[ale] OT: Maglev funding?

[Jeff Hubbs]

The WDW Monorail is truly a marvel, but there are some things about it 
that have to be looked past.

WDW's is a dual-rail closed circuit - great for them, naturally, but the 
nature of a working intra- or inter-city rail system of any sort would 
call for turnouts (switches) and monorail turnouts are nowhere near as 
trivial as steel double-rail track turnouts; generally, you make a 
monorail turnout through substitution (i.e., swap out a curved section 
for a straight section) or perhaps even translation (move the rail from 
side to side with the train - stopped, of course - still on it).  But 
you'd make up for this by the sheer ability to run your rails over 
parking lots, active farmland, you name it. 

The current Mark VI WDW system trains were built by Bombadier, Inc. - a 
Canadian company.  They also operate and maintain the Las Vegas Monorail.

Jim Kinney wrote:
> Hear! Hear!
>
> Case in point: Look at Disney World for an example of monorail as an
> efficient means of moving HUGE numbers of people for very little cost.
> The initial capital outlay is on par or below other rail methods with
> lower operating costs. The propulsion mechanism can be any technology
> format.
>
> If cheapskate Disney can do it, why not elsewhere?
>
> On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 11:28 AM, Jeff Hubbs <jeffrey.hubbs at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> I would really rather see this money go into monorail than heavy rail.
>> Monorail totally changes the game with respect to right-of-way and grade
>> crossing issues and there are different manufacturers' products that are
>> just begging to be integrated into new trains.  You don't see more
>> monorail because fewer people make less money that way...and that
>> matters when the interests of the contractors for a public works project
>> are put ahead of the public's.
>>
>> Jeff Lightner wrote:
>>     
>>> Interesting
>>>
>>> I had mentioned to friends/family in Dalton and Chattanooga that there
>>> is a proposal to initiate rail service from Atlanta up I 85 to South
>>> Carolina and that I hadn't heard recently about going up I 75 to
>>> Chattanooga proposal that had been bandied about for years.
>>>
>>> Personally I'd like to see it happen but if they can't get the outer
>>> beltway through the Northern suburbs or even a road widening on the
>>> Fulton side of Johnson Ferry I wouldn't hold my breath.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of Greg
>>> Freemyer
>>> Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 10:22 AM
>>> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
>>> Subject: [ale] OT: Maglev funding?
>>>
>>> All,
>>>
>>> Anyone know if the spending bill included funds for the Atlanta -
>>> Chattanooga HSGT line (High Speed Ground Transportation)?
>>>
>>> == Background
>>>
>>> If you don't know there is an ongoing HSGT (Maglev or Steel Rail)
>>> project that may eventually go from:
>>>
>>> Savannah - Atlanta - Chattanooga - Nashville - Chicago
>>>
>>> The Atlanta - Chattanooga section is the furthest along and about to
>>> enter "Tier 2" status I think (but I think Tier 2 activity is
>>> currently unfunded):
>>>
>>> http://www.dot.state.ga.us/aboutGeorgiadot/Board/Documents/2009%20Meetin
>>> gs%20Presentations/Jan/HighSpeedGroundTransportation.pdf
>>>
>>> If you go to page 10, you see it is one of 3 east of the Mississippi
>>> projects (LA - Vegas is the big west of the Mississippi project).
>>>
>>> I'm hoping this project will get a big boost from the spending bill.
>>>
>>> Greg
>>>
>>>       
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