That's pretty much like what I suggest some time (years ?) ago.
Design trucks and trailers with hydraulic drop-down rail "trucks" (wheel
sets). Or just the trailers, perhaps.
Build new specialized rail yards that become freight transit hubs. Each
yard would have several parallel lengths of "side track", that fork
together at each end and join a main line.
Local trucks, probably with drivers, drive from various warehouses in
the vicinity of the rail yard to one of the side tracks in the yard.
Each side track would be targeted to a particular destination yard. So
the driver must pick the right one, drive his truck over the track, drop
the train "truck", and leave (or pick up a newly delivered truck &
trailer).
At the destination yard, the opposite happens.
I think, technically, this system would not be too hard to implement.
Yet, there are at least two major problems. One, it's probably slower
transportation than directly driving the truck to its destination.
Perhaps that could be overcome if the resulting cost were significantly
cheaper. I think it could be - no driver, less fuel.
The other impediment, and this one is difficult, the complexity of
assembling trains to each destination. In the real world, there are
probably hundreds of destinations that need to be reachable from any
given source on a given day. You can't have hundreds of side tracks.
Maybe you could have a side track represent a string of destinations,
and drop off segments of the train - in order from rear to front - as it
goes through each destination. To do that, the segments would have to be
assembled correctly at the source. Could work, I suppose. There might be
other, better solutions. I don't know.
I guess I'll mention a third problem. You wouldn't need as many truck
drivers. You can see where that idea goes.
Anyway, if this could happen, it would be fantastic and much better use
of both our rail and freeway infrastructures.
Peri
<< Annoyed by leaf blowers ? https://quietcleanseattle.org/ >>
------ Original Message ------
From: "Lawrence Winiarski via EV" <ev@lists.evdl.org>
To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <ev@lists.evdl.org>
Cc: "Lawrence Winiarski" <lawrence_winiar...@yahoo.com>
Sent: 17-Nov-24 00:53:44
Subject: Re: [EVDL] Hydrogen trains
That's great! I remember the Kingston Trio 'MTA' song and now I've got new
words!
On the idea of cordless trains, I'm going to throw out a crazy conglomeration
of 1/2 baked ideas.
Suppose you think of the best qualities of trains.a) drives on a steel trackb)
has low gradesc) restricted air resistance because trains cars draft each other.
Suppose you had something like an autonomous train/trailer/car ..maybe much smaller than a regular
freight car, more like a truck trailer that had both rail wheels and rubber tires and a
smallelectric motor and battery. (They already have pickups that do that for working on the
train) Now use the so called "self driving" stuff to allow it to drive right behind
another such train-trailer-car at lower speeds (for energy efficiency) and allow these individual
cars to self assemble into a "trains", but with several added benefits.
a) Tracks are a more controlled environment for autonomous driving. Also in
theory you can drive slower on tracks than on the highway.
b) Trailers could self drive off the tracks into a parking area next to any
track and potentially get hooked up to regular trucks for delivery
c) The these auto freight cars could actually stop at signals and wait for
cars instead of the other way aroundd) makes it a lot easier separate freight
cars allowing more options for delivery, splitting and assembling trains at
will.
e) reduces the load on highwaysg) Could cover the roof with solar
panels...further increasing range....or if it's just sitting, it could charge
it's own batteriesh) no driver needed but having a truck driver drive 10 hours
a day at average of 60mph is the same as computer driving 24 hours/day at
25mph and far better efficiency due to drafting, steel wheels,lower speeds,
etc...My guess is that the solar panels on the roof are not such a crazy idea
when you really reduce the energy requirements. And in theory if you need to
charge, you could justpull off at tracks at the next opportunity and just sit
and wait and let a battery pack charge up.
On Saturday, November 16, 2024, 4:08:10 PM PST, Lee Hart via EV
<ev@lists.evdl.org> wrote:
> Well, your comparison is kind of unfair. I'd have a corded car if it were
stationary.
Here's a story about a man who never needed to recharge his EV. :-)
https://sunrise-ev.com/poems/nocharge.htm
--
Excellence does not require perfection. -- Henry James
But it *does* require attention to detail! -- Lee Hart
--
Lee A. Hart https://www.sunrise-ev.com
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