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Water trains to California

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Saturday, March 21, 2015 6:48 PM

Paul of Covington

 

 
Murphy Siding

    Surely adroit marketing and truth in advertising would tip the scales?  Who would buy ordinary, run of the mill,  Mexican sea salt, when they could purchase *Rich, Corinthian, Glutten Free, Free Range, Natural California Sea Salt*? Stick out tongue  

 

 

   Just stamp it  "Imported"

 

*Rich, Corinthian, Glutten Free, Free Range, Natural California Sea Salt*.... Imported from California!  (Hey- a lot of Americans aren't that good at geography anyway Devil)  

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Posted by Convicted One on Saturday, March 21, 2015 4:42 PM

Murphy Siding
Rich, Corinthian, Glutten Free, Free Range, Natural California Sea Salt

 

For some reason, Ricardo Monatalban's image flashed in my mind as i read that. Smile

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Saturday, March 21, 2015 4:36 PM

Murphy Siding

    Surely adroit marketing and truth in advertising would tip the scales?  Who would buy ordinary, run of the mill,  Mexican sea salt, when they could purchase *Rich, Corinthian, Glutten Free, Free Range, Natural California Sea Salt*? Stick out tongue  

   Just stamp it  "Imported"

_____________ 

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Posted by narig01 on Saturday, March 21, 2015 3:14 PM
You can not use tank cars that have been used to haul oil or other chemicals to haul water for human or any other food grade uses. (Like irrigation water or animals use) . Food grade tanks can only be used to haul what we eat and drink. Once something goes in the tank that is not consumable like oil or chemicals you can not use it for food, (or water). Rgds IGN
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Saturday, March 21, 2015 3:10 PM

Convicted One

 

 
Murphy Siding
As the sea water runs downhill to the east into the desert, it evaporates and eventually, the river of sea water fizzles out into nothing by way of evaporation. What's left behind in the streambed gets processed into exotic brands of sea salt.

 

They already have huge evaporation/sea-salt plants in Mexico, where the attendant labor is cheaper. So their exotics would undercut yours. Angel

 

    Surely adroit marketing and truth in advertising would tip the scales?  Who would buy ordinary, run of the mill,  Mexican sea salt, when they could purchase *Rich, Corinthian, Glutten Free, Free Range, Natural California Sea Salt*? Stick out tongue  

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Posted by Convicted One on Saturday, March 21, 2015 2:23 PM

NKP guy
It's disturbing, though, to read the negative comments, along the lines of People Out West deserve this drought because they have swimming pools, Las Vegas, wash the sidewalks, and waste water like crazy compared to

 

It's  likewise "disturbing" to see bad history tryin g to repeat. [the way the ambitions of people who will NEVER be happy have already conspired to take water away from one "good cause" and subvert it into their "good cause" just because they see theirs as more deserving.]

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Posted by Convicted One on Saturday, March 21, 2015 2:19 PM

garyla
But I don't recall the last time I saw anyone hosing off a sidewalk or driveway around Los Angeles; it has to have been years.

 

true, I left the lower  west coast in 2003. But the garden hoses were still gushing back then

 

garyla
This may not be how it worked out, but that was how it was sold,

 

When I lived in the Bay Area, they were restricting your right to water lawns and wash cars based upon your house address  (even-odd, etc) ...So much for "low impact" forecasting.

 

The Devil in the details that caught my fascination was that scarce water was being siphoned out of Northern California  reserves to serve Southern California needs. Northern Californians were being forced to conserve, while the beneficiaries of the aforementioned siphoning had no idea that water was in short supply.

 

Evidently someone had decided that Southern California had become "Too big to fail" ? Devil

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Posted by Convicted One on Saturday, March 21, 2015 2:15 PM

Murphy Siding
As the sea water runs downhill to the east into the desert, it evaporates and eventually, the river of sea water fizzles out into nothing by way of evaporation. What's left behind in the streambed gets processed into exotic brands of sea salt.

They already have huge evaporation/sea-salt plants in Mexico, where the attendant labor is cheaper. So their exotics would undercut yours. Angel

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Posted by 106crewchief on Saturday, March 21, 2015 1:35 PM

They have a whole ocean in their front yard. Desalinate .

