Historical Tidbit

In 1886 in America 11,500 miles of railroad track was torn up and new track in standard gauge was laid down to replace it.
It was done in 36 hours.
How long do you think our government would take to do such a thing today?
YouTube

@dood111 said
In 1886 in America 11,500 miles of railroad track was torn up and new track in standard gauge was laid down to replace it.
It was done in 36 hours.
How long do you think our government would take to do such a thing today?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v81Gwu6BTE

Probably built by Chinese and Irish Catholic immigrants.

Trump's wall would have gone up in 36 hours if enough Mexicans and tax money were thrown at it. Tougher to do without immigrant labor and high taxes.

@athousandyoung said
Probably built by Chinese and Irish Catholic immigrants.

Trump's wall would have gone up in 36 hours if enough Mexicans and tax money were thrown at it. Tougher to do without immigrant labor and high taxes.

Trumps wall would have been slower if govt had done it, though. So what who built it? You say it as if they are slaves. They could have been shoe cobblers. Choice. You know, an American Freedom thing. You fellers will put ANYTHING in a thread.

And you are right that it would be tougher to do without cheap (immigrant) labor and high taxes. What is the point of saying that, it is simple economics.

@dood111 said
In 1886 in America 11,500 miles of railroad track was torn up and new track in standard gauge was laid down to replace it.
It was done in 36 hours.
How long do you think our government would take to do such a thing today?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v81Gwu6BTE

In fact accodring to

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_gauge_in_the_United_States#Unification_to_standard_gauge_on_May_31_%E2%80%93_June_1,_1886

Only the broad gauge of the Southern Railroad was converted. The "winning" Pennsylvania Railroad was already in the "standard" and they ahd a bigger network, also the transcontinental pacific railroad was already doen in 4 feet 9 inch. The resulting net was the mentioned 11,500 miles after the conversion.

Some work had been done in advance (putting down the inner spikes).

It was still a major feet to move one track by 3 inches for a whole railroad net.