GL: Last try-Erie Canal

[Ron Rogers]

Heretofore, barges were relegated to carrying bulk cargoes at slow speeds. 
It would be great if barge and rail picked-up more cargo. But there is a 
problem and that is moving cargo ashore and further distributing. Rail tried 
to capture truck traffic by carrying trailers on flatbed rail cars. Then 
they roll off and are taken away by tractors. However, that doesn't seemed 
to have made a significant market penetration in the past. Now might be a 
better story.

Barges might have to transport containers. This means stacking them high and 
that leads to the elimination and replacement of bridges - a major 
capital-investment, long lead-time project.

I'm all for this, and systemically, this could lower wear and tear on our 
roads. Of course, we'd need to revitalize our national dredging program. 
Systems analysis is the key to selling this concept unless you're talking 
about Congress where logic has little weight. We'd be meeting many more tugs 
and tows on the Loop!

Ron Rogers
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob DeGroot" <bob at saleshelp.com>


| Jim,
| That link worked. Great article. Thanks for sharing.
|
| Since one barge carries the same about fifty-nine 18 wheelers, perhaps 
fuel
| prices and barge efficiency would be incentive enough to remove a couple 
of
| the lower bridges on the Erie and the abandoned RR bridge South of 
Chicago.
| Just a thought.