i scoff at your train
 

maglev, baby:


http://nostatic.com/shanghai/maglev1.jpg

http://nostatic.com/shanghai/maglev2.jpg

http://nostatic.com/shanghai/maglev5.jpg

All it takes is a ride on one of the trains in Europe or Japan to make us realize that America has a long way to go to catch up in the business of moving people around the country in a timely manner.

The Japanese trains sure are nice...

I'd rather go nostalgic from Paris to Prague. ;)

http://www.5at.co.uk/52%208055-in-Z%...HB-smaller.jpg

I love trains. They're so much more convenient and comfortable than airplanes. No Orwellian security, real seats, wander to the bar car, keep bags with you, leave/arrive at city center.

On the East Coast I always try to take Amtrak, preferably the Acela, rather than flying in the BOS-NYC corridor.

The fast trains in France (TGV) and Japan (bullet) are ultra-cool. Although you miss out on the special fun of an overnight sleeping cabin.

For decades there's been talk of a high-speed train from LA to SF. You could do the trip in four hours, curb to curb. Don't think we'll ever see it, though.

The cost of maintaining the track and security, compared with an Airport will kill any train.

"maglev, baby:"

I wonder what the rates of testicular cancer might be, in a few decades from guys who have ridden this thing twice daily, 5 - 6 days/week, 50 weeks of the year? You need some major magnetic fields to keep that sucker up. Hmmmmmmm.

Les

I love train travel. Airplanes have turned into city busses in the sky.

Because, of course, there are no other magnetic fields around. The earth doesn't have it's own.

Train transporation is a major, complex problem in the US. The airports are run by the government. The sky is free. :) Amtrak bears the burden of the track, the bridges, and the stations. Because it is a seperate line item in the budget it's always up for both sides to kill each year to fund other things.

Service suffers (except on the NE corridor) because if the train is a little late it's beholden to the freights. The freights don't maintain their infrastructure in a manner that helps passenger travel. They wish Pax travel would go away, like they wanted it to in 1971.

Costs cubic dollars to build new right of way.

"Because, of course, there are no other magnetic fields around. The earth doesn't have it's own"..Steve

Well, the Earth's magnetic field isn't quite strong enough (or, more accurately, localized enough) to hold several tons of steel, etc. a few milimeters above it's surface in one spot. I know we're surrounded with electric motors, generators, hard drives, electrical transmission lines, fridge magnets etc. But there has got to be some serious energy exerted by this thing.
Les

I took a train from Krakow to Kiev around 1992. Trains entering the former Soviet Union have to be converted to the old Soviet track gauge. So our entire train was hoisted up by these monstrous jacks, all the wheels were pulled off and new ones installed. This took around three hours. Then we got to have border formality fun, entering the Ukraine.

I think the trains in eastern Germany still have the old "DR" or "Deutsche Reichsbahn" painted on some of them. I heard East Germany was too poor to rename and repaint their entire train system, so they kept the old name, one of the only remaining vestiges of the Third Reich. I don't know how they were able to cover up all those falcons and swastikas, if they were too poor to rename/repaint everything else on the trains.

This one rolls by my apartment on a daily basis. I am going to be racing it on my bike in a couple weeks. With any luck I'll beat it! i think it averages about 15 MPH or so try and top that with your sissy maglev train.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1145377937.jpg

Mine are all N Gauge. Small but convenient...

Durango narrow gauge?

Love to drive, obviously (my dream drive is US 50 - the lonliest road in the land - from coast to coast - been about 2/3 of the way from Ohio to California so far). Like to fly too. But trains are cool. I remember seeing maglev stories in Popular Science and Discover eons ago, and hoped they'd be here in America by now, but no such luck. I'll get to ride a bullet train this October in Japan....

Taking the family from Chicago to Santa Fe, NM in a week or so. Been there before and to Tucson & New Orleans & D.C. on a train. The kids got to wake up in the family car and see the Rockies looming up. Got to see horses running during meals in the dining car. Went under the St. Louis arch. Saw Texas gently pass from humid and flat and swampy to rolling hills and ranches to scrub and desert in a single, relaxing day. Saw Dealey plaza as the train stopped in Dallas (the bridge Kennedy's car goes under in the films is a railroad track). Trains go through the hearts of cities. Nothing like walking out of Union Station in Wash. D.C. and seeing the Capitol Building. If you want to feel and see America, drive or take a train. Airports just can't be physically close enough to cities to compete in that way. And even w/o any serious funding, Amtrak is alright.

267 miles and hour. yeehaw
Can the windows open and stick your head out like a dog?

yeah, and they have frozen metal poles next to each seat for your tongue

amusing Shanghai anecdote from the g/f: after the opium wars there were british and french concessions set up in the city. Both had electric trolley lines....with different voltages! When you'd get the end of one area you'd have to change to the other line...

My friend bought a house in the near suburbs - in with the deed and all the papers for the house was a commuter train schedule from 1929. Apparently they did the 43 minute trip in 44 minutes way back when.. Now that is what I call progress!
Aound here commuter lines are union infested jobs programs. Very little to do with moving people quickly and comfortably.

Yeah that is the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge train.

Here is a link for the road race if anyone is interested in Joining me:
http://www.ironhorsebicycleclassic.com/road.html

and here is a profile of the climb
http://www.ironhorsebicycleclassic.com/IHProfile.pdf

America needs good mass transit. It is a shame we have become a "can't do" nation unlike the Japanese who set goals and achieve them much like the America of the 40's through the 60's did.

I do know the pic in the original post is most likely Singapore I'm just using Japan as an example.