The Train that Floats in the Sky

[@lukefuller1170]

It's marvelous that the communication age is bringing people together to preserve precious engineering history which would otherwise be lost to mold and rust.

[@pauljames1682]

Science and engineering create the future.

[@deniscoulson804]

I was employed as site welder at the Sutton Gault end , I wasn't there the day when the Beam beam broke but about 2 days later there were people drilling core samples in it no doubt testing for concrete strength , I used to get lifted to the top of the gantry in a cradle suspended by 1 wire that was fine till the wind blew the thing in a circular motion , health and safety would have had a field day if it was these days !

[@rogerfrench9344]

My next door neighbour at the time, Keith Burton, worked on this project and took me along to the Ditton Walk research site to see a test model during an open day. More recently I took him to see RTV 31 at Peterborough which was wonderful, hearing about the project and their innovative spirit from him. I sometimes walk along the site of the test bed and imagine the excitement of those days .

[@jonas-fr]

@3:58, very early (60's) iPhone prototype being used to film the hovertrain

[@foureyedchick]

This is an EXCELLENT concept! A MAGLEV train eliminates the coefficient of rolling friction between the metal rails and wheels. My feeling why this wonderful train is not used these days is twofold: 1) The high cost, and 2) The extremely STRONG magnetic fields can be hazardous to passengers with severe medical conditions like cardiac pacemakers, heart arrythmias and other conditions. For example, some medical patients are ineligible to have MRIs because of the strong magnetic fields.

[@adamdanilowicz4252]

The magnetic field induced in this type of maglev system is less than that of an old school CRT TV. It's safe to electronic equipment. On the other hand, the competing Japanese maglev system uses superconducting electromagnets that require the passenger carriages to be shielded.

[@daniele1794]

It would take investment to build, but not that much in theory, as the rail itself is just made from concrete and the magnet. Building a concrete rail would be cheaper and faster than normal railways. However it's much easier for government just to use the already existing network than to build a new one.

[@johnjephcote7636]

I remember BR Derby working on maglev. Monorails seem fine for end-to-end lines but when one considers capacity-number of coaches, signalling, switches (points)-it becomes difficult-and this is not for freight either. However, what Britain seems good at (politicians anyway) is getting skilled people to crown their energies by achieving a working prototype and the pulling the plug and destroying the hard evidence and the paperwork. (Miles M52 supersonic jet; Brabazon airliner; Princess flying boat; TSR-2; Fairey Rotodyne; Nimrod MRA4 and possibly now, HS2.

[@fauzirahman3285]

There are a few Maglev in commercial use today of which most are in China, and other in Korea. One of them is high speed (Shanghai). Japan is making one using a very strong superconducting magnet. Shielding is being used to prevent those issues you mentioned.

[@remaincalm2]

@@johnjephcote7636 There's nothing ground breaking about HS2. It looks rather second rate and poor value compared to other countries who are well ahead of us when it comes to rail transport. It's all very sad considering Britain invented so many technologies and had original ground breaking ideas.

[@Cool2BCeltic]

Makes me think of the Bennie Railplane.

[@russellrokanas2071]

Britton needs to bring back the hovertrain and Eric Lathwaite

[@vstol]

Can still remember looking down on the track in 1973, when flying the standard visual recovery to Oakington in the Varsity. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._5_Flying_Training_School_RAF

[@J.Harry.T]

A marvellously appealing toy, but not really a ‘train’ and bit of a technical dead-end. An old friend of mine worked on this and he said passenger safety in the event of a fire was one reason the project was abandoned (how do you escape if it catches fire).

[@seamusoblainn]

Yeah. I've noticed on raised lengths of subways in some countries there have a platform that runs the whole length of the raised section. I assume it's for this reason.

[@intel386DX]

4:15 notice the sparks :D

[@fauzirahman3285]

I wonder if it's possible to make today's or future Maglev trains more energy efficient by incorporating an aerodynamic design that allows it to lift like a plane in addition to having magnetic levitation to keep it off the track.

[@Al3x10ng]

I have been to tailored was it