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China Going Up and Coming Down
SoCalChris writes "The BBC writes that China has just completed the world's highest railroad, climbing to 16,640 feet (5,072 meters) above sea level. The cars will be sealed to help passengers cope with the pressure changes from the altitude. The line is expected to begin carrying passengers next year." This news comes at the same time that their Chinese taikonauts return from their spaceflight after just 115 hours in orbit.
In case if someone doesn't realize, the lower four pictures are simulated artwork, which is what the blue heading indicates in Chinese. Please don't shout "they're fake."
I once had a signature.
but what advantage does the railroad have over trucks/busses or planes? I was under the impression that they're rather dangerous and costly in comparison. I mean, here in the US Amtrak is struggling because of the derailings and the fact that it just isn't cost efficent... am I missing something?
Haha maybe this'll cheer you up:
2 7/content_446335.htm
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-05/
"The name may not roll off the tongue quite like American Idol does, but that hasn't kept the Mongolian Cow Sour Yogurt Super Girl contest from sweeping China. Zhao Jingyi, 17, the "schoolgirl" candidate won the Changsha competition.
Like Idol, which named its winner Wednesday night, China's Super Girl gives aspiring singing stars a shot at televised fame and fortune."
Looks like American culture has spread far and wide...
Real shame? How about this: A country that was free at one point, was completely taken over by a monsterously large other country. Their government has been replaced, they have destroyed the geographical heart of Buddhism itself, by burning monestaries, taking prisoners, and executing the innocent. A region so rich in culture is now strangled by China for it's economic and natural resources. Sorry if this is a troll, but I think had Tibet been free from the beginning, they would have done what's right for their own country rather than have China handle everything, treat their people as lower lifeforms, and ruin what took millenia to create. Thank Mao.
Tibet before the Chinese invasion was one of the most tyrannical, oppressive theocracies in history. Whilst the Chinese haven't improved the situation much, those who contend that Tibet used to be a peaceful mountain kingdom inhabited by gentle mystics are deluded woo-woos.
It'd be great to see real freedom being given there, but the Communist party has come a long way.
Grade is a measure of terrain slope. The story says that the trains go to high elevations, but not necessarily at steep grades.
Obviously someone doing a research project from afar is an expert. From living in China, let me tell you. This is the most free wheeling economy you will ever see. And while human rights may not be in the forefront of people's thoughts, making money is, with or without government help. They will truly bury the US.
"The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into the tiger's den."
I've been to nearly 5900 meters while climbing Kilimanjaro, and I can tell you the air is pretty thin up there. We obviously spent a fair amount of time adjusting, but not the timeframe on Kili is rushed and you definitely feel it. On the final day we climb at a rate of several seconds per step breathing like we were running a marathon. Very exhilarating :)
The article makes it sound like oxygen/pressurized cabin is neccessary at this altitude. It isn't. We spent our final night higher than this altitude and I never even had a headache. I assume the reason why the workers received oxygen was to assist with the heavy labor they had to do.
The pressurized cabin on the train is merely a matter of comfort for most people, although that altitude is high enough to cause problems for some people susceptible to Acute Mountain Sickness or AMS. Since the purpose of the railroad is to reach those high altitudes, I'd assume most people are somewhat accustomed to it.
Here is a picture from the crater rim of Kilimanjaro's larger peak Kibo at sunrise. The smaller peak you see is Mawenzi, and the view is towards Kenya. I would love to visit Tibet some day.
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Don't forget that Europe uses electricity when we use Diseasel. That also plays a part in speeds and in costs.
-Palal
I visited Tibet in April this year. We stayed mainly in Lhasa and Tsetang, but on an excursion one day we hired a 4x4 and (with our rather too close-watching guide) drove 5 hours to a sacred lake. Interestingly most of the journey was on a road that followed the tracks of the new railway (although there wasn't much actual track laid when we visited).
The lake was the highest point of our journey, at (IIRC) 5,100 metres (the same height as Everest base camp, higher than any part of the railway). We had no trouble breathing at rest, but pounding headaches were our reward for any kind of exercise (jogging up a hill to get a good photo etc). The Chinese are more susceptable to altitude sickness (our Chinese friend who travelled the silk-road part of our China trip with us refused to come to Tibet for that reason), which may explain the worker's need for oxygen (especially as they were probably doing a LOT of heavy lifting and labouring).
I don't think getting stuck at that altitude at rest for a day without cabin pressure would cause anyone any serious problems.
The main problem would be in rescuing passengers and clearing the line after a crash. 30 minutes outside Lhasa on our drive to the lake we came to a long traffic jam (very unusual in Tibet!). Two trucks had collided on the narrow road, both drivers dead, what was left of their vehicles strewn across the road. We were able to get around the mess by some insane 4x4 driving (thank God we paid for the upgrade from minibus!). When we returned nine hours later (after our visit to the lake) the jam was still there, just about being cleared with help from one of the railway cranes and about 50 military trucks that had mysteriously appeared from nowhere. This was just 30 minutes outside of Lhasa, what if a train crashed on one of the more remote parts of the line?
But yes, the real REAL issue is the affect this will have on Tibetan people and wildlife. The railway line runs within metres of many villages, and will make them completely uninhabitable. And it runs the full length of many valleys, how will this impact the migration of grazing animals? (Much of the line is on raised embankment, and so entirely separates one side of a valley from another.) Tibet is a beautiful country with a wonderfully diverse range of people and cultures. But already Chinese-led tourism is ruining the most famous areas, and the increased number of visitors from the railway will only exacerbate the problem.
Seeing and believing in China
Watch this Heartland Institute video
Metal expands when heated. Here's what can happen: http://www.charmec.chalmers.se/railtech/suncurves. html
It beats the previous holder of the record, a railroad in Peru that passes over 4843m, by only a couple of hundred meters, taking away a record it held since it was completed in 1912, almost a hundred years ago.
The fact is, not many places have much use for a railroad that high. Both the current and the former holders of the record would pass over the highest point in Europe or the lower 48 states.
China's policy over the last few years has been one of population dilution. By trucking in native Chinese, they were diluting native Tibetan population. With this new railroad that process will accelerate dramatically. I spent a month in Lhasa last year and spoke with some of the Tibetans (technically you are supposed to have a Chinese guide present at all times, but since there were no other tourists there .. none .. the guide just took off to a bar), and they were very depressed about the finish of the railroad. Their culture is being coopted by China and western influence.
So very sad.
-coherentlight