HiLoMag

[gone7]

After realizing that this forum is for alternatives, it seems that a major one has been left out of our thinking. There really is only one transportation system as an ultimate solution. It is called HiLoMag. It is a copyright that has been placed in the public domain. We all need be become very familiar with this electric solution.

[Grant-53]

Read it and liked most of it. We are such a large and diverse nation that a one size fits all solution is almost impossible. I am a fan of high speed light rail as part of the mix. We have firms in the area that manufacture electric train cars and one software company dedicated to transportation solutions. I see huge potential for roll on/roll off systems for small cars, scooters, and bicycles.

[gone7]

To continue your good comments from the "bus" forum:

Currently, just like electric cars, the maglev systems have been tested and works fine with off-the-shelf components. That is not to say that new technology will not advance the concept. There is always room for improvement.

Sharp curves in the track require some banking to maintain 300 mph speeds. But that does not preclude slowing down in those areas as necessary.

Plus, let us not forget that these rails are elevated high above the existing roadbed, and that leaves the existing to deteriorate with time for older vehicles without future construction expense necessary.

Since there is never any need for major repair (except in the case of earthquakes), there would no longer be the huge expense of maintaining our interstate and highway road systems. No cops, no emergency vehicles, no signage costs either. The yearly savings on the tax system would be literally billions of dollars.

There would never be a need for railroad systems very much any longer, accept for large items at slow speed. No more railroad intersection accidents and no more large diesel expenditures and no more noise in our communities.

Most freight would be send in smaller quantities over the maglev network. Faster delivery of necessary products and materials in a just-in-time inventory system. Even the restuarant would receive their daily produce order fresh from across the continent the very next morning.

Sure it takes a change in the way we do business, but it is all good. We put millions of people to work and get a steel rail system that never wears out. The steel plants start up again and put more to work. But jobs always shift as we move to the future. That's just life. There will be jobs; just no jobs in the railroad industry or road repair on a big scale. No big deal. We just keep moving toward the future. That is win/win for everyone.

Most likely, the only place for intermodal transport would be at the overseas terminal. (Unless the maglev system could somehow cross the Behring Strait. )

[Grant-53]

Don't laugh but the Russians have been asking about building a road/rail tunnel between Alaska and Siberia. It is not economically feasable now but Siberia will become more important by mid century. Have you seen published reports projecting costs per mile figures for maglev systems compared to conventional steel rail systems?
I have often wondered about putting raised monorail lines in the median of the interstate highways. There are many abandoned rail routes to be reused. The major issue is not technical but financial in that railroad right of ways are owned by the rail companies. The interstate highways are government owned as part of a national defense policy as are many airports. Who will own and operate the track, the rolling (or floating) stock, and the control centers?
Bulk commodities and larger manufactured goods will continue to ship by conventional rail. We are accepting of the serious risks of driving while bitterly complaining about a two dollar increase to fill the gas tank. The first and perhaps most important step in many areas of our lives is taking a good hard look at the cost of convenience. Call it thrift or value management or living within your means. This will determine the nature and pace of change.

[gone7]

When Francis Reynolds, the one who named the idea, spoke with me years ago, he said that, like you, many of us have had the same idea for a long time. It is actually an obvious thing, once we stop to think about it.

Also, HiLoMag is the next step in the evolution of interstate travel. Since Eisenhower already gave the nation the right-of-way, that is not a cost factor. And since the elevated rails would never wear out, the initial cost of building over the existing interstate system would be a one-time expense. This is win/win.

The cost of 3.5" diskettes was extremely prohibited when they first came out. 5.25" was so much cheaper. But by beginning to purchase and use them, the 5.25" disks went the way of the dinasours very quickly. And so it goes. It was a simply desire for convenience over cost.

Convenience often wins out because of the demand people have in this fast-paced life. I have stopped calculating the cost of the obvious. IMHO, it is counter-productive.

HiLoMag would be an excellent national project. Especially at a time when we desparately need to put many to work.

Old rail beds might be used, but as you implied, they are in the private sector. But some might be deeded over as they are closed down.

But to answer your question. The same national/state ownership of the Interstate Highway System would own the elevated maglev rails. They would need to expand their infastructure to include the computer control systems only, but the nation would gain the needed expansion to the electric grid as well. Another win/win.

Once you study the concept you will see that you and I will still own and operate our electric vehicles. They would operate around town as any of them do now. We already have the necessary range for daily use. We already have the proven technology for daily use.