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Posted by trackrat888 on Saturday, March 21, 2015 12:49 PM

NO!!! and NO!!!..... Great Lakes States and their citys have been on the ropes for far too long. Look how empty the downtowns of Toledo, Buffalo,Erie,Detroit, Superior are....We need people and industry to move here and Google and Silicon Valley are quietly moving operations here do to a ample supply of fresh water and clean electricity. here as in Niagara Falls and parts of Erie are seeing some growth.

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, March 21, 2015 11:06 AM

Congratulations! you burst the bubble. Though, it is beginning to look like Rube Goldberg.

Johnny

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, March 20, 2015 11:19 PM

    Obviously, it's not perpetual motion gig, as the hydro electricity produced doesn't equal the energy needed to lift the sea water in the first place. Now, once you build the windmills, to take advantage of the wind produced by the evaporating sea water's affect on the local atmosphere, then you're on the right track.

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Posted by Deggesty on Friday, March 20, 2015 10:11 PM

Murphy Siding

     Well, as long as we're talking about far out, off-topic stuff that will never happen, consider this pie in the sky, no less "out there" than trainfinder's original post-

     Here's the plan.  Run a ginormous pipe from the Pacific Ocean in California east until it crosses the mountains to the desert areas.  Once over the ridge, use the downward, eastern flowing water to produce hydroelectric power to offset the power needed to pump the sea water up the hill in the first place.

     As the sea water runs downhill to the east into the desert, it evaporates and eventually, the river of sea water fizzles out into nothing by way of evaporation.  What's left behind in the streambed gets processed into exotic brands of sea salt.

     As millions and millions of gallons of sea water turn into water vapor above the desert, the climate in the desert begins to change.  That water has to go somewhere, and eventually turns into rain.

     The desert becomes green.  The desert also cools- helping global warming of course.  And the displaced water lowers the sea level, so the polar bears- and all of Florida- don't drown.

      It's a win-win-win situation.  What could go wrong with that plan to save the planet? Cool

 

Ahhh! Perpetual Motion +. Excellent!!

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, March 20, 2015 9:50 PM

     Well, as long as we're talking about far out, off-topic stuff that will never happen, consider this pie in the sky, no less "out there" than the original post-

     Here's the plan.  Run a ginormous pipe from the Pacific Ocean in California east until it crosses the mountains to the desert areas.  Once over the ridge, use the downward, eastern flowing water to produce hydroelectric power to offset the power needed to pump the sea water up the hill in the first place.

     As the sea water runs downhill to the east into the desert, it evaporates and eventually, the river of sea water fizzles out into nothing by way of evaporation.  What's left behind in the streambed gets processed into exotic brands of sea salt.

     As millions and millions of gallons of sea water turn into water vapor above the desert, the climate in the desert begins to change.  That water has to go somewhere, and eventually turns into rain.

     The desert becomes green.  The desert also cools- helping global warming of course.  And the displaced water lowers the sea level, so the polar bears- and all of Florida- don't drown.

      It's a win-win-win situation.  What could go wrong with that plan to save the planet? Cool

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, March 20, 2015 5:17 PM

Murphy Siding
Don't be silly.  Just package up what's left over and sell it as some exotic sea salt.

Yeah - seems like everybody's got some sort of sea salt concoction they're pushing.  It's even in dark chocolate!

Win/Win!

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, March 20, 2015 5:01 PM

garyla

Seawater conversion, like that coming on line in San Diego County, is a hopeful development.  But without sounding too absurd, I can imagine NIMBYs wondering if the stuff we remove from the seawater, and return to the Pacific, will be polluting our ocean.

 

 

   Don't be silly.  Just package up what's left over and sell it as some exotic sea salt. Mischief

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Posted by garyla on Friday, March 20, 2015 4:36 PM

Convicted One
 
overall
The thinking is that water could be taken from the Mississippi region, where there is too much, to California, where there is too little.

 

 

If you really want some interesting reading, look back into the internal conflicts California has had in trying to manage it's water woes internally.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Water_Wars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_in_California

 

What you are talking about is that octopuss' ambitions to become a nation-wide menace.

 

I lived in The Bay area a number of years where there was aggressive water rationing in practice due to water shortages caused by water export to Los Angeles.

Then, I moved to LA, and was shocked to see people hosing off their sidewalks who had never even heard there was a water shortage in California.

