Deep Sea Highway

https://www.wired.com/story/hyperloop-one-test-success/

I like the related video shown below by the 89 year old retired engineer. This fellow has it down pat. Magnetics of today and a pneumatic tube for the drive mechanism, along with aerodynamic passenger cars. Not a bad idea at all, very powerful indeed, and IMHO the pipeline carrying the drive magnets could be use for transporting gases such as hydrogen, or natural gas as well, without interrupting the service of the train.

It is all in how the thing is set up to handle steep uphill grades and use pneumatic braking on downhill legs.

The "ancient" idea of pneumatic drive tube is alive again

Ahhh the future.....what a wonderful place....

Looks pretty jacked up, in that cartoon.

My idea of my future is a place out in
Eastern New Mexico, far removed from the ill effects of civilization, where not even a farmer's irrigation engine can be heard running. A place one of my friends told me about, yes I do actually have some friends, and told me he would show me how to get there whenever it gets too much for me in Lubbock. We grew up together, and he is like a brother to me. Was a little bit crazy when he got back from 'Nam. Being the door gunner on a Huey is not the most placid job in the world. He cleaned up a few local bars not long after being stateside. Now he is restored to his gentle, calm self. I would definitely want this guy on my side in any fight, though.

Yeah I think I saw that movie......

I ain't talking about "Broke-back Mountain". I was referring to your "Futurama", or whatever.

Dr. Stewart shown in the back ground in this photo from the future, white lab coat a dead giveaway.

In the year 2525

Pneumatic propulsion was proposed for NYC subway system in late 1800's - early 1900's.

I believe it was tried, but wasn't successful at the time.

"and IMHO the pipeline carrying the drive magnets could be use for transporting gases such as hydrogen, or natural gas as well, without interrupting the service of the train."

The drive magnets are in/on the walls of the tube carrying the passenger cars, they're not in a separate pipe.

Sending passenger cars down tubes willed with explosive, volatile gasses? Be honest, do you REALLY think that's a good idea?

And what about maintenance of the track and drive magnets? You'd have to shut down and vent that section of your natural gas pipeline so the workers could get in and do their job safely.

I hope I'm just overreacting and missing your sarcasm in that comment.

If you had seen the related video you would have seen that the tube with the magnet cartridge is separate from passenger cars. It would be a very efficient system indeed, and yes, sections would have to be isolated during maintenance. I even envision this being switchable gas transmission, between hydrogen and methane, or other gases, except oxidizing gases. The pipeline to too small for personnel to enter, so cleaning would be done with pipe pigs.

Yes, you are over-reacting, and in all actuality, this system has a much greater chance of success than the Hyper-loop design, and is infinitely safer for passengers from the outset.

That was totally awesome.

This is the Youtube link for the same video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KniP3T_PPB4

It is a very sound design with built in life. The only question will be the pressure/vacuum pumps used, but there are many to consider, depending on capacity needed.

Smart ass. (But then I suppose it is better to be a smart ass than a dumb ass).

Every time.

I was thinking the same thing.

On the Moon.

Why would anybody even remotely care about such a project?

Because we are entering an age of underground highway building...?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig

The Big Dig is a good example of how much this sort of thing costs and how long it takes. The Ted Williams Tunnel is definitely an improvement over the Sumner and Callahan tunnels. Those tunnels made a trip to Logan a nightmare. With the TWT taking some of the load, the traffic through the S&C tunnels is not as bad.

With all due respect.. Boston is a complete pia to navigate. Driving those big dig tunnels it's a wonder they squeezed them in at all.. Huge improvement .. Huge expense.. Hugely needed.. But still a pia!

Nice place do visit with GPS.. I don't know how the place existed without it!

By way of comparison, the monthly magazine of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently had a article about the recent completion of a section New York City Subway that cost (officially...) 4.45 B-$ for 1.8 miles of under ground rail line...

That works out to some 468,223.91 dollars (U. S., current) per lineal foot...

At that rate, Russia may go broke just building only their portion of such a tunnel to, say, only the middle the Bering Strait...

At that rate, such a 65 mile long tunnel would cost about 160,694,444,444 dollars, US... They are claiming the complete crossing will cost (only) 65 B-$ (according to CAL. Gov. Jerry (moonbeam) Brown???...)

Yes, Boston is unique in the arrangement of streets. If you live there your whole life, it becomes doable. I managed when I worked in Southie and was commuting in from Hingham on 3A and then later from Marlborough coming down Post Road and then the Mass Pike. But GPS makes it much easier for the unindoctrinated.

