h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Maybe instead of looking at a massive investment in a technology that will be old-hat by the time it finally gets off the ground (sorry!), we should be leading the way again. What is there in the new-technology fields that would revolutionise public transport?

Any suggestions? Or is Mag-Lev the pinnacle in human engineering?

it's the pinnacle.

All the other improvements in trains mainly involve advances in other areas - better materials that are stronger and lighter aren't specfic to trains, and cleaner energy sources (fuel cells, solar, fusion) aren't either. Any other ideas?

I suppose you could always try for super-conductor mag-lev .

Now, does anyone have enough liquid nitrogen to supercool hundreds of miles of railway?

Insulate the line effectively, run a molfilament into space and that will get rid of the heat

arnie,

I misunderstood your post, I thought you were saying you disagreed about the brum one being the first commercial maglev. I realise now you weren't saying that (I should have realised, you have an annoying ability to be right about things!)Apologies for the misunderstanding.

As for saying it wouldn't work, I'm afraid that is what passes for humour with me

wtf is a "molfilament"

Maybe a "monofilament" would be better

no problem Ictoan!

Maglev running in an evacuated tube. Very fast. Suitable for trans-Atlantic travel, if anyone feels like running such a tube across the ocean.

Faster than a jet, and following a shorter route.

Should be good.

(Mentioned in an ancient Reader's Digest, I vaguely recall.)

TRiG.

I read about a similar system in a Sci-Fi book recently. It linked every major city on earth and allowed high Mach travel.