271–280 of 983 posts
I am skeptical of the proposed cost were someone to actually build this. Sure, the cost of materials, labor, engineering, etc. is probably accurate, but something like this has never been built before. What about the cost of research and testing? Not to mention there doesn't currently exist an industry of contractors to build most of the parts of this system, which is not true in the case of traditional high speed ra…
... could CHSRA just build this? I understand they're in the planning stages, and I don't think it'd be absurd to say "this is a train, just better and cheaper". Edited to add: My question was primarily legal - if someone were to step up and demonstrate this was feasible could it possibly make a difference?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
How is that any worse than standard commercial air travel? Plus, really, you are talking about a thirty-minute journey.
You can get up and walk around on a plane.
For the advantage of a short journey people will put up with it, especially if it can get you to the centre of the city rather than an airport on the outskirts.
(Figure 1). The only system that comes close to matching the low energy requirements of Hyperloop is the fully electric Tesla Model S. Shameless plug of the day :) So far it does not break too much of the laws of physics and is indeed workable.
"In the case of the Hyperloop, Musk started focusing on public transportation after he grew disenchanted with the plans for California’s high-speed rail system." And who says that big government stifles entrepreneurial innovation? If ALL Musk does with the Hyperloop announcement is shed more light on the potential debacle that is to be our $70b+ high-speed rail in California, we owe him a debt of gratitude. PS - Dire…
Interesting point that big government provoked the advancement of the hyperloop idea - counterintuitive idea, and clearly yes. but any idea like this will need government cooperation. The real test of big government will be how they respond to the hyperloop. magic response: "of course we may be wrong, we'll look into this immediately." and then they decide to build it. likely answer: praise, perhaps even an evaluatio…
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What happens currently on a high-speed rail system? I suppose there's a lavatory in the HSR (e.g.: France's TGV).
Fast trains are just fast trains. Inside there isn’t much special about them compared to slower ones, except that they are usually more comfortable (softer and adjustable seats, definitely wider, at least in first class, better and more tables, more storage space for luggage, electrical outlets, sometimes crappy WiFi, a crappy restaurant, relatively roomy bathrooms that don’t even look that bad). Also, they actually…
I am intrigued, but not overwhelmed. Many of his reasons why his hyperloop is superior to high speed rail are not specific to the hyperloop. For example, you can put railway tracks up on pylons, too, with very little impact on the ground. It is common to do this in urban areas, but it is rarely done in rural areas because it is flat out cheaper to put it on the ground. I don't believe that an experimental tube is goi…
Edit: apparently, the weight of the train/car/etc matters more.
As someone who gets claustrophobic on planes - I have to fight the panic every time I fly, the dread that fills me at the thought of a service/system malfunction, while halfway between LA and SF, what happens then? I'm reminded of this water slide at the Gold Coast's Wet and Wild - you end up going upside down - but in order to attain the velocity required to make the loop, you need to be dropped from a particular he…
If you can't stand being in an enclosed space like that, there's still the interstate. Is not meant to be everyone's ideal solution, it's meant to be a good solution for most people.
I am skeptical of the proposed cost were someone to actually build this. Sure, the cost of materials, labor, engineering, etc. is probably accurate, but something like this has never been built before. What about the cost of research and testing? Not to mention there doesn't currently exist an industry of contractors to build most of the parts of this system, which is not true in the case of traditional high speed ra…