Underground highways are for the multi-tasking challenged snowflakes that don't care about scenery, or what they are looking at if they saw it, nor would they care what they were looking at if they knew they were looking at it. Everything between L.A. and NYC (alt, the swamp) is fly-over (or drive-under) country anyways.

{Sigh} America is lost while contemplating its own navel. Some may even believe nothing existed before they were born.

"Some may even believe nothing existed before they were born."

You're joking now, that's just ridiculous.

The entire universe was created Last Thursday, from nothing to every atom in its proper place in an instant. Any 'evidence' of existence before Last Thursday, from 'dinosaur bones' in the ground to that photograph on your desk of the 'Christmas party,' were all created in situ to confuse us. Even these 'memories' of a 'Monday before Last Thursday' are also fake, the result of our brains being constructed with pre-wired neurons.

(Of course some people consider this theory/religion of "Last Thursdayism" to be sheer lunacy, They claim that their 'science' proves that the universe was created last Tuesday, not last Thursday.)

I wasn't born yesterday. Therefore, there was a Tuesday, I think.

Maybe they could put art in tunnels. They're busy erecting cattle chutes along most major roads around here for noise control, but it is a pretty effective canvas for the taggers.

In Chicago we're entertaining the idea of burying LSD under the sand so people can trip on the beach without the highway.

..something like that..

Ha! I saw "Nessie" in the spring of '68 swimming along the North Coast of California

Too bad I only had a black and white camera, the colorful trails were a trip in its self

That is a killer whale.

Seriously?

I've gotten one traffic ticket in my life. It was on LSD and it was NOT my fault; that cop got five of us in a row with his nasty little trick.

So this cop was putting the little colored paper tabs of LSD on the road? WTH?

I remember seeing several cars pulled over at once.. How and why? Not sure.. Don't see these days.

..funny that the moving violations of mine have been out of town.

One time is because I had New Jersey plates in the Michigan.. Damn rental.

(Actionable offence)

Well, being from New Jersey is usually taken as being offensive...

...even in Jersey. <rimshot>

Of course it is,New Jersey doesn't trust the people from New Jersey even with mundane tasks like: pumping one's own gas, or; making a left turn off the highway.

"Yes, to get to the gas station on the left, you have to make three immediate right turns. When you arrive, don't dare get out of the car, you have no idea what you are doing with that gas pump. You might blow up the car and the gas station with it."

Are people in New Jersey really that helpless, or is it just saturated with Nanny State Pinkos running everything, except maybe the Honorable Gov. Christie.

I don't want to get up for anything, except dinner....

Probably right next to the Underground Railroad, silly man.

https://www.accelerationwatch.com/articles/undergroundhighwaysystems.html

Switzerland.

Sorry, Switzerland is neutral on the future....

Next question: Is Switzerland futures market neutral or biased either way?

Do you walk to school, or carry your sack lunch?

Between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington under the Columbia River. But then they would still argue about including light rail.

My "boss" came in, and let me know I am spending too much time on CR4, and other extra-curricular activities (I keep my high stakes tiddly winks on the down-low).

He says he has a number of new responsibilities that do not include supervising me or the other chemist. I got moved over to be supervised by the maintenance supervisor, which means I will be assigned a lot of wrench-twirler duties that have nothing to do with chemistry, and so I will be on CR4 only when I catch a spare minute at lunch, or if I am at home on other account...if I get to it.

So...less arguing and spamming, and trolling by me. The crowd yells, hell yes!

But CR4 has genuine engineering stuff, sometimes even chemical stuff.

It does not matter, they want me to go in their direction, not my own. Darn, I hate when that happens.

A ho.

"Russia Green Lights $65 Billion Siberia-Alaska Rail and Tunnel to Bridge the Bering Strait!"

http://inhabitat.com/russia-green-lights-65-billion-siberia-alaska-rail-and-tunnel-to-bridge-the-bering-strait/

Sounds like a good scenario, but only for Railroad Tycoon(R), and its genre...

(i.e.: is there gonna be room for tow trucks, too?..)

is Railroad Tycoon^® a game? Genre? If I were a railroad tycoon, which I am not, I would have a complete entourage.

Saboteurs would have to be a hardly lot when attempting to fail that structure!

I for one do not envy the poor soul driving topside when the weather turns nasty, as it is prone to do in those latitudes. I assume Bering Strait?

With a design like that, it would make sense to have the topside route closed off when the NOAA system is predicting inclement weather rolling in. It could even be automated; closing off the entrances to the bridge (but not the exits) early enough so that the driver who has the entrance gate close behind him has enough time to get to the exit ramp before the bad weather hits.

