Virginia MagLev Project Back on Track 329
Raven42rac writes "After much delay, the $14 million Maglev train project is back on track at Old Dominion University in Virginia. All the petty lawsuits have been settled, and a much needed $2 million grant has been approved. Let us hope that this sets a precedent to Americans to not litigate ourselves out of the science and technology markets due to petty disagreements and greed. We do not need to be our own worst enemy. I, for one, would much rather ride a Maglev monorail with others, than drive a gas-guzzling car by myself. (And I apologise for the pun in the headline.)"
Re:Trains vs cars (Score:1, Informative)
Trains are good for long distances. Especially since I don't own a car, and since I don't *need* a car since I don't go out of town very often.
Re:Yay! (Score:3, Informative)
Or at least punish the people who mod them up.
Go right ahead - it's called metamoderation [slashdot.org].
Re:Petty Lawsuits? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Trains vs cars (Score:3, Informative)
But, replace the cars with public transport and you get an extra million people on the already overcrowded trains and tube, the infrastructure can't cope. Throw in a tube strike and you're screwed.
Re:Fuck public transportation (Score:3, Informative)
Post much on usenet? You've got the syndrome. Try going back and reading the second paragraph of the post you responded to:
There is no toll bridge or road that I won't cross, no traffic jam that I won't bear, no gas tax that I won't accept, and no garaging fee that I will not pay so that I never have to take public transportation ever again.
Duh?
Not just a waste of money, but just plain stupid (Score:2, Informative)
As someone else pointed out, it's a straight shot for only 3/4 mile. I can't for the life of me understand who thought a MagLev train was right for this project. MagLev's only make economic sense for long distance, high-speed runs, where the decreased friction boosts their efficiency. This silly thing only runs a few blocks between center campus and some of the outlying student housing. It will NEVER approach a speed where it will become efficient.
Just think of the power required to hold the damn thing up while it coasts along at maybe 25-30 mph. This thing is not only sucking huge amounts of money now, it'll continues to do so way into the future. But like most pork-barrel projects, once it's been started, people are reluctant to cut their losses, no matter how wasteful or stupid it is.
I recall China built a maglev running between Shanghai and its airport. That makes a bit more sense... several miles, with only stops at the ends. I wonder how its doing...
Many details, I'm local and follow this (Score:4, Informative)
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, the maglev system worked when it was in Flordia on the test track, because the rails were on the ground. There are videos on the American Maglev site of it moving before the ODU system was put together. Once the ODU setup was constructed, they hit a snag. The rail flexes from the weight, and the system tries to adjust for it by adjusting power to magnets, which causes the rail to react, which starts an oscillation loop or something. Ooops.
The system here is opposite from the German Transrapid system (which is totally bad ass, btw). The guideway in the German system is more intelligent / has electromagnets / something, where as the one at ODU most of the guts are in the actual cars. This means the guideway is much cheaper to deploy. If you have ever seen it, the guideway is pretty frigging narrow, it would be easier to handle right of ways for such a thing.
It is a shame the contractors haven't been paid, and it is a shame it hasn't gotten further. From what I understand they are finally getting their hands on the money. It would be interesting to see a cost break down.
If you think about it, 14 million in what could be a better transportation solution for cities is chump change. Companies spend $3 million on blanket Windows software licenses. The theory is if/when it works it could spawn a new industry and our region could gain new businesses that support it.
People complain about the money going to the monorail, yet they don't complain about their tax money going to schools where many of the students are from out of country and leave when they are done with their education. Granted there are private interests working here, but I fail to understand the hatred for the creation of something new and something better.
Lastly, they are started to talk about this stupid light rail stuff here, that is little trollys that run on conventional rails. Lame, gradings obstruct traffic, they are slow. Elevated maglev is the answer! HOORAY!