SEFT-1 Railway Exploration Probe

[freebeard]

Anyone who likes Breer's work at Chrysler in the 30s will appreciate the rebody that was done on this pickup truck to explore the railways devastated by capitalism in Mexico.





This is interesting for a lot of reasons—from inter-modal transportation to archeology to art as a means to transform society.

Their website is:
S.E.F.T.-1

A video explainer:
SEFT-1 Abandoned Railways Exploration Probe on Vimeo

[aerohead]

It's a shade tree mechanics look at an actual 'light' rail system.
The probe,with parallel-hybrid drive,could be the locomotive for very light passenger railcars,festooned with photovoltaics,ganged together to feed the electric traction motor.
*Low mass
*Mass below the floor
*Low center of gravity (seating only,no standing)
*low frontal area
*1/10th rolling resistance if on steel wheels
*Low Cd
*Carries it's own 'fuel'
*'Modular'
*Regenerative braking
*Downhill coasting
*No idling
*Low-to-zero carbon
What would that cost to construct?
What would they have to invent?
What would that cost to operate?
Would tracks and wheels from a children's amusement park roller coaster system not be adequate?
What safe velocity could it operate at without risk to commuters?

[The Other Andy]

Very cool. Is there any reasoning for the body design besides making it an 'art car?'

Originally Posted by aerohead

It's a shade tree mechanics look at an actual 'light' rail system.
The probe,with parallel-hybrid drive,could be the locomotive for very light passenger railcars,festooned with photovoltaics,ganged together to feed the electric traction motor.
*Low mass
*Mass below the floor
*Low center of gravity (seating only,no standing)
*low frontal area
*1/10th rolling resistance if on steel wheels
*Low Cd
*Carries it's own 'fuel'
*'Modular'
*Regenerative braking
*Downhill coasting
*No idling
*Low-to-zero carbon
What would that cost to construct?
What would they have to invent?
What would that cost to operate?
Would tracks and wheels from a children's amusement park roller coaster system not be adequate?
What safe velocity could it operate at without risk to commuters?

Erm, would it not be more cost effective just to put train wheels on one of these:

and call it a day? We are talking about a passenger service discontinued due to losses (or at least, lack of large profits). I doubt designing a locomotive and passenger cars for said locomotive would be anywhere near as cost effective as a bus on rails. Heck, they already have triple-articulated busses too. Shouldn't be too difficult to daisy-chain center sections together and expand the bus/doodlebug as needed.

Plus, if done right, said bus/doodlebug could pull up the rail wheels and take surface streets where it needs to go when necessary. Something like what the Adelaide O-bahn is (with existing rail infrastructure instead of wacky concrete busway): O-Bahn Busway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[UltArc]

Making a car that goes on train tracks sounds familiar...

...I think it would be a better idea to make a high speed performance version, with a nice high performance car pulling a small group at high speeds.

This is kind of what I'm thinking-


On a serious note, if TG can do it, it should be feasible for a group trying to actually complete it and not just light things on fire for entertainment.

[freebeard]

aerohead -- makes you think, doesn't it.

Very cool. Is there any reasoning for the body design besides making it an 'art car?'

It's a car that makes Art. Like Ant Farm's Media Van. The reason I posted it in aerodynamics is that I'm so used to low-polygon computer graphics, I can look at that profile and mentally overlay The Template. Where the fit breaks down is in the quite reasonable recesses on the sides of the boattailed truck cab, and maybe the windshield header is a little high. But since it's an Observation Probe the high windshield is rational. Imagine it with pizza pans and coroplast.

We are talking about a passenger service discontinued due to.. predatory capalist corporations that have moved on and are now consuming Greece? Thanks for the O-bahn link.


Google says this image is here, but it's been removed. I hereby declare the whole thread, Vehicles on rails is on topic.

And... I hadn't thought of it, but my [current] profile picture is a train called the TALGO, which used cars that only had an axle at one end. The contemprary TALGO provided the rolling stock for Amtrak's Starlight Express.

UltArc -- We're crossposting, so I haven't had time to respond.

Edit: Maybe more like this FIAT railcar?



Or the Herkimer Battle Jitney?