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More from ~QuantumBranching

Almost Happy Shiny LovecraftThe world economy in 2011 is in a bit of a slump, and politicians are pointing fingers. Environmental issues are all over the news. And the issue of Human-Fish Man marriage remains a source of controversy.

Balance of trade is another hot topic: after all, can Earth provide anything else than certain rare earth metals that the Mi-go want to buy?

And of course, the eternal question: to blow up R’lyeh or not to blow up R’lyeh?
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In spite of the bile of such non-human haters as Rhode Island senator and two-time presidential candidate HP Lovecraft, most of humanity ha

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May 14, 2010
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:iconquantumbranching:
From one of those "British Federal Empire" dealie timelines, an extension of the Cape-to-Cairo railway, completed circa 1950 in this world.

Not much of a background sketched in for this world: the Empire started on the path to federation in the late 19th century, there was a First World War similar to ours, but no Second (there was a smaller european brushup involving Italy and Germany, and a bigger one involving an agressive post-Trotsky Soviet Union and Japan [not a Soviet ally, just an opportunistic colony-grabber]. That one was ended by the British atomic bomb).

The major powers in 1980 are the Empire, the US, and a China which has pursued a more capitalistic but only slightly more democratic path to modernization.
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:iconoldgringo2001:
~oldgringo2001 Nov 4, 2011
A railroad on this scale is quite unlikely given the same progression of technological progress. You would really have to remove the competition from automobiles, trucks, and airplanes. As long as you have control of the seas, it's always cheaper to ship bulk cargo by sea. Maybe you could do it by retarding the invention of the pneumatic rubber tire, which would make road travel much more uncomfortable and vehicles wear out faster, and make it more difficult for aircraft to take off and land. Still, it would really be a vanity project. I don't think it could ever pay its own way.

Still, vanity projects get built, even if Cecil Rhodes never did get his all-Red Capetown-to-Cairo line, and the Kaiser never completed his Berlin-to-Baghdad railway.
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:iconquantumbranching:
~QuantumBranching Nov 5, 2011
Well, it was meant to be a wee bit steam-punkish: and perhaps the Empire is deliberately anti-car (use up all that valuable oil and poision the atmosphere in the bargain? How un-cricket.)
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:iconoldgringo2001:
~oldgringo2001 Nov 4, 2011
Make the US still in the British Empire and this would fit in Harry Harrison's "A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!" ([link])
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:iconquantumbranching:
~QuantumBranching Nov 5, 2011
No doubt. Nuclear powered trains, most likely...
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:icontodyo1798:
~Todyo1798 Jun 26, 2011  Hobbyist General Artist
I have to admit that this is one of the maps I find rather useful. I keep coming back to this to get inspiration from those Indian Dominions =)
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:icongiddyautomaton:
~GiddyAutomaton May 14, 2010
Ah, if only. I'd wager that the world would be a measure better with such a railroad.
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