I disliked history at school - failed to see the relevance of kings and queens 400 to 600 years ago - to the extent I gave it up at the first possible opportunity (2 years before O Levels) - even though that meant I had to give up geography too as the subjects were a "bundled pair" at my school.  So I know - or knew - nothing of the past, and nothing about present day  "lands, the features, the inhabitants, and the phenomena of Earth".

However, I have somewhat changed my position and we can learn a lot from the past.  Here is how a rail way came briefly to Canvey Island.  I suspect the lessons we learn here suggest it's not something we look to do - though I suppose a slightly quirky system on Brownsea Island or Lundy ...

http://www.canveyisland.org/page_id__1020_path__0p39p138p.aspx

The article suggests that the Canvey Island system was the only such system of its kind in England ...

Cannot help thinking that stranded/sardine passengers on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) today, would have accepted a canvey island monorail contraption, in the absence of just about everything else !