300ft contour.

[John Orentas]

Here's one that's not been mentioned recently, never in the 'greeny era' at all as far as I know. The idea has been kicking around for a hundred years or so and makes headline news as a brand new revolutionary plan every decade or so. I seems that most of our large towns and cities sit comfortably about 300 feet above sea level, the plan is to build a canal of European dimensions linking them all together like a big traffic roundabout, no locks, few complex structures just a very few connections to the sea by by inclined plane or whatever at convenient locations.

 

There would be no significant water supply problems in fact the thing would act as it's own giant reservoir. Regular 2, 4, or 10,000 tonne barge traffic calling at London, Bristol, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leicester, Leeds, Manchester and across to Rotterdam and beyond. Two man operation per barge? why not, even passenger accommodation for those in no particular hurry.

 

Tonne/ miles per gallon, about 100 times better than a lorry.

[Big John]

just checked my diary - is this a little early?

[ChrisPy]

bristol, rotterdam, london 300ft above sea level?

 

 

................. something wrong somewhere

[fender]

This is referring to Pownall's Grand Contour Canal, not devised a hundred years ago but more recently in 1942. The scheme was detailed in Engineering, Volume 156 (1943) on p 281.

 

A very brief rundown and map showing the proposed routes (in red outline) can be seen at Mike Stevens site:

 

http://www.mike-stevens.co.uk/maps/1950/index1950.htm

 

The scheme has been mooted several times, recently in Transport Visions' Freight and Logistics published 2003, and again in June 2006 when parliament investgiated ways of resolving the oncoming water crisis (though was it noted that "the Royal Academy of Engineering noted that a national grid would be "unfeasible" because of high capital costs and high operational costs (pp 346, 349). The high operational costs reflect the significant amount of energy required to pump such a heavy substance as water, whether raw or treated, which could result in substantial emissions of greenhouse gases..." see http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/l.../191/19109.htm)

Edited March 29, 2007 by fender

[John Orentas]

I don't think I claimed any originality.

[carlt]

June 2006 when parliament investgiated ways of resolving the oncoming water crisis

Did anyone suggest renationalising the water companies and using the profits to plug all the leaks?

[fender]

Just imagine terrorists detonating the 300ft contour canal at strategic locations - flooded cities and total mayhem for the UK

[zebra07_uk]

Do you know where I could get hold of the journal you mentioned? - Engineering, Volume 156 (1943) p 281I'd be very interested to read it, and I can't find any obvious places on the internet - probably because its so oldThanksDo you know where I could get hold of the journal you mentioned? - Engineering, Volume 156 (1943) p 281I'd be very interested to read it, and I can't find any obvious places on the internet - probably because its so oldThanks

[NB Alnwick]

flooded cities and total mayhem for the UK

 

Sounds a bit like the Summer we just had . . .

[carlt]

Do you know where I could get hold of the journal you mentioned? - Engineering, Volume 156 (1943) p 281I'd be very interested to read it, and I can't find any obvious places on the internet - probably because its so oldThanksDo you know where I could get hold of the journal you mentioned? - Engineering, Volume 156 (1943) p 281I'd be very interested to read it, and I can't find any obvious places on the internet - probably because its so oldThanks

Not sure where you'd get the actual journal but "Canals of England" by Eric de Mare (first published in 1950, but still in print) has a description of it, and "the cross or four river" scheme.

 

It's also a pretty marvellous book, too.

[howardang]

Do you know where I could get hold of the journal you mentioned? - Engineering, Volume 156 (1943) p 281I'd be very interested to read it, and I can't find any obvious places on the internet - probably because its so oldThanksDo you know where I could get hold of the journal you mentioned? - Engineering, Volume 156 (1943) p 281I'd be very interested to read it, and I can't find any obvious places on the internet - probably because its so oldThanks

You may be able to find it at the British Library. The web site is:

 

http://www.bl.uk/

 

HTH

 

Howard Anguish

[RLWP]

You may be able to find it at the British Library. The web site is:

 

I'd also recommend your local library. They wil probably get books and journals in for you or get copies made.

 

A little while ago I wanted to look up an article in "Engineering" for 1885, so I asked the local library. They charged a small fee and ordered the journal from somewhere. When I went to borrow the book it was a six month run of the magazine bound into a single volume. Amazing!

 

Richard