All that would be needed would be a change in the design of new vehicles to fit the rail system with one-half of the induced-current linear motor system to mate up with the matching part on the rail. Plenty of work for the existing auto industry for some time to come. In fact, they might have to expand production for a while.

Freight would simply be done in small quantities at a time. I can imagine no problem with that whatsoever.

No more road repairs; another win. No more acidents or need for police or emergency vehicles; another win. Obviously, the costs would be driven down so hard that even if the cost of electricity doubled, it would still be a huge gain in transportation cost reduction overrall.

There would be no more pollution from highway transportation. And since the times are as quick or quicker than intranational air travel, there would be no more flights over our nation, thereby reducing pollution even more.

What a fantastically great idea whose time has come!

[gone7]

I should add the next and obvious part of the HiLoMag system. Imagine yourself going to your garage in the morning on your way to work. You unplug your vehicle from the house current. You get in and select your destination from your GPS display. So far, this is getting to be the standard of how cars are designed today.

However, imagine that a guide cable is stitched into the existing payment of each lane in the local road system. When you open your garage door and back out into the street, you can then place your car on auto-pilot to get to your destination. This would also allow your car to park itself once you were let out at your destination.

One could read the paper on the way, snooze a little more before work or maybe complete some needed paperwork.

And no more speeding tickets, road rage or accidents.

The auto-guide systems have already been tested out for over thirty years, and at speeds up to eighty miles per hour. They are not an issue. One only needs to pick the best fit solution. I happen to like a static system like a guide cable. Less chance of failure, IMHO.

There would be sensors on the guide lines to signal the location of turning lanes, intersections and the like. And of course we would need to tie into the traffic control grid to maximize the movement of vehicles even better than is done now in some cities.

All I can say is that I want that now since all the parts are there to put into place. Many of us are extremely frustrated by the luddite-ism of so many people, especially in positions of leadership.

[Grant-53]

Not to be mean spirited but I will continue raise issues and ask for hard data so that when it comes to selling the project to government and the public there will be ready answers. This inspires confidence in an age of scandal such Enron. Many of us are not comfortable with handing Washington carte blanc for more major projects.
The May 2012 Popular Science has an excellent article "Taking the Wheel" on the reliability and liability of automated vehicles (see page 38). Having been an advocate of vehicle and driver safety for over forty years I can see the need to reduce driver error. The reality will be that many but not all roads will be so equipt. Mostly suburban commuters will be primary users. Limiting or avoid heavy truck traffic is a major issue. Children in the street or deer present the most random behavior to be evaded. Lane switching and removing disabled vehicles should be fairly easy.
Constructing and maintaining roadways is well developed technology but even reinforced concrete breaks up eventually from repeated load and thermal cycles. The closest thing I know to a permanent road is the Roman road made from thick blocks of stone. The climate of the Appian Way in Italy is milder and chariots or wagons are much lighter than cars and trucks. We need to use less costly conductors than the miles of copper.
Many city downtown areas are already too congested to accomodate even SmartCars. In these special areas, streets may be limited to electric carts, velmobiles, scootors,and foot traffic.

[gone7]

A few comments:

I believe that some things are obvious.

I also believe there is always room for elevated transportation.

I must also respectfully disagree that contruction and maintenance of roadways is a "well developed technology". Righit now, roadbeds have reached their "level of incompetence", as the Peter Principle states. They cannot be improved in any economical manner since they come from a flawed design basis. Worse yet, they continue to deteriorate at an alarming and increasing rate. That last fact alone is very frightening when one considers the already past trillion dollar damage to our national physical plant. There is no way that we can fix that since we can't end the war on drugs (over one trillon dollars to date), the wars overseas (another trillion?) or our national debt (don't even ask ).

Only maglev will economically solve a part of the necessary infrastructure repair/replacement.

[bdesj]

Did I miss a link or something? What exactly are you guys discussing? Google wasn`t even much help- the only thing I found that seems pertinent was this:
HiLoMag Dualmode Concept
and I don`t know what to do with it.

EDIT: Whoops! Sheesh- now I found it.

[gone7]

@ bdesj,
Yes, you found it. Reynolds is the guy who brought our ideas together under one name.

By the way, I think I'd prefer the pickup over your scooter, all thing being equal. Very interesting comparison. I may use your facts under another forum subject.