Things we see driving around - original content (pictures you snapped)

Spotted this on I-270 in Columbus, OH yesterday.


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It’s an old 19th century canal that was built to transport goods from inland Prussia to a nearby port. But the land there is not flat, so these are the rails that transport ships from one elevation to the next both ways.
Instead of locks, they use rail?
 
Not driving around but sailing. It’s basically the same thing.View attachment 232984
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That's pretty cool. And the rail system is still in use!

Have you ever seen Fitzcarraldo? It's the fictionalized and dramatized story of Carlos Fitzcarrald (sans o, born Fitzgerald), a mid/late 19th-century Peruvian rubber baron (snicker) who exploited and enslaved natives for his gain. In the 1890s he forced natives to drag a steamship over a mountain in an effort to find a new shipping route for his rubber.
 
portage railroad.webp



A similar one was built in western PA before the Pennsylvania Railroad built the Horseshoe curve. Both ways were needed to get over the Alleghenies (Appalachian) range. The portage railroad carried boats loaded on train cars and pulled up to the plateau and then unloaded back into the boats. This connected the east (Susquehanna River basin) to the Little Conemaugh River which has water flowing into the Mississippi basin. There is a National Historic Site near the town of Portage PA. (I know, surprising name)
 
On one episode of Mysteries of the Abandoned, they showed a canal that was operated by a wave of water.

A locomotive pulled a partially submerged wall thru the canal behind the ship. The wave would lift the ship and it would propel itself forward.
 
The rail cars in posts 525 and 532 appear to counter-weight each other.
One goes down as the other goes up.
Does that make the setup a funicular?
I always loved the "single rail" funiculars with the split in the middle -so the two cars could pass each other.
 
The rail cars in posts 525 and 532 appear to counter-weight each other.
One goes down as the other goes up.
Does that make the setup a funicular?
I always loved the "single rail" funiculars with the split in the middle -so the two cars could pass each other.
Yes, if the two cars are counterbalanced that's a funicular. There are also systems that employ single cars, for example rack railways that have a racked rail and a pinion on the car. Those are not funiculars but they can go even steeper grades and they can follow a curvy track. Other systems use a cable or a chain. Aerial trams with two cars may be counterbalanced but are not considered funiculars.

There is a funicular operated by the posh restaurant Shadowbrook in Capitola, CA. Nice place with a huge tree growing inside and through the roof of the restaurant. You can walk a trail or take a funicular to and from the restaurant. You can google 'Shadowbrook funicular' Images for pictures.
 
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The rail cars in posts 525 and 532 appear to counter-weight each other.
One goes down as the other goes up.
Does that make the setup a funicular?
I always loved the "single rail" funiculars with the split in the middle -so the two cars could pass each other.
Yes the rail I posted is a funicular. What's also amazing about this system is that it's 100% powered by water supplied from a nearby river. There are paddle wheels at each level that are powered by water from the level above, no electricity, no high pressure hydraulics, no steam or combustion engines. There is also a mechanical, valve that regulates water level in the canal which is fully automatic.
 
I’m am not a fan of the brake and turn signals, and the headlights on the front for that matter, being moved down like they are here. The brake and turn signals have a purpose and function in communicating to the vehicle behind.

Think of photography, the rule of thirds, and focal points. If one does, why in the world would this happen? Brake and turns should be level with the bow tie. I recall Hyundai and Kia doing it first. Now it’s a thing.

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I’m am not a fan of the brake and turn signals, and the headlights on the front for that matter, being moved down like they are here. The brake and turn signals have a purpose and function in communicating to the vehicle behind.

Think of photography, the rule of thirds, and focal points. If one does, why in the world would this happen? Brake and turns should be level with the bow tie. I recall Hyundai and Kia doing it first. Now it’s a thing.

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This isn't even the worst example. So.e cars had blinkers and brake lights far apart. Bli gets, brake, and tail lights should be near the straight forward line of sight. That's why the high-mounted brake light became mandatory in the '80s. No idea what regulatory checks are in place. I do know that headlight regulations are in place but implementation and compliance is left ti the car manufacturers. In other countries much stricter and enforces regulations exist.
 
I’m am not a fan of the brake and turn signals, and the headlights on the front for that matter, being moved down like they are here. The brake and turn signals have a purpose and function in communicating to the vehicle behind.

Think of photography, the rule of thirds, and focal points. If one does, why in the world would this happen? Brake and turns should be level with the bow tie. I recall Hyundai and Kia doing it first. Now it’s a thing.

View attachment 233086
I agree, that does nothing for safety, just makes it worse. Terrible idea.
 
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