The internet says the coal trains from Wyoming to the east are up to 1.5 miles long, a bit shorter than 2 km. But it feels like forever when you are waiting for one so you can cross the tracks.
Beutifully composed shots, incredible landscape.
In the US, large temperature deviations cause rail problems-- either gaps or swelling. There are probably engineering papers about why this either isnt a problem in the Sahara or how they solved it...
I haven't had time to watch the video yet, but I'm curious about how they run the rails over what looks like sand.
That was starkly beautiful and a fascinating series of adaptations to that one rail line. Only 0.2% suitable for agriculture is a harsh constraint.
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The internet says the coal trains from Wyoming to the east are up to 1.5 miles long, a bit shorter than 2 km. But it feels like forever when you are waiting for one so you can cross the tracks.
If the internet says 1.5 miles is a bit shorter than 2 km, that's one more reason not to trust the internet.
6: If 1mile is 1.6kms, surely 1.5 miles is less than 2kms, more or less. Or is that 1 km is 0.6 miles, so ... profits?
If 1mile is 1.6kms, surely 1.5 miles is less than 2kms, more or less.
What's 1.6 times 1.5?
I looked it up - $2 billion a year of iron ore exports, all going down that line. The country's entire GDP is less than $11 billion.
1.5 * 1.6 is less than 2 for unusually large values of 2.
13: who can say the value of 2? Some say its just 1+1, but only a fool would disregard the possibility of synergy.
15 : can't argue with the math professor.
Further to 12, the line used to go through a 2km tunnel at Choum (that's 3 and a half inches for the US audience) which was dug because the alternative was routing it through Western Sahara, at the time still a Spanish colony. The tunnel's now out of use and the line has a 5 km diversion (roughly 8000 gallons) through Polisario territory. Having 20% of your GDP pass through the territory of an unrecognised rebel state must be a bracing experience for Mauritania, foreign-policy-wise.
Mauritania recognizes Polisario.
And the entire line takes a 360km detour (from the miners' POV, anyway) to avoid Spanish Sahara/Morocco.
Mauritania recognizes Polisario.
Good point - should have been clearer.