Living in the Future

[Dan Goodchild]

 

Quote

According to Musk, the system would only need 1/20th the amount of materials as a high-speed rail line and cost 1/10th as much to build.

Interesting. A fully-enclosed, airtight tube needs 1/20th the materials of a pair of metal rails...

On the other hand... No engine, no chemical fuel (and associated infrastructure), fewer moving parts (meaning less overall maintenance).

[Suden]

 

Quote

According to Musk, the system would only need 1/20th the amount of materials as a high-speed rail line and cost 1/10th as much to build.

Interesting. A fully-enclosed, airtight tube needs 1/20th the materials of a pair of metal rails...

 

Not to mention bends for things like mountains. You can twist and bend rail lines, not so easy in something traveling 4000 MPH. Imagine the g-forces involved in bends.

[TGP]

I remember reading about a system sorta like this, it had the near vacuum tunnel. But it was below ground and gravity powered.

 

It didn't just tunnel a set depth below ground (following the earth's curvature) the idea was to tunnel in straight lines. So it drew a straight line from Washington to (for instance) St. Louis. Surface of the earth was the bow, the tunnel was the bow string.

 

For the outbound half of the ride it is all downhill, vehicle accelerates; second half of the tunnel it is all uphill, vehicle decelerates.

[Sergeant_Crunch]

I'd rather have Doc Brown's DeLorean.

[TGP]

I'd rather have Doc Brown's DeLorean.

 

At this point I'd settle for a stock DeLorean.

[Sergeant_Crunch]

But those don't fly.

[Doug Sundseth]

But those don't fly.

 

They don't really run either. Limping is about as good as it gets.

 

Pretty, though.

[Unruly]

So, basically, what you're saying to me is that you want to put me into something that, more or less, equals the projectile of a giant coilgun? Well then, let me think about that for a second...

 

...

 

...

 

HELL YES I'll DO IT! I don't care if I die, I'll be the first person in line to die in a spectacular and awesome fashion like that. Plus, if it works and I live, it would be one hell of a wild ride. And if I do die, at least I'll have been on the ride of a lifetime. Sort of like an astronaut. I'll bet the folks on board the Columbia or the Challenger weren't all that upset that they died, because at least they got the chance to do something that so few people have ever done. Heck, that's the same reason that I'd volunteer in a heartbeat for a one-way ticket to Mars. If I die in transit, I still die attempting something bold. If I make it, I die as the first person to ever set foot on, live on, and die on Mars. So just pack me up on top of a rocket, point me at the sky, and fire away!

[kristof65]

 

Quote

According to Musk, the system would only need 1/20th the amount of materials as a high-speed rail line and cost 1/10th as much to build.

Interesting. A fully-enclosed, airtight tube needs 1/20th the materials of a pair of metal rails...

 

I think he's comparing it to one of the current high speed mag-lev trains - the rails on those aren't just simple metal rails.

 

I'm still skeptical of the 1/20th amount of materials statement, though.

[smokingwreckage]

This thing would chew electricity. With he governments of the world eager to head backwards at east 50 years in terms of generation capacity I can't se anything like this getting off the ground.

[sumbloke]

 

 

Quote

According to Musk, the system would only need 1/20th the amount of materials as a high-speed rail line and cost 1/10th as much to build.

Interesting. A fully-enclosed, airtight tube needs 1/20th the materials of a pair of metal rails...

 

I think he's comparing it to one of the current high speed mag-lev trains - the rails on those aren't just simple metal rails.

 

I'm still skeptical of the 1/20th amount of materials statement, though.

 

Good point. I should have compared the fully-enclosed, airtight tube with maglev fixings to the maglev fixings with SFA else.

[Chrome]

update - http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/12/tech/innovation/hyperloop-fastest-trains/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

 

Looks like the OP was just a bunch of highly exaggerated hype. If not flat-out lies to get people watching. Now they're saying LA to SF in 35 minutes, not LA to NY in 45. That's a huge difference.

 

And would it really be worth it? Unless they build a cross-country system right off of the bat, they'd be spending all of this money to build a system that cuts a 70 minute trip in half? Would consumers pay a premium to save half an hour? (I'm sure that tickets on this new system would cost more than existing trains, even if they do cost lest to build and maintain. Simply b/c they're new. They carry a lot less people too, so seating would be limited.)

Edited August 13, 2013 by Chrome

[TGP]

I could think of better, less crazy ways to spend this guy's money. He should hand over seven figures or so and let me try.

[smokingwreckage]

Precision GPS, a sophisticated control program with failsafes, electric car: a much better way to spend someone's money. Uses existing infrastructure, accedes to people's preference for private transport, yet still gets you to work if you're sleepy or hungover...

[klawzie]

I was horrified of the original projection (LA to NY in 45 minutes) because I couldn't imagine it would end any other way than SPLAT.

 

The new version was better.... until I read you'd essentially be seated in a reclining position in a travel pod. No windows; etc. And the claustrophobic feeling took all joy out of the shortened trip. I'm not exactly claustrophobic, but the psychological effect would be pretty dire to me and I'd probably go from, "That sounds a little boring." to "LET ME OUT." in practice.