The Problem With Fast Trains: What Happened to Hovertrains?
The Problem With Fast Trains: What Happened to Hovertrains?
In 1974, a French train sets a speed record, exceeding 250 miles per hour. But this train is unlike any other before it. Instead of rolling on train wheels, it hovers on a cushion of air. In the 1970’s hovertrains were seriously being considered the solution to slow, antiquated railways, which increasingly had to compete with new superhighways and even intercity air travel.
Without the rolling resistance of train wheels, hovertrains promised greater efficiency and much higher speeds. By feeding high pressure air through lifting pads, hovertrains float on a cushion of air much like a hovercraft.
One of the most widely known hovertrain prototypes was called the Aerotrain. Lead engineer Jean Bertin and his team in France, designed several versions, including one that could carry 80 passengers. The i80HV was powered by a turbofan sourced from an airliner, producing over twelve thousand pounds of thrust. At the front, a 400 horse power gas-turbine supplied high-pressure air to hover the twenty loaded train a quarter of an inch off its guideway. The British and Americans also experimented with hovertrain technology, incorporating the linear induction motor for improved efficiency. British research led to the development of the RTV-31 Tracked Hovercraft, and the American’s developed several prototypes, culminating in the development of the Urban Tracked Air Cushion Vehicle (UTACV).
But like their counterpart the Maglev, Hovertrains failed to revolutionize rail. Hovertrains, Maglevs, or any other innovative alternative to rail has to compete with nearly a million miles of rail line already in existence. With stations and infrastructure built-out in nearly every city in the world. The limitations of conventional railways were overcome not a single innovative leap forward, but by incremental improvements. Existing rail networks were modernized with sections of track that could handle higher speeds. New signaling technologies were developed along with more advanced wheelsets. #Hovertrain #Aerotrain #TrackedHovercraft #YesterdaysFuture
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Music (reproduced under license):
Intro: “The Future”: https://audiojungle.net/item/the-future/13081195?s_rank=41
Main # 1: “Puzzling Discoveries” https://audiojungle.net/item/puzzling-discoveries/21196248?s_rank=1
Main # 2: “Retro” https://audiojungle.net/item/retro-wave/18103181?s_rank=5
Outro: “Cool Funk Stomp” https://audiojungle.net/item/cool-funk-stomp/20849218?s_rank=11
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The Problem With Fast Trains: What Happened to Hovertrains?
The Problem With Fast Trains: What Happened to Hovertrains?
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Thanks for watching! P.s. the little audio fade at the end was supposed to be intentional/joke 🙂
Actually, for high speed rail the French had to build a new rail network with fewer curves and no level crossings. The infrastructure wasn't there.
260 ground transpo!
High speed trains like the TGV are scary. At 200mph (approximately 300kph) the forces applied to the track are huge and the tolerances are tight. I suspect that it would only take a badly maintained carriage or coupling to destabilise the system. Some years ago a test TGV came off the track in France. The report blamed driver error, but then it would, wouldn't it . . .
i HAVE VIDEOS OF fAST TRAINS CHECK IT OUT
In the USA alone there are over 5000 patents that have been deemed " illegal and contrary to National Security " .The system is such as to outlaw progress and leave us in the conventional trap of relying on fundamental fossil fuels and other ageing systems . Currently we are about 1200 years behind ourselves so that the oil companies ( a la Middle Eastern monopolies and the Bush mob ) can continue to fleece the ordinary Joe for his hard earned cash .Wake up sheeple .
What's the point of background music ?
Why are u talking like that?
ALÁ O AEROTREM DO LEVY FIDELIX 0:18
Forgot to mention that the TUBE/tunnel was coined "HYPERLOOP" which can easily kill the occupants if a failure happens and even tested with RAILS!… And Americans have adopted MONORAIL in small areas and Subway Rails in Metropolises.
It was called a the Terrain Plane! or Train for short
The other key factor would be Monopoly infrastructures like the railways and the airline's not wanting competition and using lobbying and politicians to make it happen by putting them on the payroll to stop these types of programs. Humanity O.o
The most underrated part of the whole video is at 0:10
I like SLOW travel–my bike. The TGV is nice though.
These are fabulous–thanks so much!!!!!!!
I dont get how maglev didn't ever make it to be the norm. Everything about it seems just suoerior
they could create hydrogen powered trains, cars and planes since when ignited it creates pressure and that pressure could be used as an accelerant for vehicles it might not necessarily be fast but it could still be a huge environmentonal improvement from fossil fuels like kerosene and diesel
OoOoOoOoOoOr YoU cOuLd UsE mAgNeTs YoU eTeRnAl ViCtOrIaN vItAmIn DeFiCiEnT dUmBaSsEs
basically UK and France were leading in the technology and america was lagging behind and because america forced uk and france into the vietnam war funding had to be heavily cut till it was cancelled
makes sense if america isnt the one with the cutting edge technology it gets cancelled worldwide… isnt that right concord?
Does anyone know what design program Mustard is using to produce these super smooth graphics?
When are we talking about trains then ?
tell that to seimens, bechtell, rand corporation etc that do work on Deep Under Ground black sites
it looks ugly tho
Human's DO NOT like change. Any of these ideas had the been less fantastic in appearance and more conventional in appearance may have stood a better chance? but no they have to look like rockets or planes, then you have the impracticality of points ans switching? what about Good's and freight traffic, and shunting. it's all very well moving a few RICH people about but what about commerce and product delivery.
Oh! they would say that can stay the same, in which case you would need two sytems less cost effective and overly expensive, when a system that serves both passenger and good's can use the same system?
Nah1 these thing's never catch on, not because they are not good idea's but they are always so far from what people know and trust to be instantly accepted? Just an example instead of some rocket body work why not a conventional corridor coach with instead of wheels a hover pack where the wheels once were? People may more likely gone for that because it looks conventional and safe, they trust the appearance?
You tried to make the Bullet Train sound like Japan wasn't utterly killing the Train Game and still is by every feat, hitting every checkmark with 100%… TO THIS DAY
Anyone here from Massachusetts watching as they're stuck with the MBTA? LOL
Hover trains or hyperloops will come sooner or later. Conventional railways are almost at their max. Capacity. And don't come with "it would be cheaper to build better conventional railways". my country has a budget of several trillion euros every year, yet they aren't able to let one train arrive in time. Hundreds of Kilometers of tracks aren't in working condition at the moment. But it costs really fuckin much to maintain that shitty system.
"The americans, at least for the time being, stuck with cars."
FEEL THE BURN
Congratulations…
Humans Just Killed Conventional Trains.
Go musk and the hyperloop
I think the real failure of Hovertrains is the French's need to overengineer everything to the point of obscene complication. Have you ever tried to work on a Citroen vehicle? It doesn't make sense….mechanically it works, but it shouldn't!
maybe we should build a maglev network in all the cheaper areas that are less populated to begin with. Easier to find potential track routes that way and you could also supply tons of jobs
Hovertrain is not practical and environmental safe. With an aero turbine engine, why not take an airplane can travel double the speed.
if your train 🚊 needs parachutes to brake you know your train 🚂 is fast
Delete this video trumpeting a STOOPID idea!
Maglev. That is all
This is bull crap not in my 70s changing history right here folks
Europe and Britain: Built high speed trains
Americans: Testing Acela Express in 2000
I LOVE FAST TRAINS
In USA in small ports & in rural areas steam trains are still heavily in use