Have to share this experience - ive just been on a 430km/hr train ride from Shanghai centre to PuDong airport. Absolutely amazing, must be the best
train ride ever. Only took 8 mins to cover over 30Km.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Maglev_Train
Apparently it can do just over 500km/h!!!!!!
That's amazing - an average speed of 225km/hr
It was quite incredible how smooth the trip was. There was a digital speed that was showing a peak of 431km/hr. I work that out at 269mph!!!. The corners are banked. Looking out at the window you could see the other track and just how little there was to keep you on the track. When a train came in the other direction there was just a bang and a quick blurr as it went past at a combined speed of approx 540mph!!! Truly breathtaking. And all for 50rmb one way (approx £3.50!). Return trip was only 80 rmb (approx £5.30).
I intend too use the same route back too the airport, has too be done, btw I came in at well under 80p per DVD, 33.3p.
We could have taken a taxi back to the airport but the Maglev was far far better an option. Youve got to do it Jon.
I didnt bother with DVD's. Did however get some watches and a Boss bag and wallet. Had to haggle hard but got a good deal in the end. It was
quite worrying getting taken to such a dark and dingy place to view them though.
If you have some good films i could help you offset the cost of purchase if you are interested?
Why can we not have something like that in this country.
It makes me sick - we are happy to spend a great bundle on a big F%^&ing tent and a flippin big wheel then moan that everyone is still using there
cars too much!
People would be running to the stations if they knew they were going to be travelling on a piece of ground breaking technology rather than a bean can
from the 60s
Grr... rant over
just think how skilful the drivers have to be to keep the train on those narrow rails at those speeds
We did have the first EVER maglev train it ran between Birmingham Airport and the railway station. It ran for just under 20 years but they canned it I
can't remember why. It has now been replaced by cars attached to a wire wrapped around a big motor pulley like a cable car, not surprisingly made
in Switzerland.
I find it sickening that we invent stuff that gets taken over and done better elsewhere, here is a list of things that I think are examples:
Harrier jump jet, no equal! designed in the 1950s
Hovercraft invented in 1950s now the lottery will not fund a unique hovercraft museum set inside one of the remaining SRN6 channel ferry craft, most
likely to get cut up for scrap now.
Maglev see above
Atomic Bomb. we made it work took it to USA to test and after the war the Americans refused to let us have the technology back. Now they sell us
Trident. (matbe not such a good example!)
RISC chips, ARM was a British firm when it set out and I think sold itself to the USA for development funds no one would give them here.
Tilting Trains- APT prototype in the 1970s worked fine. Cut price version ordered in 1980s by BR was a total failure, now buying pendelinos from
Italy
I could go on.....
Caber
[Edited on 2/6/2007 by caber]
Done the Maglev a couple of times. Nice and smooth, and no real sensation of speed until you pass one going in the opposite direction. When Gordon Brown went on it, he apparently wanted to build one linking London & Edi, and then found out how expesive it was!
We will never afford such modern technology while Tony is spending all our money helping Bush to bomb third world countries and funding housing here
for the ones that run away.
We can't afford a bloody health service or schools thanks to his 'socialist' policies.
I should think Lloyd George isn't so much turning over in his grave, as spinning at generating speeds!
quote:
Originally posted by caber
We did have the first EVER maglev train it ran between Birmingham Airport and the railway station. It ran for just under 20 years but they canned it I can't remember why. It has now been replaced by cars attached to a wire wrapped around a big motor pulley like a cable car, not surprisingly made in Switzerland.
I find it sickening that we invent stuff that gets taken over and done better elsewhere, here is a list of things that I think are examples:
Harrier jump jet, no equal! designed in the 1950s
Hovercraft invented in 1950s now the lottery will not fund a unique hovercraft museum set inside one of the remaining SRN6 channel ferry craft, most likely to get cut up for scrap now.
Maglev see above
Atomic Bomb. we made it work took it to USA to test and after the war the Americans refused to let us have the technology back. Now they sell us Trident. (matbe not such a good example!)
RISC chips, ARM was a British firm when it set out and I think sold itself to the USA for development funds no one would give them here.
Tilting Trains- APT prototype in the 1970s worked fine. Cut price version ordered in 1980s by BR was a total failure, now buying pendelinos from Italy
I could go on.....
Caber
[Edited on 2/6/2007 by caber]
