Ok, i have an awesome idea on how to make millions upon billions of dollars with one simple concept. It is a train, that runs on neither gas, nor electricity. It runs on ... magnets! Ok here's the concept: 1. We get a cool lookin train. 2. We get a big ol' magnet and slap it onto the bottom of the train, north pole facing down. 3. We get another big ol' magnet and lay it on the tracks of the railroad, south pole facing up. 4. We get yet another big ol' magnet and slap it onto the right side of the train, north pole facing right. 5. Yet more magnets! This time on the left side of the train with the north pole facing left. 6. Go ahead and get 2 more big ol' magnets to prevent going back to the magnet store. 7. Take one of the big ol' magnets and slap it onto the top of the train, north pole facing up. 8. Take the last magnet and slap it onto the back of the train, north pole facing back. 9. Run back to the magnet store to get the 4 magnets we forgot to get. 10. Now, slap 3 of those last 4 magnets on the bottom, left, and right of the train's along the tunnel with their poles facing towards the opposite pole on the train. 11. Now, the most important step, create a "hinge" type thing to hold the last big ol' magnet in place behind the train with the south pole facing toward the magnet on the train.(Propelling it forward! Is it all coming together now?) 12. Place the last magnet in place. 13. Learn to speak fluent German. 14. Once we've, go to Germany and sell the concept to the Germans. 15. Let them develop on the concept. 16. Sit back and lite our cigars with $100 bills! There, 16 easy steps to paradise. Who is with me!? Can you dig it!!!!!!!!!???????
Electro-magnetic railways have existed for two decades now and it's impossible to achieve any acceptable speeds with your suggested methods outside of a vacuum (where winddrag is non-existent).
*comfort* It's still a lovely idea though. 1.) Establish rough eco-friendly propulsion design. 2.) ........... 3.) Profit!
as mentioned above, this technology has already been developed...its called MAGLEV. There are already operating trains using maglev is Germany, U.S., and other countries, reaching speeds of over 300 MPH
lets go for a ride................... Magnetic levitation transport, or maglev, is a form of transportation that suspends, guides and propels vehicles via electromagnetic energy. This has advantages in terms of speed and ride comfort compared to wheeled mass transit systems - potentially, maglevs could reach velocities comparable to turboprop and jet aircraft (500 – 580 km/h) - but although the idea is decades old, technological and economic limitations have caused relatively few full-scale systems to be built. Maglev technology has minimal overlap with wheeled train technology and is not compatible with conventional railroad tracks. go here to read it all http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_levitation_train more here http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/Stu/ppoggio/maglev/index.html
