Middle Class Trains (Continued)

[whingknutt]

First off I'd like to say that while Blogs (LJ in this case) are nice for putting a quick idea out there they generally suck for having a decent on going discussion with a group of people. Hence the reason for a second post, instead of another reply

Comments

[whingknutt]

I like your idea for the networked traffic, especially in using a power-feeding grid to track movement and coordinate automation. I think that since we currently re-pave most highways and roads every 5-20 years it would be pretty easy to impliment it. The power could be fed at a low rate, merely to improve the performance of electric-based cars (such as hybrids). This would allow you to incorporate it into the pavement (don't ask me how), which would avoid the issue of hanging a wire mesh above all of the roadways. You could then just run wide strip antennae to the ground.

As for the system I suggested; If we could get it so the wheels of the car could de-couple from the engine, then we could use a hook/clamp that catches the car in the onramp, and accelerates it up and merges it into the speed-lane. This would make the vehicle a sort of hybrid between current cars and a track system. The decoupling would also allow the engine to be turned off while in the speed-lane. Alternatively we could try to incorporate mag-lev tech into the chasis of cars, to create a similar kind of hybrid. I think that just adding 2 heavy rods to the bottom of a car would be less expensive. Run the clamps with mag-lev if you feel the need to go that fast.

Also, using the hybrid concept, it would be easier to have sudden stopping for the rare crash, and by putting most of the rail line underground it would be terrorist adverse (poor return on their effort).