Impact of automated driving on Trucking industry

Ever hear about solar flares? Or EMP weapons?

Talk about rendering humans useful for driving or flying...

 

I'm guess you missed this one along the way:




Radio control stuff is pretty much a no-brainer; it's autonomous computer-controlled vehicles we're talking about.

 

You need to learn a lot more about the rail roads. If they were still operating and building rails the same as 1850 they would still be using wood fired locomotives and bolted rails.

Not the hybrid diesel electric locomotives that are remote controlled that do the switching now. Also they would not be using welded rails.

The railroad network has changed dramatically since 1925

The rail road is constantly upgrading, expanding and building track where it is economically productive. If it will not make them money they will not build it.

There are a lot of dormant old tracks out there. There are several reasons for this. The first reason is it costs money to remove the track. The second is that if the railroad pulls up the rails they have to restore the right of way to way it was before the railroad was constructed and this is cost prohibitive. And the third is they may use the tracks in the future.

 

Yeah, they've been around since the early '60s...

 

They still build rails using gravel beds, wooden ties, and sectional rails (no, frieght rail is still done this way; only certain commuter rail is done with welded rails in the US). They do not do ANYTHING to improve what's there because not nly do they not want to spend the money, but their union contract stipulates that the rails be the same kind they were so there's work for the rail workers to do.

And I got this from my wife' uncle, who worked for 40 years for Union Pacific in various capacities.

They may have some automation;BuT it's nowhere near what it could be. And as long as those railways are as crappy as they are, there's no way a fully-automated system could ever work.

 

Your information is out of date.

When did your wife's uncle retire and what did he do and where did he work?

If this is true why is the Union Pacific laying welded rail on the west coast from there own train known as TRT 909

Sectional rail is still used for drill track but the mainline is being replaced by welded rail as it wears or sooner.

They use gravel beds because the rails move due to the expansion and contraction of the rails especially on the curves.

They still use wood ties for freight due to the inherent properties of wood being able to absorb the shock load. They also use composite and sectional ties

When was the last time you walked the rails?

My contracts take me to the rails on a regular basis.

The rail road just laid an additional track through the cajon pass in Southern California

I will agree that the union has resisted automation but they have made drastic changes in the last couple of decades to survive.

 

Well, I'm sure California has it's own rules, but the rest of the nation is still way behind the curve.

He retired... 5 years ago? Maybe 6. And he still keeps up with it.

 

That is funny because I have seen welded rail on freight lines across the country.

My first experience with welded rail was back in 1990 on a freight siding.

Doing a quick search on the Union Pacific web site the train has recently been in Phoenix and was in Texas this past January laying welded rail.

 

Then I guess I stand corrected.