Just to skew the subject a bit here, I have always felt that "mag-lev", except -possibly- in some passenger applications, is one of the dumbest ideas to come along in a while. I have actually seen "experts" recommend that we use it to haul coal. Haul coal! Take who knows how many squillion megawatts (by burning coal?) to lift freight when perfectly good flanged steel wheels do it, by comparison, practically free. (If you're gonna burn all that extra coal, I can think of a type of railroad machine that burns coal, and is much more interesting doing it.)
Anyway, in most applications, I consign "mag-lev" to the same technological silliness as the flying automobile.
Really? Cars falling from the sky after a fender-bender? This is a rational idea? Like jet-packs?
Now back to your regularly scheduled broadcast.
