A cool steam train revival in Wales.

[molly bloom]

No, they were in the UK.

Stockton to Darlington and Manchester to Liverpool. My other half is a steam railway enthusiast and a devotee of industrial archaeology, as well as being a member of the Blaenau Ffestiniog and Tywyn railways:

http://www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk/ffestiniog.html

I have a friend who works on the Bluebell Line too....

http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/

[MOBIUS]

The Blaenau Ffestiniog line is fantastic, especially when linked with a trip to Portmeirion...

Snowdonia.

[MOBIUS]

http://www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk/ffestiniog.html

Wow, there's four steam railways in South Wales alone I can think of that aren't mentioned on that website, that makes at least 14 steam railways in Wales at least!

[Colonâ„¢]

Thanks. That's the bit I wasn't sure about, but given how the rest of reg's post was so completely wrong... I guess it's down to the fact that nobody actually travels on trains in the US, thus leaving the way clear for freight over long distances, which actually makes loads of sense!

Rail freight is making a big comeback (relatively) in the UK in recent years. In Wales the railways are used extensively in this capacity (steel, timber, coal exports etc) and there are a number of lines that aren't open to the public expressly serving those industries.

American freight rail was liberalised 3 decades ago, since when prices halved and productivity exploded. They've been trying to do the same in the EU but progress has been patchy.

[regexcellent]

No, they were in the UK.

My bad. I'm absolutely certain about the passenger/freight distribution on rail/air in the US versus EU though. Passenger rail can't really take off in the US because the freight traffic, which is frankly way more profitable, hogs the lines and goes way slower. You'd really have to have two different sets of tracks for it to be efficient. Low population density and the fact that our cities aren't easily connected on a line topology are other major problems that will probably always prevent successful long distance rail passenger transport outside of the northeast and possibly coastal California.

[Hauldren Collider]

It turns out that planes make a lot more sense. Lower costs, higher speeds. Infrastructure is expensive, and having people sit in a box doing nothing while it moves across the continent for a week is very expensive.

[Sava]

Every time I play OpenTTD, I just end up derping around until the first high capacity jets become available.

[regexcellent]

I got the mod that gives you V-22 ospreys in 2004, and that makes helicopters profitable

Trains are just too much hassle to keep from crashing into each other, though they are useful for making a supercollider to destroy your competitors' road vehicles.

[Sava]

though they are useful for making a supercollider to destroy your competitors' road vehicles.