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Following this suggestion (after a previous attempt met with a chorus of silence:'( ).

Let me try again, then. I'm not a railfan at all, so I have no clue how credible this is, hence the question.;)

POD in the Depression, & presupposing a federal subsidy for doing it, was it credible to amalgamate Ontario &/or Quebec rail systems? Lower Mainland BC's? Was it credible to link Canadian systems to U.S. networks at, say, Seattle, Detroit, &/or Buffalo?

Could U.S. networks in, frex, Ohio have been merged? Would these, or other systems, have needed a subsidy? Was a subsidy for radial/interurban rail likely?

Was it credible to upgrade the rolling stock with a variety of aluminum (or steel monocoque?) tramcar? (I imagine a subsidized purchase or manufacturing, perhaps both.) There was an aluminum-bodied car; was it possible for it to become standard?

Subsidy suggests export sales might be a help to railcar makers, but does that feed back into the railways? Does that help drive costs down? And can a monocoque car be enough lighter & faster to be profitable? (Am I mistaken diesels might be of use?) Could a North American standard car actually gain sales in Europe or Oz? Conversely, could an Oz or Brit design work, & sell, in North America? (Does that need a "low tariff" zone, like the Imperial tariff proposal of the '30s? Does it increase pressure to create one? Even to have a railcar version of the Auto Pact?)

Could an amalgamated system of this kind make a profit? (I imagine routes along Lake Superior, for one, plus subsidized retracking to standardize gauge, plus subsidized construction of flyover/unders as needed; the latter two would be obvious federal works projects at that time.)

Since at least some radials were carrying freight to help stay in business, running at night, were there rule changes that could help?

If any of this actually works in North America, was it possible to apply it in Europe? Britain? Oz?

I'll confess, my main interest is, does this work in Canada? If any lessons are out there, tho, I'd bet Canadian radials would take them on. (I'd hope.:eek: ) Are there? Can we save radial rail? Or is the IHS & the car destined to kill it no matter what?:eek::teary: (And I say that as somebody who's an inveterate car guy.:openedeyewink: )

Somebody call Michael Portillo!:openedeyewink:
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