Monday, October 17, 2011

Wooden Train Powered by Humans?

Recently, in Liberia they have constructed a human-powered train. It is called the Liberian Express however, the locals like to call it the "Make-A-Rail". The train nothing really special however, it does what the people need it to do. It is far from large with its frame made out of wood running on ball-bearings. Being pushed by the operators of the Liberian Express and also the passengers as well to make its way down the tracks to arrive at their destination. The express has helped a lot of people get to where they need to cheaper and easier. "A lot of people, especially those with heavy commodities like charcoal, use these to take them to the market", explained one passenger, Fahnlon Gbakoyah. "It's cheap to transport and it's faster". The "Make-A-Rail can take up to 36 hours to the end of the railway line to Monrovia, Liberia's capital. By road it takes 3 hours but can cost roughly half the price. The Make-A-Rail goes through villages that do not have access to the roads which really helps them get to where they need to get too. Helps people who are villages that are sick get to a hospital safer and a lot quicker. The "Make-A-Rail" started in 1990 during the 14 year Liberia civil war. The only problem is that people get tired easily pushing the train so, stopping to take a 5 min is not out of the ordinary. This is a step in the right direction for the Liberian people.

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