[Publius]

Atlas ping. In the book, it was soybeans, not oil, but the result is the same.

[Red Badger]

Wesley Moochelle can solve the problem....................

[Tijeras_Slim]

Just so long as the Smather brothers get their grapefruit hauled.

[Billthedrill]

Ma Chalmers, IIRC. Who was a self-proclaimed, unelected "expert" on diet who had a great deal of political clout based on whom she was related to.

That...sounds...familiar...

[Ramius]

...and we all thought Rand’s central focus on railroads was an anachronism.

Oops. :-)

[whodathunkit]

I had the good fortune of a business trip to Fargo and points beyond in the middle of February. I decided to take the Amtrak train from Chicago. The tracks are owned by the private railway and lease time slots to Amtrak. The oil had priority over public transportation on the line that runs north out of Fargo. On the way to, I had to continue my journey via bus due to the oil traffic. It wasn't a big deal because it was only about an hours bus ride to my destination.

After I concluded my business a few days later, I had to wait in the Amtrak station about ten hours (no, I didn't mind. I always travel prepared) until the train arrived. Since the time slot had been missed, our train could only move in short runs while deferring to the oil traffic. To make a long ride short, We arrived back in Chicago about fourteen hours late. I had missed my connection so Amtrak put me up in a nice hotel for the day. It was soon after that Amtrak cancelled that route, losing money I am sure, until Washington stepped in and gave the passenger service a higher priority. The route resumed shortly after and has run closer to schedule ever since.

I just thought it was interesting how things went and the attitudes of different people I met on the trip. Some were disgusted with Amtrak and others understood it was not in their control. I like riding the train and will do it again at the next opportunity. Amtrak gets hammered a lot but it is the only service available of it's kind. The employees are friendly and helpful and the trip is usually relaxing. I don't care for driving on trips in the winter weather and felt really safe looking out the window at snow drifts towering above me as I passed through at eighty mph!

One thing I will mention is the appearance of the oil trains, either moving or at rest. They looked for all the world like a big black pipeline!