 

Now evidently those buzzards come home to roost?

 

The only good reason I could see to send water to California would be as an appeasement to keep the masses out there, so they won't move east looking for water.

 

 

 

 

If I left California, it would be for much better reasons than a lack of water.  But I don't recall the last time I saw anyone hosing off a sidewalk or driveway around Los Angeles; it has to have been years.  Doing that is a good way to bring on the water police here.

One of the guiding principles of Gov. Brown (Sr.) 's California Water Project of 55 years ago, was that Southern California water users, in addition to paying all the cost of building and operating the system, would only be drawing off the excess over and above the needs of the northern part of the state.  Most years, the northern part has VASTLY more than it needs (ask anyone who's worked for the NWP RR) and, along with getting huge new flood-control facilities purchased by the southern users, really was not supposed to be affected in any negative way. 

This may not be how it worked out, but that was how it was sold, and the system would not have been built without something to buy political support in the northern half of the state, where a great number of people would rather see the excess run into the Pacific than routed south.

As for the future, droughts (like heavy-rain seasons) don't last forever, but California's surprisingly continuous population growth will contine to put pressure on the water supply. 

Seawater conversion, like that coming on line in San Diego County, is a hopeful development.  But without sounding too absurd, I can imagine NIMBYs wondering if the stuff we remove from the seawater, and return to the Pacific, will be polluting our ocean.

 

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, March 20, 2015 3:56 PM

NKP - Mankind seems to love to live in places that wouldn't otherwise support life.  A city like Lost Wages goes against common sense - why build a city someplace where you have to import everything.  I know - Lake Mead had a lot to do with it.  And still does.

If cities like LA, Phoenix, and Las Vegas were forced to live "within their means" a lot of people would have to find  new place to live.  And that's not taking into account the recent drought conditions in the area.

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Posted by NKP guy on Friday, March 20, 2015 2:57 PM

It seems to me that a hypothetical proposal to take free water that's about to be "wasted" by becomming salt water in the St. Lawrence River and selling it on the free market to anyone Out West who needs it via a privately owned or even TVA-type owned pipeline would be an idea that would be embraced by all the free market, no-socialism voices one often hears.  Why not?  We're not talking about emptying the lakes or even affecting them; we're talking about a big flowing river.  I bet if whoever took the water gave some of the profits to the various states involved (I'll let the accountants figure out the give-back formula) there would be some real support.  Simply put:  We have it in abundance; they are willing to pay for it.

It's disturbing, though, to read the negative comments, along the lines of People Out West deserve this drought because they have swimming pools, Las Vegas, wash the sidewalks, and waste water like crazy compared to us conservative (or lucky) folks Back East.  Then there's the idea that Great Lakes water is too polluted to be used even on crops (note the comment about agricultural workers!), as if what we drink in these states is OK for us but the same water in a pipeline would be contaminated beyond salvation.

If fracking is OK, if oil derricks everywhere is OK, if coal plants are OK, if free enterprise is OK, if the Keystone Pipeline is OK.....why is a hypothetical water pipeline beyond the pale?  

 

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Posted by Deggesty on Friday, March 20, 2015 1:40 PM

Tell these thirsty people to grow their own water, and tell the NIMBY's who do not want desalinization plants built to stop keeping their grass green and put some effort into sweeping their walks.

Johnny

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Posted by Convicted One on Friday, March 20, 2015 12:56 PM

overall
The thinking is that water could be taken from the Mississippi region, where there is too much, to California, where there is too little.

 

If you really want some interesting reading, look back into the internal conflicts California has had in trying to manage it's water woes internally.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Water_Wars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_in_California

 

What you are talking about is that octopuss' ambitions to become a nation-wide menace.

 

I lived in The Bay area a number of years where there was aggressive water rationing in practice due to water shortages caused by water export to Los Angeles.

Then, I moved to LA, and was shocked to see people hosing off their sidewalks who had never even heard there was a water shortage in California.

 

Now evidently those buzzards come home to roost?

 

The only good reason I could see to send water to California would be as an appeasement to keep the masses out there, so they won't move east looking for water.

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Posted by 54light15 on Friday, March 20, 2015 11:59 AM

It isn't just drinking water and irrigation. Let's not forget those other neccesities of life like golf courses in Palm Springs and Las Vegas that must be kept green. Not to mention all those fountains in Las Vegas. Drinking water? Industry has almost successfully turned it into a commodity like gasoline and not a human right. Bottled water, anyone? That's the future, Mister Gitts!

