Ironhorseman,
The maglevpa.com link is excellent. The interactive animated explanation in the Technology section is outstanding. Thanks
Jeff
…Wasn’t the recent failure of the Amtrak parts caused because of improperly designed brackets that supported the anchor for shock absorbers…Not track. I’m referring to the brand new Acela train sets…
Dallas Area Rapid Transit has been building a light rail system during the last fifteen years. There are parts of this system on the ground, in a tunnel, on top of an embankment, and over bridges. Some of the stations are underground, on the ground, and above the ground. Light rail is better because of the double track which have many crossovers. Therefore, there is more than one trainset operating and in both directions. Monorail has failed to do so.
In fact, the above the ground sections of DART appear as a monorail. Double track light rail can be built alongside highways, under transmission lines, under the highways, and above the highways, if not using abandoned railroad lines. In the Garland area, light rail was built alongside a current freight single rail railroad. While two of the light rail tracks are built over major highways, the old freight track still crosses at grade level, and with all three tracks being built inside the old freight tracks right of way.
Simply put, light rail is better because it is sustainable over a number of different terrains. For pictures of the different types of DART light rail, and its stations, I highly recommend you search their website at:
In 1960 the Alweg Company offered to build free of charge a monorail system throughout Los Angeles connecting downtown with Santa Monica and the San Fernando valley, all LA would have to do is pick up the operating and maintanence costs. The city in its infinate lack of vision and imagination turned the offer down (something about those big payoffs from Standard Oil and GM might have had an influence too).
Author Ray Bradbury said at the time, “this is the single greatest mistake in the city’s history” and " will have reprecussions that will be felt for generations". 40 years of freeways later only now is the city realizing how great a need for mass transit there is. He also said a few things about the then city councel but I wont repeat them here.
There was a commercial steam-operated monorail in Ireland (Listowel and Ballybunion Railway):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lartigue_Monorail
…here’s a video of the original line:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjBKQlr9fSs
This has recently been partly reconstructed: