Maglev Monitor
Midweek Morning MagLev Messenger (2025-07-23) Miscellaneous & Various Items
Interesting and background stories. All these less-important stories are in two semi-weekly e-mails, so each of you is not bothered by a lot of e-mails, and you can select which you want to read, and which you choose to ignore. This "MagLev Monitor" is issued Wednesday morning as this Midweek Morning MagLev Messenger (4M), and also late Saturday as the Saturday Evening Repost (SER).
This newsletter generally covers Superconducting MagLev, and more. It also covers competing technologies, such as EVs, hydrogen, and aviation. We won't forget the past, covering classic railways, and what lessons they can give us. And, of course, the Jigsaw Puzzles, for fun.
This edition is mostly about railroads, and what lessons they can have for PD MagLev. Some of these deal with political interference.
My website: http://www.LeviCar.com/
Maglev2000 website: https://www.maglev2000.net/
This New Amtrak Route Failed Because Of A Government Mistake
https://www.thetravel.com/new-amtrak-route-failed-because-of-government-mistake/
IMHO — This is a warning to us to be careful when dealing with governments, from the Federal government down to local municipalities. Make sure you're using the right form. In some situations, you might have to prepare two (or more) copies of the same proposal, each tailored for a different available funding program.
This New York Law Would Make the MTA Even Less Efficient
A union-backed bill to prohibit one-person train operation threatens to derail cost-cutting efforts.
https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-mta-subway-transit-unions-train-operation
IMHO — One thing I'm afraid of is that, if we refer to P/D MagLev as a "railroad", then it might be subject to the many rules and regulations that have been imposed on railroads in the interest of safety and fairness. I'm not saying that P/D MagLev should be free from regulation, only that such regulations be appropriate for this new technology, not the old technology that constitutes conventional rail. If we had to have one or even two crewmembers on each MagLev vehicle, it would be much less efficient. P/D MagLev is designed to have its vehicles move under automatic control on a closed network of guideways. The customers tell the system where the vehicle is to go, and the system figures out the rest, and then propels the vehicle to its goal. Having extra crew members might even interfere with safety. Perhaps it should be called a "conveyor" system rather than a "railroad" or "railway".
U.S. DOT rescinds $327 million in funding for Boston road/rail project
State says it remains committed to Allston project to realign I-90, build new MBTA station and layover facility
U.S. DOT rescinds $327 million in funding for Boston road/rail project
Caption: “BOSTON — The Trump administration has rescinded a $327 million grant awarded in 2023 or the Allston Multimodal Project, which calls for realignment of Interstate 90 and a new Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail station and layover facility, among other features. The funding termination follows President Donald Trump’s signing of a bill that eliminated the Neighborhood ...” (www.trains.com)
US Customs detains 8 Red Line subway cars in Philadelphia (story from Boston)
T says federal agency is investigating forced labor allegations
It is only the shells of the railcars that are being detained. The final assembly is in Springfield, MA.
I don't know if the reason for this is disdain for China, or disdain for mass transit.
China vows high-speed rail upgrade after years of record-breaking expansion
Beijing expected to reach 50,000km target by end of 2025, as it shifts focus to quality and efficiency
IMHO — We have to keep China from eating our lunch.
Queens residents back turning abandoned railway into transit corridor
IMHO — Using elevated-guideways P/D MagLev for urban transportation means that greenways built atop abandoned rail lines can use the full width of the former Rights-of-Way (except for where the pylons are), with the guideway being above that.
Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern discuss merger to create transcontinental railroad, AP source says
Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern discuss merger to create transcontinental railroad, AP source says (www.1011now.com)
IMHO — With a Nationwide MagLev Network (NMLN), freight cargoes can travel seamlessly from one segment to another, even if the various geographic segments have different ownership. Think of this as a toll highway system, except the >300-mph "highway" provides the propulsion and guides to vehicles through an automatic system. Just as different trucking firms operate on the Interstate Highway System, so too can different service providers operate on the NMLN. The shippers pay the service providers, and the service providers pay the tolls. This is one of several possible business models.
Justice Department and Norfolk Southern near settlement deal in Amtrak Crescent case
Federal judge OK’s government request for more time to nail down final details of settlement in principle in passenger train right of preference case
I have not seen any more-recent news about this.
With P/D MagLev, all vehicles on the same mainline guideway must travel at the same speed to prevent collissions. (There will be entrance/exit ramps where this does not hold true.) Passenger and freight travel are at the same speed, so there is no question of priority.
A Man Tried To Reinvent The Wheel By Making A Train With 210-Sided Polygonal Wheels
Lessons to be learned by anyone introducing a new technology.
This Scenic Train Has Dramatic River Canyon Sights—and an Open-air Car for Cinematic Views
West Virginia's Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad cuts through the "Trough," a hard-to-access canyon known for its bald eagles.
https://www.travelandleisure.com/west-virginia-potomac-eagle-scenic-railroad-11723555
Sharp-eyed US-Indian satellite set to launch July 30 to monitor Earth's surface, warn of natural disasters
Maybe StarTram can borrow the design of the huge (tennis-court size) radar antenna.
Oriental Train station (Not an easy puzzle.)
https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=3890c95c7602
(For the jigsaw puzzle, you can adjust the number of pieces using the "Play as" option at the top right. There is a pause button to the right of the time indicator at the bottom center.)
I hope you like my tributes to conventional rail, especially since my overall aim is to relegate conventional rail to museums.
— Joshua Zev Levin, Ph.D.