...Err, uhhh, now, I don't want to get toooooo technical here, but isn't that an artist's rendering of a bridge, rather than a tunnel?...

The enclosed part is technically a tunnel. It tunnels under the over pavement.

...looks like a partially enclosed bridge, to me...

I'd call it a tube....and I think it would make more sense to enclose the upper portion as well....

Besides that's not the tunnel part, that runs under the Bering Strait....

..."DISTANCE OF FUTURE RAILROADS:

Bering Strait Tunnel - 64 miles (103 km) each tunnel (total - two multi railroad tunnels, one in each direction), plus a distance not less than 5 miles/8 km inland on each coast) ;

Conventional Railroad in North America: 1,767 miles (2,844 km) . From Cape Prince of Wales (Alaska, USA) - Fairbanks (Alaska) - Whitehorse (Canada) - Fort Nelson (Canada). Further connection to Seattle by existed railroad owned by BNSF Railway .
Conventional Railroad in Asia: 2 ,392 miles (3,850 km) . From Uelen (Chukotka, Russia) - Egvekinot - Zyryanka - Ust-Nera - Yakutsk. Further connection to existed Russian rail.

High-Speed Rail in North America: 3,700 miles (5,955 km) . From Cape Prince of Wales (Alaska, USA) - Fairbanks (Alaska) - Whitehorse (Canada) - Edmonton (Canada) - Sacramento (CA). Further connection to the future California High-Speed Rail (Map.)
Second, 2,400-mile (3,862 km) high-speed rail from Edmonton - Chicago - New York.

High-Speed Rail in Asia:
1. Link to China. About 3,000 miles (4,828 km) . From Uelen (Chukotka, Russia) - Egvekinot - along Russian Far East to Heilongjiang Province in China.
2. Link to Russia and Europe. About 3,000 miles (4,828 km) . From Uelen (Chukotka, Russia) - Egvekinot - Zyryanka - Ust-Nera - Yakutsk - Krasnoyarsk (Russia). Further connection to the future Russian high-speed railroad Krasnoyarsk - Ekaterinburg - Kazan - Nizhny Novgorod - Vladimir - Moscow constructed by JSC High-Speed Rail Lines (Russia), and to the European network of high-speed rail Eurail via Berlin (Germany)."...

http://www.info-quest.org/ExtremeEngineering.html

What part was that then? The sky-bridge over one of the Siberian lakes?

I think this link, though very pricey, might improve relations with Russia, so I like it.

On the other hand, it would be simple to close it off when necessary.

"I think this link, though very pricey, might improve relations with Russia, so I like it."

But do we need to BUILD this, when we already have a link?

No, I'm not talking about Trump-Putin, I'm deliberately steering clear of politics here.

I'm talking about Sarah "I can see Russia from my front porch" Palin.

Besides, if we build that link, there's a good chance that the first vehicle across will be carrying that gold chalice that was the ceremonial symbol of the purchase price. "We are having major case of Seller's Remorse. Here, take cup back, we take frozen oil fields off your hands now. What? Me and who's Army? Why Russian Army that is pouring out of tunnel as we speak, of course."

If it is left up to Sarah - the link would come down to her crossing back and forth with here itsy bitsy row boat, AR-15 in hand. That lady (and is she ever a true lady) could go bear hunting with a switch, and come out without a scratch on her.

BTW - you fired the first salvo in this charade, so don't get all confused and bothered now.

I don't think we need worry about the Red Soviet, or the Russian blue army showing up unexpectedly in Alaska. They have other issues to worry about, such as how to stabilize the dwindling population of Russia. I pray for Russia to stabilize, simply because a wounded bear is more trouble than a fat bear.

"...That lady (and is she ever a true lady) could go bear hunting with a switch, and come out without a scratch on her.,,,"

...haha! Of course! Those who go deer hunting with an accordian alsomcome out remarkably free of scratches! The bears would flee, unable to tollerate the incessant drivel emanating from lipsstick-on-a-bulldog pie-hole.

And that is exactly as it should be. Bless her heart. That dear, doe-eyed, well intentioned, passionate for passions sake, enthusiastic woman; deserves to come out without a scratch. May she never risk anything (scratch or otherwise) any attempt to inact a solution of her making. Bless her well intentioned heart.

Your tongue is stuck so far back in your cheek, I can't tell if you are mirthful (as usual), or actually being serious for once.

Thank you.

I think that's a modern interpretation of the "International Peace Bridge" first proposed in 1958 by Linn, though Linn was not the first to propose a Bering Sea crossing, that started back in 1890....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bering_Strait_crossing

Are you referring to "Lyn" as "Linn"? OMG, I have invoked the name of the One Who Will Not Be Mentioned. Is the next thing I going to be "Arvada-cadavera"!?!

