Hyperloop and other vactrains

[bostontrainguy]

Update: https://www.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-15 ... 53953.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not terribly sure what happens when all these cars get dumped out at the end of the tunnel? If they dump out inside a parking garage it just might work.

[ConstanceR46]

That's a bus.

[mtuandrew]

That's a bus.

A very fast bus.

I’ll be very interested to see this thing in action, and to figure out what makes it special.

[bostontrainguy]

Could actually have a future:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/st- ... 5073u.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

P.S. Boston proposed a similar plan for the abandoned Greenline tunnel under Tremont Street.

[ConstanceR46]

Tesla cars have barrier lust already. This is not going to end well.

[mtuandrew]

Tesla cars have barrier lust already. This is not going to end well.

I also want to see the safety system - something tells me it isn’t triple-failsafe like most transit operations. (Operator + deadman + Automatic Stop)

[djlong]

It's just that I see all kinds of "American't" when it comes to stuff like this.

Keeping this on Hyperloop - 'they' said it would never happen; that it was just a white paper. There'd never be a prototype or anythign close to it.

Well, now we have prototypes, including full-scale models. Bit by bit, piece by piece, it's happening. So far, nobody seems to have run into any showstoppers. That's not to say they *won't* - but let them keep trying until they do.

As far as the 'other' tunnel, in LA, yeah, I see endpoint congestion there until mroe details get worked out. It reminds me of the tunnel under the Elbe in Hamburg - where cars line up at elevators to descend into the tunnel, drive through, and drive onto another elevator at the other end. (Rather interesting tunnel to walk through).

[lpetrich]

It's just that I see all kinds of "American't" when it comes to stuff like this.

Keeping this on Hyperloop - 'they' said it would never happen; that it was just a white paper. There'd never be a prototype or anythign close to it.

Have Hyperloop proponents done anything close to a feasibility study? Any attempt to estimate construction costs? Operation costs? Safety and reliability? In my previous posts here, I have done some estimates of construction costs and I have brought up safety and reliability issues.

I've seen the argument from Elon Musk supposedly being a business genius, and the related argument that Tesla Motors and SpaceX have succeeded despite the numerous criticisms that they have received. But as Carl Sagan noted about laughing at new ideas, "they also laughed at Bozo the Clown". Also, philosopher Bertrand Russell once noted that "There are infinite possibilities of error, and more cranks take up fashionable untruths than unfashionable truths."

Well, now we have prototypes, including full-scale models. Bit by bit, piece by piece, it's happening. So far, nobody seems to have run into any showstoppers. That's not to say they *won't* - but let them keep trying until they do.

Many of the problems with the Hyperloop only appear when one goes to large scale.

As far as the 'other' tunnel, in LA, yeah, I see endpoint congestion there until mroe details get worked out. It reminds me of the tunnel under the Elbe in Hamburg - where cars line up at elevators to descend into the tunnel, drive through, and drive onto another elevator at the other end. (Rather interesting tunnel to walk through).

So its elevators lower cars from street level to tunnel level, and also raise cars from tunnel level to street level?

[djlong]

As far as the 'other' tunnel, in LA, yeah, I see endpoint congestion there until mroe details get worked out. It reminds me of the tunnel under the Elbe in Hamburg - where cars line up at elevators to descend into the tunnel, drive through, and drive onto another elevator at the other end. (Rather interesting tunnel to walk through).

So its elevators lower cars from street level to tunnel level, and also raise cars from tunnel level to street level?

Exactly.

[bostontrainguy]

Just saw a new video about the tunnel on CNBC. It was an actual test drive. Your car needs to have horizontal wheels attached in order to ride in the tunnel. I thought the original plan had the cars riding on a sled, but they just drive through steered by these side wheels. They of course probably need to be electric because of this. The news person also mentioned that the ride was very rough and that the car jerked from side to side causing some real anxiety.

[ConstanceR46]

so he basically made a subway that rides like shit lmao

[lpetrich]

How are the horizontal wheels handled? With a frame that is fit onto the car? I'm trying to think of the simplest way to implement it.

[bostontrainguy]

How are the horizontal wheels handled? With a frame that is fit onto the car? I'm trying to think of the simplest way to implement it.

See them here:

https://www.railwayage.com/news/elon-mu ... nnel-test/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[lpetrich]

Looks like the frame is at the front wheels of the car, below the car body.

[lpetrich]

so he basically made a subway that rides like * lmao

Can we please let the Boring Company die already? – Radical Urbanist – Medium

Looks like Elon Musk is reinventing subway trains.