It's a quiet, frostbitten morning and I'm feeling lazy and creative. Just occurred to me that alot of us live near train tracks. It's also a fact that highways will be the first thing to clog up and self-destruct in a mass evacuation. Then I realized you could cover alot of distance very efficiently with a pedal or small engine powered rail car. Behold, some people are already on the idea: http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/06/02/pedal-power-trailcar.html
I don't think it would take much to build something like this out of tubing. Throw a lawnmower engine in there and you've got a fast track to safety, pardon the pun.
Mind you, riding active rail lines under anything but the most dire circumstances would get you arrested 😉
I remember before they used cars and trucks fitted with rail wheels, they used speeders or "putt putts" to move track inspectors and work crews along the tracks.
I'm guessing they got the nickname putt putt from the sound of the 4 stroke engines they used.
I figure the hardest part to get would be a wheel system although a competent welder/mechanic could rig something up.
I guess if you had a map of the rail system, and knew how to check and move the switches, it would be viable...
however, I wonder how many people would think of using track lines to travel given that the road system may be unpassable and unsfe?
Absolutely great idea except there are a few concerns right off the bat. Some can be dealt with easily in my mind however others cannot. An easy cure is I love the pedal power and its going to be quiet, SCRAP the motor as it needs fuel and makes a ton of noise. Make it quieter I would say and thats dealt easily enough with rubber but a harder situation to overcome might be the brigade that is waiting at the main crossings. You can bet that will be patrolled and its going to be hard enough getting by on foot never mind carrying that unit.
Good idea but will probably have to be abandoned at some point due to the size weight and awkwardness of it all. but it gets the brain turning tho 🙂
Whatever tomorrow brings,… I will be there! 😉