January 11, 2007
STILL BEATS CARS, BUT...:
German Company Engineers Driverless Taxi: In Paderborn, Germany, a driverless Railcab for passengers and freight is born -- and its developers are ushering in a new era of rail travel. (Manfred Dworschak, 1/11/07, Der Spiegel)
For years now, the railway of tomorrow has literally been running in circles. The most you could see was a pair of small gray rail cars on a field just behind the university in the city of Paderborn in the western German state of North-Rhine Westphalia. Day in and day out, they ride along on their circular track, sometimes steering out of each other's way using a track switcher.As mundane as that may seem, something great is taking shape here, engineer Joachim Lückel confidently assures. "We are building a better Transrapid," he says, referring to Germany's high-speed magnetic levitation train.
Ten years have passed since Joachim Lückel, professor of engineering, came up with his life's work: He foresaw small, speedy, gondola-like cars, swarming about everywhere on the old railway tracks, whooshing off on their own by the thousands -- all across the country. And anyone who wants to go anywhere simply calls and orders one.
In the past, developments in public transportation often focused on the expensive train transportation -- traditional passenger trains, high-speed rail and magnetic levitation trains that move the masses. But Railcab is part of a new trend of developing relatively fast, highly efficient and cost-
...way to rob the train of its romance and socializing effect. Posted by Orrin Judd at January 11, 2007 1:00 PM
Remember the taxi in Total Recall? Remember what happened to it?
Posted by: BJW at January 11, 2007 1:47 PMContra to OJ's lament, this is a breaktrough for exact reason OJ hates it.
As dear old dad said back in the 60s, the reason Chicagoans love Metra but hate the "L" is simple - quality of experience.
Now we seemingly have a way to turn rails into podsportation - free of all the jerks on their cell phones and numbnuts with their headphones up too loud.
I had similar thoughts about this idea skiing in Park City a few years back.
The high speed lift disconnects the chair so it comes around slowly, and then reconnects it for rocket ride.
Just last week on Mt. Hood, I was reminded of the idea, and thought "they ought to do this with rails."
Krauts may not be that great at the civilizational stuff, but we can still out-engineer the rest of you anyday.
Posted by: Bruno at January 11, 2007 2:07 PMWhat is it about social engineers and their infatuation with trains (and their bastard cousins, trolleys), anyhow?
I remember prefering the IC to the L to getting from Hyde Park to and from the Loop, despite the extra cost. The only problem was the last train south was at around 12:30, after which you had a problem getting home.
Just think of the MDP increase if Americans bought these, working on the way to the office, from the office, instant message here, coffee cars pulling alongside you on the freeway, rolling parties DUDE!!!!
Posted by: KRS at January 11, 2007 2:38 PMNo one hates the El.
Posted by: oj at January 11, 2007 4:35 PMNo one prefers the el to the metra
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at January 11, 2007 4:49 PMEveryone loves both.
Posted by: oj at January 11, 2007 5:18 PMI started driving to the job rather than taking a combo of el, metra, and bus. Cut my travel time more than in half. Quality of life improved greatly. Trains are cool but . . .
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at January 11, 2007 8:14 PMI always walked unless it was pouring. I'd fall asleep on the El and have to call home from the end of the line to tell The Wife to eat dinner without me.
Posted by: oj at January 11, 2007 8:35 PMThe monorail to Expo '67, the 1967 World's Fair in Quebec, was driverless. They hired college students to sit up front, for the benefit of people who would suffer an attack of the vapors if there wasn't a "driver." But the "drivers" were mostly reading paperbacks while the monorail went on its own.