Student teams presented their high-speed passenger train designs to the American Public Transportation Association’s annual meeting in Chicago in June 2009. Just for fun, check the four conceptual train set designs out here: http://www.vt.edu/spotlight/innovation/2010-01-11-trains/train-concepts.html.
Oh my goodness, I don’t know what that means. Sorry to be so dense. Did I do something wrong in my post? Many thanks, Heather
Hi, Heather -
Nope, nothing wrong. All I did was ‘activate’ the link, so that those wanting to go there can do that by merely clicking on it, instead of having to type in the whole URL address. It happens here from time to time anyway - I don’t know why it occurs, but it’s a common courtesy for those of us who know how and can do that, to just go ahead and do so on your behalf for eveyone’s benefit, because we presume that you would have wanted it done that way anyhow.
- Paul North.
Heather may have inadvertently and unknowingly picked a pretty tough audience - because they’re informed and opinionated - to look at these proposals and comment on them. [swg] Here’s the link to the page that lists each of the 4 teams’ proposals:
http://www.vt.edu/spotlight/innovation/2010-01-11-trains/train-teams.html
They’re all 5 pages in ‘PDF’ format - 2 are 6 MB in size, 1 is 4 MB, and 1 is 786 KB = about 0.8 MB in size.
That last one - the ‘Nomad’, at http://www.vt.edu/spotlight/innovation/2010-01-11-trains/nomad-train.pdf - is the one that I think demonstrates the most innovative thinking, esp. the wide doorways and the adjustable-height entry/exit ramps for both wheelchair and foot traffic, and both high and low-level platforms, as well as some other features. After that, it’s the ‘Aura’, it seems to me.
I am wondering if the project required the teams to actually ride a real Amtrak medium to long-distance train of the type that is being proposed for a few hours and take notes. Virginia Tech is in Blacksburg, so all Amtrak ‘‘station stops are several hours away’’, per the location/ directions page of its website - http://www.vt.edu/where_we_are/maps/directions.html - as follows:
- Train:</
Oh! Thanks so much! Heather
Paul, thank you for checking out the students’ designs. This kind of feedback is invaluable! This insight is exactly what I was hoping we’d see by posting the projects in this forum, so thanks so much for taking the time to evaluate and comment. I understand the students did in fact tour passenger trains that made similarly timed runs as a Blacksburg-Richmond-DC line would. I do know they did not account for funding considerations or overnight accommodations due to the scope of the assignment. I’m no expert on trains, myself, but I am enthusiastic about wanting, in general, more passenger rail in the US and, specifically, such a convenient way as this proposed route to get to the “big city.”
The locomotives and coaches along with the interiors are the most innovative, functional, I have seen. we in Canada have Bombardier whose expertise in hi-speed rail is world famous, even these guys can’t compare with the students designs, hmmmmm, multi-billion dollar corporations who tell us how talented they are cannot still come up with hi-speed trains, how wonderful to see those students minds creating what we hope will be the future of rail travel in North America, well done.
The Nomad seemed the most doable…followed by the Aura teams idea, although I despise seat back tray tables.
I had the feeling, as Mr. North did, that the teams didn’t ride many passenger trains themselves.
But the Nomad had the best concept, and the best execution in that is seemed to grasp that people themselves are mobile, and tend to move about.
Also like the ADA adjustable concepts.
It is nice to have an an unique American design, but we need the infrastructure and people willing to take the train.
You are pretty much spot-on! The TRAINS Newswire for 1-11-2010 carries an article referencing the replacement of AMTRAK locomotives and rolling stock and his paraphrased remarks mirror pretty much your comment referencing the infrastructure to build American Passenger Cars.
I thought that the Aurora was probably the most appealing proposal; The locomotive closely resembled the type that ushered in diesel passenger services ( E’s,F’s and Pa’s ,etc.). What I really thought was interesting was the LED style side panels for advertising, they very much would be a resolution to night visibility problems as well.
The NOMAD was a unique solution to the problems of moving about the train; the most problematic area is that of the locomotive, within the constraints of body-width, with an internal combustion prime mover freedom of movement would really be restricted. Electrical Power might be a way around that, though. But isolation for the Engineer might be a safety and security consideration.
It is really nice to see this kind of thoughtfulness in a project like this. Thanks, Heather for sharing with us.