That sort of messed with the plan

[Dan Maynard]

Where do canals have an advantage though? Low fuel cost for heavy stuff?

[Treewolf]

The advantage of a canal is that very little energy is required to move payload compared to almost all other forms of transport.

[Mick Dempsey]

Iirc another advantage was that delicate goods, like pottery, could be moved without breaking everything. The roads at the time being a nightmare.

Till the railways came anyway.

 

I just knew during that history lesson 45 years ago that nugget would be useful!

[AHPP]

1 hour ago, Treewolf said:

The advantage of a canal is that very little energy is required to move payload compared to almost all other forms of transport.

"Industry will retrench to men and horses."

A line from one of my songs. Seems apt.

[AHPP]

19 hours ago, Johnsond said:

The whole canal network is I think an underused system. Surely in this day and age with all the green environmental emphasis a well thought out programme utilising  larger canals based around iso containers could shift huge amounts of freight from one area to another rather than the never ending night time road based trunking operations. 

The low tunnels are a surmountable problem I'd have thought. I suspect slow freight wouldn't work here because of the various factors that push people towards money rather than wealth and happiness.

[Mick Dempsey]

1 minute ago, AHPP said:

The low tunnels are a surmountable problem I'd have thought.

Just dig the canals deeper under the tunnels!

[AHPP]

4 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Just dig the canals deeper under the tunnels!

 

Something like that. Bear in mind the top of the water won't be any lower though. Either the boats would need to half sink (and then refloat for the rest of the shallow sections) or the tunnel sections would need locks either side.

[Mick Dempsey]

12 minutes ago, AHPP said:

 

Something like that. Bear in mind the top of the water won't be any lower though. Either the boats would need to half sink (and then refloat for the rest of the shallow sections) or the tunnel sections would need locks either side.

For the record, I was joking.

[AHPP]

4 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

For the record, I was joking.

 

I suspected but can never tell with you, Mick. You're very dry.

Edited July 24, 2023 by AHPP

[eggsarascal]

2 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Just dig the canals deeper under the tunnels!

Only you!