New Panama Canal

[Billy Bob]

How many of you Great White Guys knew they are building another canal in Panama right next to the one that already exist.....it will accomidate 140 wide ocean vessels compared to the 110 ft canal they now have....they will dig 51 miles across the country AND lower a huge lake in 5 YEARS while we can't even break ground (over 15 years now) on a new Peace Bridge that spans a river you can almost throw a rock across...

 

It's BOB not Billy...

[Roy]

 

It's BOB not Billy...

 

No, you're Billy and Bob's your uncle.

[Headhunter]

No, you're Billy and Bob's your uncle.

Or... Robert's your father's brother!

HH

[skeeter]

No, you're Billy and Bob's your uncle.

 

Bob's your uncle or aunt,

depending on how good the operation went!!!!!!!

[mercman]

i have an aunt Norman BB, maybe you could introduce your uncle to 'her'

 

Now back to the Canal

 

The economic impact of a new canal probably far out weighs the economic impact of the Peace Bridge. Simple as that.

 

Morning Bob, BTW !!!

[Billy Bob]

Bob's your uncle or aunt,

 

"IF" your aunt had balls, she would be your uncle...

[dobee]

i was in panama for my honeymoon in may... it is an amazing place, the size of the mountains they are cutting down are unreal... basically they are taking the "S" bends out of the canal and making in straight...

[mercman]

"IF" your aunt had balls, she would be your uncle...

 

 

my uncle has them but he is still my aunt

[Billy Bob]

my uncle has them but he is still my aunt

 

Are you originally from one of our southern states like Ken Tuc where their mother is also their aunt and they met at a family reunion...

[bigugli]

The economic value of the Peace Bridge is nothing but chump change compared to the traffic through Panama.

In addition there is this huge historically strategic value of the canal that is key to the United States ability to contol the Western hemisphere. The ability to shift a major fleet from Atlantic to Pacific in 3 days is huge. The other alternative is for the super ships to round the Horn, a passage not to be taken lightly, even today.

[Twocoda]

"IF" your aunt had balls, she would be your uncle...

 

 

she did ...many of them over the years...just none belonged to her

 

 

wonder if they will name the canal Balboa crossing?

 

uh oh ...now this is getting X rated with such talk of balls and canals

[Billy Bob]

WAY back when the Panama Canal was first under construction the French started the project....of course we had to step in after they quit and finish the job....

[OhioFisherman]

None of our aircraft carriers can go through the Panama canal, they currently have to go all the way around South America to deploy to the Pacific. For what the new canal will cost they could send a lot of trains across the US for a long time. If they need more aircraft carriers in the Pacific it could take more time to get them there the way it is now.

[bigugli]

None of our aircraft carriers can go through the Panama canal, they currently have to go all the way around South America to deploy to the Pacific. For what the new canal will cost they could send a lot of trains across the US for a long time. If they need more aircraft carriers in the Pacific it could take more time to get them there the way it is now.

 

Like I said, the long way is by taking a trip round either Cape. Both trips are lengthy, and the Horn is nasty.

[mercman]

WAY back when the Panama Canal was first under construction the French started the project....of course we had to step in after they quit and finish the job....

 

 

disease and the lack of cigarettes and beer forced the french to head back to the homeland BB.

Don't ya know yer histry

[Billy Bob]

disease and the lack of cigarettes and beer forced the french to head back to the homeland BB.

Don't ya know yer histry

 

That is exactly what I was trying to teach the youngans here...this was copied and pasted from Wikipedia..

 

"The concept of a canal near Panama dates to the early 16th century. The first attempt to construct a canal began in 1880 under French leadership, but was abandoned after 21,900 workers died, largely from disease (particularly malaria and yellow fever) and landslides. The United States launched a second effort, incurring a further 5,600 deaths but succeeding in opening the canal in 1914. The U.S. controlled the canal and the Canal Zone surrounding it until the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties provided for the transition of control to Panama. From 1979 to 1999 the canal was under joint U.S.–Panamanian administration, and from 31 December 1999 command of the waterway was assumed by the Panama Canal Authority, an agency of the Panamanian government".

 

Much more good learning about this canal.........http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal

[OhioFisherman]

Yes bigugli, I saw a program on TV about them taking a carrier from the east coast around the horn to the Pacific, it didn`t look like a fun time. They must figure China will get mad once they figure out we probably won`t be able to pay back the loans? LOL

[bigugli]

Yes bigugli, I saw a program on TV about them taking a carrier from the east coast around the horn to the Pacific, it didn`t look like a fun time. They must figure China will get mad once they figure out we probably won`t be able to pay back the loans? LOL

Right through Nam, the USN rotated ships to Japan through the canal. In the Korean War, Canada also ran her carriers through there. If the United States Navy learnt anything from the RN it is this. A nation's economic and political interests are only as secure as a nation's ability to protect and assert those interests. Oil in Alaska and Venezuela are vital to the economic needs on the west coast.

 

On an economic note, super container carriers carry as much as 15, 000 containers. That is 60 long trains in one load.

Edited December 17, 2010 by bigugli

[Billy Bob]

On an economic note, super container carriers carry as much as 15, 000 containers. That is 60 long trains in one load.

 

TV Trains (trailer vans)that now have been converted to mostly carrying containers could ship 15,000 containers with about 30 to 37 trains.

[lew]

My dad spent 5 years in the Canadian Navy during WW11 working on the Atlantic & Mediterranian until Germany surrendered. It was then decided to send ships, including Dad's, to the Pacific to help with the fight against Japan. They went down thru the Panama Canal and up the west coast to San Diego where they were getting ready to cross the Pacific when Japan surrendered and they were then sent home again.

 

Dad often talked about the Canal and said it was unbelievable that something so amazing was built with the equipment available at the time.

Edited December 17, 2010 by lew

[OhioFisherman]

"On an economic note, super container carriers carry as much as 15, 000 containers. That is 60 long trains in one load."

 

Yeppers, and people wonder why the jobs are disappearing here? follow the tracks! It`s not unusual to see mile long trains here blocking the road with containers double stacked on them.

[bigugli]

If the United States Navy learnt anything from the RN it is this. A nation's economic and political interests are only as secure as a nation's ability to protect and assert those interests.

 

 

I forgot, the USN did learn the lesson quite well. Standard reading for midshipmen at Annapolis; "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History" by A T Mahan, plus other texts extolling the same principles by the same author

Edited December 17, 2010 by bigugli

[Roy]

"On an economic note, super container carriers carry as much as 15, 000 containers. That is 60 long trains in one load."

 

Yeppers, and people wonder why the jobs are disappearing here? follow the tracks! It`s not unusual to see mile long trains here blocking the road with containers double stacked on them.

 

Paul, I would have thought that seeing empty trains would have been a sign of disappearing jobs?

[Billy Bob]

Paul, I would have thought that seeing empty trains would have been a sign of disappearing jobs?

 

How would you know if the container car is empty....I could tell but that comes with 30 years of experience working on the RR.

 

Container cars carry usually 4 containers but there are a variety of container cars.....TV or container trains will usually run from 100-120 cars...so that could be 480 containers in one train...15,000 containers divided by 480 in American math equals just over 31 trains...far cry from 60 trains. And somebodies has to keep contributing to my pension...

[Roy]

Sorry Billy, didn't mean to step on your experience.