The Transatlantic Tunnel

Discussion in 'Travel Forum' started by Salty, Mar 8, 2018.

  1. Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    I am watching, at the moment "The Transatlantic Tunnel" (1935)

    A tunnel from Boston, MA to Truro,England (about 230 west from London) would be 3,100 miles.

    If such a tunnel could be built - being 3,100 miles - Even if the speed limit was 100 MPH - it would take 31 hours to get thru the tunnel. At an average of 30 MPH gal - you would need 103 gallons of gas- and at an average of a 15 gallon tank - you would need to fill up at least 6 times.

    Would you attempt such a trip?
     
  2. David Kent Well-Known Member
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    If a tunnel could be built, it would have to be and electric train else everyone would be gassed by the fumes.
    My wife won't go on the channel tunnel which is about 5 miles, I believe. I have been on it three times on the car shuttle. Not keen. We usually go on the car ferry. Came today actually. Writing this in our hotel room in Calais. It took 1hr30 on the ferry and cost us £37, including the car, for a two day crossing. le Shuttle takes about 35 mins and costs £200 plus. My wife doesn't like tunnels or bridges, especially very high ones.

    We are here to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary tomorrow.

    Speaking of long journeys, there is a freight train that comes from China and eventually through the channel tunnel to England and that took about a month if I remember correctly. The Chinese are building a new line to bypass Russia.
     
  3. thatbrian Well-Known Member
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  4. thatbrian Well-Known Member
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    It's actually 31 miles, and I've done it twice.

    Congratulations!
     
  5. HankD Well-Known Member
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    I've been through the Callahan Tunnel in Boston!
     
  6. David Kent Well-Known Member
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    Thanks for the congratulations.

    I don't know what happened, I thought I had typed 35 miles. I have been on the tunnel 3 times but don't expect to use it again. I much prefer the ferries. I once got free Eurostar tickets to Paris, but my wife refused to go so I gave them to my daughter.
     
  7. Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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  8. David Kent Well-Known Member
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    Hm. That is in the US, and I am not likely to go there as I flying doesn't appeal to me, And as I am 80 in a couple of weeks, I don't have time to wait for a tunnel to be built.

    Seriously, I probably would although my wife wouldn't. She doesn't like bridges or tunnels. On the Dartford crossing the Thames, it has two tunnels going north and a bridge going south. On the bridge I have to drive in one of the two middle lanes as she doesn't like to be near the edge, same as on mountain roads with a drop on one side, Once we came through the Black Forest and it was very misty, so she couldn't see the drop, but I could see the tops of trees just below us,
     
  9. thatbrian Well-Known Member
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    I agree. Ferries are a much, much better choice when crossing that kind of span of water. Trains are wonderful when covering vast plains.
     
  10. Aaron Member
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    Plate tectonics would render the endeavor an exercise in futility.
     
  11. Reynolds Well-Known Member
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    Decompression sickness would render it an exercise in futility.
     
  12. Adonia Well-Known Member
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    No thank you. This is an insane idea and the last thing we need is another route for illegal immigrants to travel on.
     
  13. David Kent Well-Known Member
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    Christopher Columbus was the first illegal immigrant into the new world.
     
  14. Reformed Well-Known Member
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    I have been on the Chesapeake Bay and Tunnel dozens of times. The best part is when you are halfway across and you cannot see land on either end. You get the feeling you are on a bride in the middle of the ocean.
     
  15. Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Yea, we dont want those immigrants invading our country - my goodness - they dont even speak English!
     
  16. Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    And what way was he an illegal immigrant?
    First, he was never a immigrant - - he visited - but never made the New World his home
    Second - he was not illegal.
     
  17. Reformed Well-Known Member
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    OK. Bad typos in my previous post. It is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel. Also, the last sentence should be, "You get the feeling you are on a BRIDGE in the middle of the ocean". Spell check is not always your friend.
     
  18. Reynolds Well-Known Member
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    What law did he break?
     
  19. Matt Black Well-Known Member
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    Well, show me his immigration papers, lol! More seriously, his lot killed and enslaved large swathes of the indigenous population, so much so that they had to start importing slave labour from Africa - that enough illegal acts for you?
     
  20. David Kent Well-Known Member
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    He wasn't legal. He murdered hundreds of natives, that made him illegal;