LOL

The Engineer had an interesting article about hyperloop this morning.

hype loop or hyperloop and security concerns

Hurdles I see:

1. Infrastructure is lacking between all points.
2. There is yet to be any test at speed.
3. Any malfunction results in death of all passengers.
4. If the tube is supported above ground, then sabotage is way too easy.
5. If the tube is underground, then failure due to sabotage is way too easy.
6. Seismic events will result in catastrophic failure.
7. More - insert your own concerns here.

No time to get claustrophobic....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Underground

Always knew there was something fishy about London, with all that extant underground and all!

Cheerio dearies!

What’s the deepest subway station in New York City?

..."In Washington Heights, the 191st Street stop along the 1 line is considered the deepest at 180 feet below street level"...

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/politics/2013/10/new-york-city-underground-subway-danger

http://nypost.com/2015/06/03/dig-it-gotham-developers-go-deep-below-the-surface/

..."The NY subway system is one of the busiest mass transit systems in the world, servicing over four million riders everyday. Featuring 24 lines, 468 stations, and more than 800 total miles of track, the NY subway system is the cheapest and most convenient way for NYC tourists to explore New York."...

https://www.nyctourist.com/newyorkcity/subwaymap.htm

..."The Beijing Subway is a rapid transit rail network that serves the urban and suburban districts of Beijing municipality. The network has 19 lines, 345 stations^[a]and 574 km (357 mi) of track in operation,^[4] and is the second longest subway system in the world after the Shanghai Metro. The subway is the world's busiest in annual ridership,^[5] with 3.66 billion trips delivered in 2016,^[6] averaging 9.998 million per day, with peak single-day ridership reaching 12.69 million.^[7]"...

^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_Subway}

^..."This list of metro systems includes electrified rapid transit train systems worldwide. In some cases, metro systems are referred to as subways, U-Bahns or undergrounds. As of October 2014, 157 cities^[1] in 55 countries around the world host the approximately 160 metro systems that are listed here. The London Underground first opened as an "underground railway" in 1863 and^[2] its first electrified underground line opened in 1890,^[2] making it the world's first metro system.^[3]The metro system with the longest route length is the Shanghai Metro;^[1][4] the busiest one is the Beijing Subway;^[5][4] and the one with the most stations is the New York City Subway.^[4]"...

^{With another 42 under construction....}

^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metro_systems}

https://www.journals.elsevier.com/tunnelling-and-underground-space-technology

The key word here: "servicing"

I refuse to say what that map reminded me of.

Another way to say this: "...serves over four million riders everyday. Featuring 24 lines, 468 stations, and more than 800 total miles of track, the NY subway system is the cheapest and most convenient way for NYC tourists to explore New York."...

..."Musk got folks buzzing again Thursday, when he blasted out a vague tweet saying he had received “verbal govt approval” for his Boring Company to start drilling tunnels under northeastern states for the purpose of installing a hyperloop system that could whisk passengers from New York to Washington, D.C., in 29 minutes."...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2017/07/21/hyperloop-race-gets-crowded-new-entrant-arrivo-and-maybe-musk/497630001/

Why would he describe his own company as boring? Nevermind. DOINK!

At least he didn't name it 'Virgin' like 98+% of his other companies.

Using that name everywhere felt like a bit of a freudian slip. Hes, he's rich and powerful, but with his great love of almost all new technologies, he's a bigger nerd than Bill Gates.

(Yes, Bill actually got a girlfriend, but he's RICHER than Musk. You need to exceed a certain money/nerdiness ratio for the nerdiness to stop being a girlfriend repellent.)

How far underground is this planned to be?

Is Musk planning to obtain (or has he already obtained) easments via imminent domain?

I wonder how much the residences, business, or observatories above will wobble when this most modern subway rumbles beneath?

Eminent.

Yeah, that too.

.

Thanks. I suppose I wasn't sure if I had enough of 'm.

Eminem?

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

If you had a son, would you name him Eminem? Emminent? Domain? Or just Emmett?

Sounds like he is working this so far underground, it is below the basement of the Washington, D.B.S shadow govmint. Just sayin'...

I always find it interesting how easy these things look on paper, until actual construction starts.

As Yogi Berra once said⁽¹⁾: "In theory, there's no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is."

Notes:

1. Possibly, There were a lot of 'Yogiisms" that were mis-attributed to him, to the point where he flat out told reporters, "I never said half the things I said."