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Posted by oltmannd on Friday, March 20, 2015 11:56 AM

I'm sure there's plenty of water moving economically on the railroads right now...in plastic drinking bottles!

So, you COULD run tank cars from where they bottle it now, to where it's consumed, and just bottle it there.

This would work until everyone wakes up and realizes their local water is just as potable as water from some other municipality.

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Posted by diningcar on Friday, March 20, 2015 11:37 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH

Water trains (or pipelines) aren't going to address the issue, especially when you consider the amount of water that's needed, especially for agriculture.

I suggest that there is as much water on this planet in 2015 as there was 5000 years ago. If that is acknowleged then the apparent solution for those locations that now have a shortage (most are adjacent to the oceans) is to desalineate the sea water and discontinue taking water from its natural coarse. 

 

 

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, March 20, 2015 11:33 AM

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by cacole on Friday, March 20, 2015 10:06 AM

Federal courts have been involed in a lengthy lawsuit over Colorado River water for years and years, with no judgement rendered that is going to satisfy all the litigants; so there's no chance of California ever getting more water from the Colorado.

 

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, March 20, 2015 10:00 AM

Water trains (or pipelines) aren't going to address the issue, especially when you consider the amount of water that's needed, especially for agriculture.

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Posted by mudchicken on Friday, March 20, 2015 2:21 AM

ATSF/BNSF still run water out into the desert in tank cars (some still had rivets into the 1990's) in the M/W fleet (potable water & non-potable) to wunnerfull places like Newberry Springs, Ludlow and out on A&C at Cadiz (ex-ATSF branch)...large scale version of this would be a nightmare.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by Leo_Ames on Friday, March 20, 2015 1:43 AM

NKP guy

I think the very serious problem of water shortages out West could be allieviated,  not by water trains, but by a suggestion I once saw offered by a hydrologist.  Please take out your maps.

The Great Lakes funnel into the St. Lawrence River not far from Massena, NY.  At this point the fresh waters of the lakes start running into salt water.  In other words, the fresh water from this point on gets "wasted."  It is completely doable to build a pipeline or pipelines from Massena, NY to, say, California.

Significantly reduce the outflow of water from the Great Lakes around Massena (Something you'd have to do in order to get a volume that would make a difference out West), and I assume that the point where the water starts to turn to saltwater up past Montreal will shift Westward as the waters of the Atlantic reach further inland. 

I can just hear Save the River. 

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Posted by wanswheel on Friday, March 20, 2015 12:56 AM

Excerpt from Railway Age article, “If Crude by Rail, Why Not Water?” by Bruce Kelly, Contributing Editor, January 31, 2014

Hauling water by train might sound outlandish to most, but tank cars were routinely used during the steam era to transport and store water in railway operating territories where wells, streams, or other water sources were not available. And well into the modern diesel era, tank cars continued to bring drinking water to remote communities or facilities whose only physical connection to the outside world was the railroad.
Supplying enough water to partially refill depleted reservoirs or irrigation systems in areas that are not already served by aqueducts and that are most vulnerable to California’s worsening drought will require something along the lines of a pipeline. Or, where pipelines don’t exist, a rolling pipeline on rails.
In other words, trains moving as many as 100 carloads of water at a time, which translates to roughly three million gallons of water per train. Much the same way that crude by rail is now moving oil across vast distances where previously there was no reasonable or competitive way to do it. Trains cannot possibly move enough water to enough places to fully substitute for a lack of winter precipitation, but they could at least deliver some measure of relief to specific areas facing the worst water shortages. In the broader context, water by rail could even be a seasonal or long-term solution to chronic drought or exhausted groundwater in almost any state or region.
For California, tank cars of non-potable water could be dispersed among cities and small towns, and even to remote locations reached by rail, to keep on hand as back-up for ground-based firefighting equipment. Food-grade tank cars could deliver potable water to specific communities where municipal systems are at immediate risk of running dry, and to select farms that are deemed vital to the nation’s food supply. Supporting water by rail on a widespread, long-term basis would likely require the manufacture of hundreds of new tank cars dedicated to such service.

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