Idea on how to save Iraq

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I will NOT give my political opinion here and I hope others won’t too. This strictly is about trains!

One of the number 1 reasons that may delay Iraq’s recovery is sabatoge to its 7000 mile plus oil pipelines.

It is nigh impossible to protect the entire thing. But, I think I’ve got a solution. A wild idea, perhaps, but, I think there’s a chance it may work.

Get rid of the whole pipeline and replace with a railway and tank cars. In this way, security will be concentrated on the trains themselves instead of the entire route of pipeline.

But, you say, the tracks can be just as vulnerable. Yes, but lets explore this vulnerability further.

Trains operated in Vietnam with a flatcar pushed ahead of the trains to detonate mine. This would solve the passive sabotage problem, but not a remote control device that could be made to detonate after the locomotive has passed.

Several flat cars could separate each tank car to mitigate blast chain reaction and furthermore, commodities could be hauled via the same train that cannot be achieved by pipeline.

If a strike does in fact, cause a chain reaction, the loss of oil would be a lot less than from a pipeline which is continually feeding the flames.

A track could quickly be built to bypass the sabotaged train in flat desert land. In strategic hilly passes, permanent security could be maintained.

A mine detection car could proceed the train.

I know that my idea will get shot full of holes, but, what the heck?

Dave Vergun

2

Interesting idea there. Hhmmmmm, wonder if idea IS plausible?!?

Any other ideas out there that don’t involve politics?

3

The expense of such an idea FAR outweighs the cost of repairing and using existing pipelines.

LC

4

On top of what LC said, I wonder how many runs per day would be needed to equal what a constant pipeline is providing. I bet you it would be enormous. I think they get about 1.75 million barrels per day out of the 2 main pipelines they have.(I think I read that somewhere)

5

pipelines and train tank cars are used in the US. If pipelines were a “cure all” then tank cars would be obsolete.

The bigger question would be: who could pay for it all?

But if the sabotage continues on the pipeline, then trains at least ought to be considered as an option.

6

I was just surfing the web and found an EPA site that states: “Rail is arguably the safest means of transporting chemicals.”

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:-CQGsECkHGsJ:www.aar.org/GetFile.asp%3FFile_ID%3D359+pipeline+vs+railroad+tank+cars&hl=en

I believe that at one time, there was a debate over the Alaska pipeline being rail. Pipelines are, in fact, more effecient, but I was looking at the big picture:

  1. security, with rail being much safer for reasons I have given

  2. secondary benefit of rail system in place that also can transport goods and people

  3. ability to employ lots of workers and get Iraq’s unemployment down; a major breeding ground for discontent.

dave

7

As one whom promotes the idea of using Trains or railroad resouses to their
fullest has me wondering if there is any sense in the idea.there is a unstable
situation in the nation with the enemy as unknown.there needs to be true security
on the ground as on the rails.

Freedom is not free.

David

8

Its a good idea to a point.Heres where I shoot a hole in it(sorry[B)]) The only problem I see in flat cars seperating the tanks is the adverse slack and buff forces.SP’s tank train with the interconnected pipes would be a better idea.Want to stop the bombings?Let the Iraqis take out the non Iraqis causing the trouble(last news report said they were doing just that)Plus remember most of the news you hear is political just a fact of life it may not be as bad as it seems(then again…)Later all stay safe.

9

my idea would be to just nuke the middle east in the first place…would end alot of problems for everyone…
second… start drilling in alaska for our own oil… screw the tree huggers… you can do it with minimal enviromental damage… and for any of you that want to aurge that we shouldnt… then you need to disconnenct yourself from the power gride…get ride of your car for a bicycal… and go find a cave… it takes alot of never to tell people that want to use the plantes resorces for the benifit of mankind to not use them…when you are taking advantage of them yourself…
the “civilzied world” wants do deal with the barbarions of the middle east like they are also civilzed… they are nothing more then a regan full of thugs…and need to be delt with like such…not how the US is dealing with then now… hack the head off of US civilans…and you should be wiped off the face of the earth!!!
csx engineer

10

Hmmm well, i’m psoting this because i like to psot wakcy crap, but discussing Iraq woutout political views, or politics, is like talking about Trains without the tracks…

won’t work, never will.

buy a printer, you have to buy paper sooner or later.

I honetly don’t know what to think about Iraq, I watch TV and shake my head, a little reminder, It wouldn’t BE like this today if whats-his-face had saved up this bombs for someone worth bombing-

that being said, somehting must be done; but what? hell- you’ve got me stumped.

it’s too late to start controlling anarchy.

thta place is so screwed up right now, that place is going to need a Shining from Goid, but nothing short of a miracle-
let’s not BS around this issue.

11

This thread is gonna get long and heated, I can fell it warming up already.

Pipelines are generally much more efficient than trains and tankers, the only drawback is the fact that they are so costly to install in the first place, but once they are there the upkeep is minimal.

There was a great article on the railways of Iraq in the last Trains magazine, I can see by the article that the railway needs a lot of work to say the least.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for rail transportation, but to move all of the oil by train (in Iraq) would be crazy… trackside bombs are one thing to worry about, but what about all the guys with their shoulder held missile launchers? That’s one easy target, especially if there are 20 trains a day using the tracks.