kim_harding ✅Jun 28, 2025
"A cyclist can go 3 or 4 times faster than a pedestrian, but uses 5 times less energy. The bicycle is the perfect transducer to match metabolic energy to impedance of locomotion. Equipped with this tool, man outstrips efficiency of not only all machines, but all other animals as well."
—Ivan Illich
Show threadAndreas BurgerJun 28, 2025
@kim_harding diesel and electric rail are not equal...
Show threadZimmieJun 28, 2025
@aburgerabz @kim_harding Last time this came up, I speculated that’s meant to be diesel/electric, as in a diesel generator powering electric motors (how most long-haul routes operate). This is in contrast to light rail or subways, which often use power provided along with the rails themselves (so they don’t have to carry fuel or significant battery capacity).
Show threadviqJun 28, 2025
@bob_zim @aburgerabz @kim_harding this is in Joules. How much energy is necessary to be provided. Regardless of *how* the energy is provided. It doesn't take different amount of energy to move diesel and electric trains.
Show threadZimmieJun 28, 2025
@viq @aburgerabz @kim_harding Right, but fully-electric trains almost all get the power from outside (which is on the chart as light rail). Batteries big enough to get useful range would be prohibitively heavy, drastically reducing efficiency.
Show threadAndreas Burger
@bob_zim @viq @kim_harding light rail is completely different. who would call trains on the transsib light rail?
Jun 28, 2025 at 9:24pmTusky