[Novalug] OT: High speed passenger trains

cmhowe@patriot.net cmhowe@patriot.net
Mon Apr 12 01:32:34 EDT 2010


List,

I have an idea which, if successfully implemented, would, to the best of
my knowledge and belief, constitute a first in high speed train travel.
Here is the core idea.

Visualise a train travelling between Richmond and Jacksonville, an area
without large population centers. But a train has to stop at a lot of
places, causing the average speed to drop. Visualise the people in Hardee,
SC, who are to embark getting into a sort of capsule. They are all in and
the capsule sealed a minute in advance. At the same time, the people
disembarking are also ready to leave at the same time. Gear (luggage)
also, of course. It is headed south.

The train slows but does not -- DOES NOT -- come to a full stop. In some
fashion the disembarking capsule is separated from the moving train and
put on some kind of track. It slows and stops so that people can
disembark. At the same time (later, actually, I guess), the embarking
capsule starts to move. It drops into the space made empty by the
disembarking capsule. The train accelerates. The net result is that the
average speed over the entire journey is measurably less.

What I am hoping is that a handful of people will buy into this notion.
The product of this group would be a short video -- a minute might be
enough -- that would be shown to the appropriate people in the Department
of Transportation. The desired result: starting to design that component
of a high speed surface transportation system for the North American
continent. Yes, it could take a century to design and implement. Why not
start now?

Charlie









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