Re: Nothing like oil?

Crown-Horned Snorkack <chornedsnorkack@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

>Compare the 20th century oil and infernal combustion engine economy
>with 19th century coal and steam engine economy.
>
>Coalburning steam engine needs a human to handle the solid fuel.

True.  Which was why (at least in the US) strides were being made in
automating the handling of the solid fuel, as well as switching to
liquid fuels.

The image of a stoker manfully shoveling mountains of coal into the
boiler's maw is a romantic remembrance of something that was already
vani****ng as the century turned.

>South Africa and China used steam locomotives long after many other
>countries switched to diesel. One reason was that fossil coal was
>cheap and easily available, while fossil oil was scarce or im****ted
>and relatively dear.

They also had something the US lacked (partially due to unionization),
large pools of extremely cheap labor.

D.
-- 
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

http://derekl1963.livejournal.com/

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL