Adventure idea

[rob]

I like watching train videos and one of them gave an idea for The Project: During the War, all trains that were running stopped because of the EMP. A container train stopped in spot were the railroad ran through a cut in the surrounding terrain. Over the years, dirt, debris and other crud filled the cut where the railroad ran, covering the containers up to the top, and over the tops of the containers. A party from the MP accidentlly stumble over/across the containers. After a quick dig, they finally realized WHAT they are on and all sorts of stuff can be inside one or more of the containers.

[mmartin798]

It would be fun to see what happens as the team digs into the lumber car that is in a low spot there the leaking nitric acid and sulfuric acid from different tank cars is collecting.

[nduffy]

The barter and trade ideas! also just finding cool shit in general. The food stuffs are crap, but the other goods could be used as good will jesters, barter, trade. Got my juices flowing. Oh what if it had ammo, medical items or parts for engines. Even the trains themselves are valuable as scrap or for parts. Hehe,, what if they had crated Harley's or other motorcycles or ATVs? what about cars? The brain is going!!

[nduffy]

So this also brings into question,, what about steam engines, like the Big Boys? There are several steam engines still running and also in various states of restoration. Imagine how valuable they would be as an asset, also rail road repair equipment...

[gamerguy]

Steam engines are massive SKILLED worker maintenance hogs. That is why they are no more. That and if not done exactly right they are very dangerous. Sitting buried for decades they should be considered toast. Sorry I love steam engines too but this is not practical.

Vehicles are not shipped like they were in WWII. I have seen a few you tube videos of guys buying war surplus stuff (old motors, etc.) which were bought from the war department. Sealed and filled with preservatives, etc.. Just clean them up, fuel and off they go. Not anymore.

Bikes, cars, etc. are intended to take a week or two to reach their destination. Minor assembly and fill with fluids. Bikes, snowmobiles, etc. are sitting on thin pallets (wood or maybe cardboard), have a light wood frame and stapled plastic sheet over that. None of that will live out the first year. Then they start breaking down into their constituent parts, iron, carbon and lots of oxides of the above. Tires are shipped bare now, not even sealed in plastic cocoons. You might get a skid with some crappy shrink wrap which, again, dies after a year.

Same for cars. They are shipped in auto car carriers which are light and the sides have heavily perforated thin metal. Maybe to save weight, maybe so when being loaded light gets in to help the drivers see where the previous car is. So in any cave in they will fill with dirt very fast if not in all probability be crushed first.

Actually canned food stuffs would be the most likely to survive if not subject to humidity or moisture. That or dried and individually packed foods like jerky (if truly dry), dried fruit, etc.. Of course that falls flat if a few are broken open by the landslide and rats can get in.

[mmartin798]

Originally Posted by gamerguy

Steam engines are massive SKILLED worker maintenance hogs. That is why they are no more. That and if not done exactly right they are very dangerous. Sitting buried for decades they should be considered toast. Sorry I love steam engines too but this is not practical.

Even if you try to say it is a recent construction, the infrastructure for oil, grease, fuel, and water to be maintained all along the route coupled with the horrible thermal efficiency of a steam locomotive makes even that a hard sell. Then you still need to have decent rails between locations. If trains did make a comeback, they would most likely be diesel, but constructing the electric motors becomes the limiting factor here. Sad to say, in a post-apocalyptic world animals, cars and trucks make the most sense for transportation.