ffutures | (no subject)

Okay, I think the best way to handle the railway thing (see previous post) may be as

captboulanger suggested, a line in Arizona. I rather like the name I'd given the line in the original version, so I'm keeping that and saying that the line actually used belongs to another company.

This is what I've written, does it sound vaguely plausible?

These costs include the construction of the train and catapult and upgrades to a remote section of track in southwestern Arizona, near Fort Yuma, making the rails stronger and smoother than any other American railway. Hackenbacker doesn't own these tracks, they belong to another railway magnate who has taken an interest in the project, and is letting Hackenbacker use them free of charge - Hackenbacker is paying for the track repairs, of course - in exchange for a 5% share of any profits from the first flight. There will be rental fees for any subsequent flights, of course. The track at this point runs completely straight for nearly a hundred miles West to East, mostly on a rising gradient that will add a little extra upwards momentum.

Ideally I'd like to name the railway that owns the Arizona track, any suggestions on that?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

In the 19th century, the Rail Barons bought up track all over the place. It could very well be part of your original company, despite bearing no resemblance to its name geographically.

In many cases they did this solely to saddle the subsidiary with debt, transfer the funds to another company they owned, then let the subsidiary go under. That might be an interesting sub-plot: race against time and creditors after J.P. Morgan let them hang.

Well yes, but I really can't see Tom Swift or Doc Savage doing this, and that's who the character is based on to an extent. Maybe he got it from someone else who used this ploy, of course... Worth thinking about, though my aim at the moment is to get on to the Kaiser's Lunar Cannon, a Swami who plans to get to the Moon via transcendental meditation, and an English cheese magnate who has some interesting theories about using the Æther as a means of propulsion.

Just a historical thing (since I used to live in Yuma). Yuma had the territorial prison, but a change in the law (that occurred when someone snuck into chanbers during the night) moved the prison to Phoenix when it gained statehood. Whether there's a prison or not depends on exactly which year you're writing. The prison grounds became the first school in town. (The sports mascot is the Yuma Criminals, I swear to God. It boggled my mind the first day I was there.)

Also, it has to terminate before the Colorado River, which at this time was uncontrolled and is responsible for a river valley that forms the California/Arizona border.

Thanks - don't think I'll be using that level of detail, but it's nice to know that there's someone I can annoy if I'm wrong... ;-)