>Al,
>
>Certainly not ship. Water friction is a lot larger than air friction.
>
>>Hmm, I don't think so. My understanding:
>>
>>Bicycle > Ship > Rail > anything else

Perhaps a Clipper Ship? :)

I read a report a few years ago about trains in the United States compared to trucks. The numbers were trains haul 200 more times than trucks per gallon of fuel. However, the reason we do not use trains as often as we once did has to do with the power of the Teamsters and truckers in general. They have a lot of political clout.

In Europe trains do most of the hauling or at least that was the case the last time I checked. The Europeans use trucks for short hauling from track side to destination, which is usually a few miles.