Trans-Siberian Railway Construction

[Darman]

We could certainly see a very interesting alliance system develop due to a Russo-Japanese War in this timeline.

Especially because the biggest logical counter to a Russo-German Alliance would be a Franco-English one, and right now those two nations are on opposite sides of the existing alliance system. 

[Delta Force]

Is there a decision on this topic?

I am still waiting, but I am ready to submit 1900 H2 if more time is needed for a final decision.

[Jefgte]

Modos are sleeping...

Again, this Navalism Restart is going to sink...

:'(  :'(  :'(


Jef

[Darman]

Is there a decision on this topic?

I am still waiting, but I am ready to submit 1900 H2 if more time is needed for a final decision.

Look up what it cost OTL, along with time to construct

[Tanthalas]

Modos are sleeping...

Again, this Navalism Restart is going to sink...

:'(  :'(  :'(


Jef

not sleeping Jef, I have been onsite every day, just not posting alot since I have mostly been checking with my phone.  as to the Trans Siberian RR, what did it cost OTL, how much tonage of rails was put into it how long did it take to compleate.  These are things you need to send to the mods as a proposal, then we will hash it out and come up with an Nverse cost and time.  I personaly would like to see some stories about it but then again stories are what im realy incharge of.

[KWorld]

This site (http://www.irkutsk.org/fed/transsib.html) says the original estimated cost was 350 million gold rubles.

This site (http://books.google.com/books?id=mDJjgJWT34AC&pg=PA48&lpg=PA48&dq=Trans-Siberian+railway+cost+to+construct&source=bl&ots=sM4Ecg6DVA&sig=hbKKMBIZSCWdoSvJEoDcLutDA2c&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zNZ2UZuzFcGlrAGSnYGgCQ&ved=0CF8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Trans-Siberian%20railway%20cost%20to%20construct&f=false) says the cost at completion was around 1.4 billion gold rubles, there it gives the originally estimated cost as 300 million gold rubles.


The good news, for Russia, is that by 1900 a lot of the work is done: according to the second site, what's left by this time is the Circum-Baikal and the Amur sections.  These are technically difficult, and the Amur section is 2080 km long, but a lot of the work (5232 km worth) is already done.  Also, the East Chinese Railway, 1440 km from Chita through Manchuria to Vladivostok, is under construction or reconstruction at this time (1897-1901) and it's costs are included in the 1.4 billion ruble total above (it was attacked and damaged, with 480 km of track torn up and stations and depots damaged or set ablaze during the Boxer Rebellion, which will drive up it's costs as well).

Interestingly, the above appears to mean that, as of 1900, there IS a Trans-Siberian Railroad, if you count the East Chinese Railway as part of it.  The crossing of Lake Baikal will be by train ferry on the British-built Baikal, and part of the run is through nominally Chinese Manchuria, but you can ride the rails from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok.  Alternatively, you can leave the train at Srentensk and travel by boat down the Amur to Khabarovsk and pick up the train there.

[KWorld]

Based on the numbers above, the remaining sections of the Tran-Siberian Railway in 1900 are around 25% of the total, though they are technically difficult and include the bridge whose parts were sunk by SMS Emden.  For a rough number, call it 30% of the cost, or around 420M rubles.

[KWorld]

By the look of it, if Russia wants to save some money, it should just annex Manchuria.  That way, the East Chinese Railway, already completed, becomes the main line of the Trans-Siberian, leaving only the short section around the southern end of Lake Baikal to complete.  Japan might not be happy about this, however, and China certainly wouldn't be.

[Jefgte]

Japan might not be happy about this, however, and China certainly wouldn't be

That's smell powder...


Jef

[KWorld]

Japan might not be happy about this, however, and China certainly wouldn't be

That's smell powder...

Possibly.....   ;D


The US wouldn't be happy, either, with such an annexation: US policy is that China should not be broken up and colonized, there should be an Open Door allowing the US and others to trade with China.

[Darman]

I believe, but I'm not positive, that Manchuria is already on our world map as belonging to Russia

[KWorld]

I believe, but I'm not positive, that Manchuria is already on our world map as belonging to Russia

No, you have the historical borders.  Manchuria is the section of China that borders Korea directly, it would smooth out that salient of Chinese territory jutting into far eastern Russia that you can see on the map.

A picture: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/willow/geography-of-manchuria0.gif&imgrefurl=http://geography.howstuffworks.com/asia/geography-of-manchuria.htm&h=358&w=354&sz=11&tbnid=E2qf3XFe3M4gJM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=83&zoom=1&usg=__7HWvi2heqDTi3tPT0xynnY6whtQ=&docid=yFa_E7fdSLyJJM&sa=X&ei=2mx6UdK0PInHqQHv-4CACA&ved=0CFgQ9QEwBw&dur=561

[KWorld]

Looking at the above map, you can really see how the East Chinese Railway cut off a lot of the distance of the Amur section of the Trans-Siberian: it's basically a straight shot from Chita to Harbin to Vladivostok, where the Amur line has to go north to Khabarovsk then southwest and northwest along the Amur until north of Gulian, then southwest to Chita.

[Darman]

You are correct, my mistake.  Technically Manchuria is part of China still.  Russia can annex Manchuria if she wants to :D


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[Tanthalas]

*notes that the mods have (or atleast had) a no breaking up china policy in place* im not sure how efective invading china would be for anyone... Human wave attacks anyone?