago
Maybe like a new 'physical internet' where it really is a series of tubes.
- mtgx 13y ago
  And it will probably be tapped by the NSA, too.
cpeterso 13y ago
The London Post Office ran an underground mail rail with small trains from 1927 to 2003: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Post_Office_Railway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Post_Office_Railway Here are cool mail rail photos from some urban spelunkers: http://www.placehacking.co.uk/2011/04/24/security-breach-london-mail-rail/ http://www.placehacking.co.uk/2011/04/24/security-breach-lon...
- tehwalrus 13y ago
  I very much enjoyed reading that placehacking article, thank you! :)
dlss 13y ago
This is actually genius. A nationwide tube system feels like it would beat the pants of of trucking. I'm not sure about narrower though -- maybe the "with car" design could be modified to have shipping containers placed on to the sleds?
- moocowduckquack 13y ago
  I was thinking about what would a cheap scale demo still be useful for. If you built one out of 2 foot plastic pipe, you might still be able to have a market for parcel delivery systems and therefore make your money back off the prototype investment before you make a bigger one. Linking some hospitals would be a good starting point maybe.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
goatforce5 13y ago
New York City had a series of tubes (pneumatic tubes, that is) connecting various post offices around Manhattan and even to Brooklyn. http://untappedcities.com/2013/03/15/nycs-pneumatic-tube-mail-network/ http://untappedcities.com/2013/03/15/nycs-pneumatic-tube-mai... I was going to say the destruction of it was spearheaded by the automobile companies, but I was confusing that with the fate of the streetcar system in NYC and elsewhere: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspi...
- astrodust 13y ago
  I'd also read that it was upended by the company supplying delivery vans to the postal service: General Motors. They could sling a package across Manhattan in minutes, but to drive there, then as now, takes a lot longer.
- Jun8 13y ago
  Chicago had a similar thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tunnel_Company http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tunnel_Company

Amazon should build some narrow ones.

pixie_ 13y ago

Maybe like a new 'physical internet' where it really is a series of tubes.

mtgx 13y ago
And it will probably be tapped by the NSA, too.

cpeterso 13y ago

The London Post Office ran an underground mail rail with small trains from 1927 to 2003: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Post_Office_Railway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Post_Office_Railway Here are cool mail rail photos from some urban spelunkers: http://www.placehacking.co.uk/2011/04/24/security-breach-london-mail-rail/ http://www.placehacking.co.uk/2011/04/24/security-breach-lon...

tehwalrus 13y ago
I very much enjoyed reading that placehacking article, thank you! :)

dlss 13y ago

This is actually genius. A nationwide tube system feels like it would beat the pants of of trucking. I'm not sure about narrower though -- maybe the "with car" design could be modified to have shipping containers placed on to the sleds?

moocowduckquack 13y ago
I was thinking about what would a cheap scale demo still be useful for. If you built one out of 2 foot plastic pipe, you might still be able to have a market for parcel delivery systems and therefore make your money back off the prototype investment before you make a bigger one. Linking some hospitals would be a good starting point maybe.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

goatforce5 13y ago

New York City had a series of tubes (pneumatic tubes, that is) connecting various post offices around Manhattan and even to Brooklyn. http://untappedcities.com/2013/03/15/nycs-pneumatic-tube-mail-network/ http://untappedcities.com/2013/03/15/nycs-pneumatic-tube-mai... I was going to say the destruction of it was spearheaded by the automobile companies, but I was confusing that with the fate of the streetcar system in NYC and elsewhere: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspi...

astrodust 13y ago
I'd also read that it was upended by the company supplying delivery vans to the postal service: General Motors. They could sling a package across Manhattan in minutes, but to drive there, then as now, takes a lot longer.
Jun8 13y ago
Chicago had a similar thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tunnel_Company http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tunnel_Company