Jet Train

[ExCon90]

The comparison made above between "almost invisible" monorail pylons and an "old el" is completely irrelevant. "Old els" were largely built before the First World War. Aerial structures built in this era for two-rail systems (e.g. BART) do not shut out light as the "old els" did.

[David Benton]

What do they do if a monorail breaks down . the switches are large and cumbersome compared to traditional rail

[kaitoku]

With an acknowledgement that monorails are irrelevant as an option for HSR (along with, sorry, gas turbines, which otherwise are fine in aeroplanes), the advantages of monorails are seen in dense urban environments where their small footprint (on the ground), ability to tackle grades up to 6%, relative quietness, and apparently cheaper construction costs make them a viable option. They have a use also as a urban/suburban semi-loop system (Osaka monorail) or cross country (Tama monorail) where land acquisition for conventional rail is impossible. The country where I live has the greatest number of monorails in use in urban environments, where they are applied in the environments above, and as feeders to heavy rail systems. They are a good solution in specific cases, but are not a good general systemwide solution, and Japan's experience illustrates this.

[raytylicki]

What if there was a transition car where the Monorail train would roll on to conventional railroad flat cars with the monorail installed on the cars. Then the train would be pulled to its final destination by convetional locomotives

[trainmaster611]

What if there was a transition car where the Monorail train would roll on to conventional railroad flat cars with the monorail installed on the cars. Then the train would be pulled to its final destination by convetional locomotives

That's just silly

But yeah, this has gone waaaay off topic.

[bigK]

article about the REAL jet train - here in America in the 1960's

NYC RR mounted an actual jet engine on top of a Budd RDC3 - designated the M497 - with a flaring on the front - as per local, here in Dutches county NY,
RR historian and president of the Hopewell Depot Restoration Company Bernard Rudberg,they tested it out on the Hudson line ataining a speed of 132 MPH but acording to this article on a very straight stretch of track in the midwest they were able to atain a speed of 183 MPH

in upstate NY there is a company that makes jet engines and gas turbines - this company also way back when made electric OCS locomotives and in the late 1990's made a new dual mode passenger locomotive for use by MTA/MNCRR and Amtrak on the Hudson line (but now they just make HD diesel freight locos) - with their extensive background in control/automation and other technology they could with US Railcar in Ohio making the 'shell' could buld a HSR gas turbine train - a direct replacement for the TurboLiner - or an OCS type 200 MPH HSR train like the Siemens Velaro- GE I wonder what company could that be?

[Champlain Division]

Political and technological discussions notwithstanding, I am interested in just one thing. What is the current location and status of the JetTrain prototype?

[DutchRailnut]

rotting away at AAR test facility in Pueblo Colorado.

[Champlain Division]

A look at TTC using Google Earth today revealed no evidence of the JetTrain prototype still parked there. Anybody got an update?

[BandA]

I read that the RDC used for the jet train was put back into normal service?

[DutchRailnut]

correct M497 ran all way into Conrail days on upper Hudson out of Harmon, it was retired in 1977 and sat in Croton East yard till 1983 awaiting scrapping.