Some cities already have driverless subways. Rail would be much simpler to automate than roads.
With all this computer hacking going on like it did for that oil pipeline a few weeks back, a nationwide system of self-driving trucks seems like asking for trouble. If we did have automated trains, they should have a manual mode so vital supplies aren't disrupted in case of a hack. Even a simple automated mode that took the train no further then the next station (where it could be re-set and sent to the next station) would work. Local drivers could take it from there.
However, I'm not so sure automated trains are even required as a train can have 100's of cars in it, and 2 or 3 people can operate the whole thing. That would be the equivalent of 100's of licensed semi drivers. If you're already moving 1000's of tons of cargo, the wage cost for the train crew is only a fraction of the shipping cost.
The big drawback is rail logistics are not as speedy as those for road trucks. I don't see a lot of carriers promising 48-hour delivery signing up for rail mode. If someone could introduce road truck timeliness and responsiveness into a rail system, it would be tough to beat.
Upload one or more videos to your post. Photo and video filesizes should be less than 5MB. Formats allowed are gif, jpg, png, ogg, mp4, mov, and avi. Be sure to use filenames without spaces or special characters, and filetypes of 3 digits lower case.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Hydraulics - Cylinder Anatomy - by Curtis von Fange. Let’s make one more addition to our series on hydraulics. I’ve noticed a few questions in the comment section that could pertain to hydraulic cylinders so I thought we could take a short look at this real workhorse of the circuit. Cylinders are the reason for the hydraulic circuit. They take the fluid power delivered from the pump and magically change it into mechanical power. There are many types of cylinders that one might run across on a farm scenario. Each one could take a chapter in
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1964 I-H 140 tractor with cultivators and sidedresser. Starts and runs good. Asking 2650. CALL RON AT 502-319-1952
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
