Early U.S. test High Speed Train

[velotrain]

This was built and run in 1966, perhaps in response to the Shinkansen 0, which was launched two years earlier.

 

I have read reports that it was literally in the air at some points of the test run, and reached a high speed of 184 MPH.

 

 

The video isn't particularly interesting, and I have to think that the chase car must have been a police car with the siren on full time.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8ZIJFlU_pA

 

[railsquid]

The M-497 Black Beetle.

[Mudkip Orange]

Otherwise known as the most American thing ever.

 

"We need to test the effects of high-speed running on our existing trackbed and physical plant."

"Let's just strap a couple jet engines to the top of a commuter train and see what happens."

 

And then they actually did it.

[1954G]

Otherwise known as the most American thing ever.

 

"We need to test the effects of high-speed running on our existing trackbed and physical plant."

 

"Let's just strap a couple jet engines to the top of a commuter train and see what happens."

 

And then they actually did it.

 

And then, after removing the jet engines, they put the train back in service for another 18 years.  Says a lot about how durable the Budd RDC was. 

 

Here's a cool interview with one of the men responsible for the project: http://www.gereports.com/post/77176433669/the-jet-train-roars-back-don-wetzel-talks-about#14260156392141&11121320

 

This quote encapsulates the spirit of the Black Beetle quite nicely:

 

 

TK: The train’s sleek cab would make Ferrari proud. How did you design it and found a place for the engines?

 

DW: My wife is a commercial artist and she did the streamlining design. The original design had the jet engines on the rear end of the car, but we changed it to the forward end. She said that the car looked a lot better with the engines on the front. There’s an old pilot legend that if an airplane looks good, it usually flies good. We felt that if the jet train looked good, it would run good.

[kvp]

Funny thing is the soviets tried to copy it only to find out that jets are impractical near sea level.

 

The japanese only bought the licence for the budd stainless steel body.

[cteno4]

You can get an n scale model of this complete with the proper jet engine noise on a sound decoder!

 

Actually just a copy of the Zeppelin train idea witha jet instead of a prop! One reason it failed was it tended to suck everything off a platform if it went by at speed!

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schienenzeppelin

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[velotrain]

_{I wonder if the Japanese knew of the German developments at the time, as Wiki says:}

 

_{"The popular English name bullet train is a literal translation of the Japanese term dangan ressha (弾丸列車^?), a nickname given to the project while it was initially being discussed in the 1930s."}

[SantaFe1970]

For a more successful application of jet aircraft engine to a commuter railroad, Metro North uses surplus jet turbines mounted on a special car to evaporate storm snow with exhaust heat. 

[Jcarlton]

What fun you can have with the leftover pod from a  b36 and a RDC.

[kvp]

A slightly more sane application: (it's actually a turboshaft type turbine from a helicopter)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTT_Turbine_Superbike

And the railroad variant:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_turbine-electric_locomotive

Still a bit ineffective, but at least these turbines can be designed for low altitude operation.