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Author: David MoffittDavid Moffitt Date: Jul 21, 2008 08:20
Railroad tracks.
The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5
inches. That's an exceedingly odd number.
Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England,
and English expatriates built the US railroads.
Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail line s
were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and
that's the gauge they used.
Why did 'they' use that gauge then? Because the people who built the
tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons,
which used that wheel spacing.
Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they
tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the
old, long distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel
ruts.
So who built those old rutted roads? Imperial Rome built the first long
distance roads in Europe (and England ) for their legions. The roads have
been used ever since.
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Author: mfcrabtreemfcrabtree Date: Jul 21, 2008 10:30
David Moffitt wrote:
> Railroad tracks.
I love it.
Forwarded and added to my Keepers file.
Faye
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Author: InfoSuperHwyRoadKillInfoSuperHwyRoadKill Date: Jul 21, 2008 11:28
> David Moffitt wrote:
>> Railroad tracks.
>
> I love it.
>
> Forwarded and added to my Keepers file.
>
> Faye
>
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Author: mfcrabtreemfcrabtree Date: Jul 21, 2008 20:28
InfoSuperHwyRoadKill wrote:
Info, the appeal of this yarn has little, if anything, to do with
historical veracity.
It is about the Art of the Story.
Faye
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Author: InfoSuperHwyRoadKillInfoSuperHwyRoadKill Date: Jul 22, 2008 08:09
> InfoSuperHwyRoadKill wrote:
>
> Info, the appeal of this yarn has little, if anything, to do with
> historical veracity.
>
> It is about the Art of the Story.
>
> Faye
>
Most cut and post by moe has little, if anything, to do with veracity,
historical or otherwise.
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Author: David MoffittDavid Moffitt Date: Jul 22, 2008 09:54
"InfoSuperHwyRoadKill" hellsgate.com> wrote in message
news:VImhk.5225$Zc5.3035@bignews8.bellsouth.net...
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| gmail.com> wrote in message
| news:1959e320-3f9e-4919-a8a2-08ccfc3883d0@56g2000hsm.googlegroups.com...
| > InfoSuperHwyRoadKill wrote:
| >> Cute, but not quite true.
| >>
| >> http://www.snopes.com/history/american/gauge.asp
| >
| > Info, the appeal of this yarn has little, if anything, to do with
| > historical veracity.
| >
| > It is about the Art of the Story.
| >
| > Faye
| >
|
| Most cut and post by moe has little, if anything, to do with veracity,
| historical or otherwise. ...
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Author: mfcrabtreemfcrabtree Date: Jul 22, 2008 11:27
Cyrus Afzali wrote:
> And John Kerry was one of the worst Democratic nominees in a
> generation,
Fortunately, for Kerry, there was Dukakis.
Faye
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Author: fiddler crabbyfiddler crabby Date: Jul 22, 2008 11:32
In article 4ax.com>,
pnsmnyv@lnubb.pbz says...
> Now, honestly, are you going to tell me that any politician is going
> to go against both the Pentagon's chiefs and the will of the American
> people that those generals would represent? If so, I've got a bridge
> across a sea in Arizona to sell you.
Actually, the joint chiefs advised against the war, too. The decision to
go to war was based on a PR campaign waged by the administration. Anyone
who didn't agree "retired" or was slandered. Several CIA analysts quit
because of pressure from the White House to twist intelligence findings.
--fc
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