Plane-train Hybrid that could Revolutionise Transportation in the Future
Imagine in the future where your plane lands on the runway and then taxis to a rail track. The fuselage that you flew in now doubles as a train compartment and you are now transported by rail to the city centre without even getting out of your seat.
Your multi-seat trip (taxi-to-subway-to-airtrain) from home to hotel suddenly becomes a one-seat, hassle-free ride.
This concept though will take decades to get off the ground so you won’t see a train-plane anytime soon as this concept may be 40 or 50 years away.
The concept is not exactly new though. Back in 1920, while examining an early engine,George Bennie wanted to revolutionise transport. His concept was simple. He believed that trains would run more efficiently if they abandoned coal power for propellers. In a very futuristic way, he wanted this new train-plane vehicle to ride above the ground.
By 1929, Bennie began testing the George Bennie Railplane outside of Glasgow. The train had two propellers on either side of the Railplane, propelled the plane forward, while two bogies—frameworks with wheels, which are known as “trucks attached to the top rail held it in place. A series of electric motors provided the power. To brake, the propellers would be reversed, and the Railplane would come to a stop.
Author
Justin Kavanagh
Justin Kavanagh is a recognised leader
in automotive intelligence and vehicle
data supply to the entire motor industry.
He has almost 20 years experience in
building systems from the ground up.
As the Managing Director of Vehicle
Management System, he understands the
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reliable vehicle history and advice to
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