Secrets of the City

If it’s the lubricant I tried out tonight, it burns.

Damn it, Max. I told you to quit putting Vicks on your balls!

over under on the number of posts before someone, likely max, jokes about about lubricant: 1

What do you expect for a measly few hundred million dollars in engineering consultant fees?

What do you expect for a measly few hundred million dollars in engineering consultant fees?

An exaggeration, I’m sure. But even rubber-wheeled subways in Tokyo make noise on corner track. That’s just the nature, and physics, of the technology. Be thankful, though, that residents here don’t live in the close proximity some Tokyo-ites do to railroads. It’s not uncommon to see homes built to within 15 feet of suburban trunk lines. Clickity-clackity-clickity-clackity.

yeah, you people are kind of spoilt. the trains in cities with real transit systems screech like there’s no tomorrow, but people get used to it instead of whining about their poor midwestern ears.

they should’ve installed these trains instead.

… which might result in this?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5370564.stm

“Twenty-three people died and 10 were injured when an elevated magnetic train ploughed into a maintenance vehicle in north-western Germany.

“The train, which floats on a monorail via a magnetic levitation system called maglev, was going at nearly 200km/h (120 mph) when it crashed near Lathen.

“Damaged carriages were left balancing on track 5m (16ft) in the air, hampering rescue efforts.”

hey now, let’s not blame the magnets (from noodleman’s article):

A spokesman for IABG, the company which operates the train, said the accident had been caused by human error, rather than a technical fault.

“whee, this is going really fast! Hey is that something on the track up ah-” BOOM!

oops ):

hey now, let’s not blame the magnets (from noodleman’s article)

Who was blaming the magnets? The concept itself is useless for intracity (vs. intercity) transit. I can think of more reasons other than human-error for not wanting to live next to a mag-lev track. Imagine the turbulence in the train’s wake as it sails down the Hiawatha corridor at 120mph … which would be overkill anyway because the station’s are only 1-2 miles apart.

Maybe for the North Star corridor; not Hiawatha or the proposed University corridors.

i think it was implied by your response. otherwise, what was the point of linking to that article? i don’t really care either way, i just thought it was a neat train. i’m sure it costs a jillion dollars and isn’t right for our city for a number of reasons.

i think it was implied by your response.

Hmmm. How so? I was only pointing out the quantum difference of “inconvenience” between the two technologies. Sure, the LRT squeals and occasionally runs into, or is run into by, cars, trucks and pedestrians; the German Mag-Lev goes hurtling off its elevated track at 100+mph and kills 20 at one go. Whether the accident was caused by human or mechanical error, it doesn’t matter for purposes of this illustraton.

“If it squeals, lube it”
-Ned Beatty

Great advice.