China Tests New Levitation Train

[wakeme2008]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-China-Maglev.html

May 1, 2006
China Tests New Levitation Train
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 9:48 a.m. ET

BEIJING (AP) -- China successfully tested a locally made magnetic levitation train, the first time the country has achieved the feat without using foreign technology, state media reported Monday.

The 20-ton test maglev train ran steadily Sunday on a 1,400-foot experimental line in the provincial capital of Chengdu, the capital of southwestern Sichuan province, the official Xinhua News Agency said Monday.

..more at link....

:grr: Besides killing ppl, is there anything the US will be top in after Bush....

[panader0]

1. Magnetic levitation is the future.

It could be clean and in endless supply.

[KansDem]

2. "Besides killing ppl, is there anything the US will be top in after Bush"

Torturing ppl

[mom cat]

18. Largest debt in the history of the world!

[shadowknows69]

3. Maybe China will send us complimentary tickets

since we bought it for them. Where's our hover train? Oh that's right. We USED to be the leader in scientific advancements.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

4. Big oil doesn't make lots of money off of it

Therefore,we don't do it.

[Ottmar]

5. "locally made" ...

... doesn't exclude "plagiarized".

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. You don't think that out of 1.3 billion citizens, there might be a few

that are smart enough to accomplish this?

There are probably as many engineers and physicists in China as in all the Western world. And most the rest of them are in India.

And they aren't hampered by politicians who believe the earth is flat.

[Ottmar]

9. China is well known for its plagiarisms

The development of the German levitation train "Transrapid" began in 1970. 20 years later in 1991, the Transrapid was fit for use. In 2001, the work on the track for the Transrapid in Shanghai started, in 2002 it was finished. 4 years later, China has its own levitation train. So what do you think?

[DRoseDARs]

13. Indeed. And Transrapid's tech has so much potential...

They've got a number of proposed projects here in the States. Politically there is little will here, but China has far more will to get things done, often at the expense of the rights of their citizens unfortunately. (Re: The Three Gorges Dam).

[ldf]

19. maybe the us should try it

the key is to make it work, and then do it.

just what have WE done, lately, OTHER than outsource, so the rich could get richer?

no one gives a shit about plagiarisms, when it comes to getting the country back on the path to actually producing something other than burgers.

[the other one]

6. Telekinesis - Thats Levitation, Holmes!

[shadowknows69]

17. If mankind had developed his mind

as much as he's developed his "tools". We'd probably be able to telekinetically hover our trains. I so wish our species had developed that other 90% of their brain.

[KittyWampus]

23. Some of us HAVE, though the psuedoskeptics like to call us woo-woo's

etc.

[shadowknows69]

25. You can levitate a train???

Cool. Just messing with you. I assure you you're talking to a believer.

[KittyWampus]

26. I'm still working on the Pentagon.

:)

[dipsydoodle]

8. The Japanese had those trains years ago

and back in seventies TV repair apprentices made up small versions at college using spare TV parts. It's not exactly rocket science and it's no big deal - you just need the desire to do it.

[grahamhgreen]

10. The Chinese have had a mag-lev running out to the airport in Shanghai for

If you really want to see what's happening, google-image shanghai.

[suston96]

11. Dick Tracy...

Gravity baskets were in Dick Tracy comics almost 50 years ago.... Along with two-way wrist radios and videos.

Chester Gould or estate should file suit.

[NewJeffCT]

15. The maglev in Shanghai was built by Germans

if I recall.

[Kellanved]

22. yup. A German transrapid

I am *absolutely* sure the technology in the new train is in no way inspired by the transrapid.
:sarcasm:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

28. It seems China copied the Japanese's copying strategy. -nt

[DRoseDARs]

14. But their maglevs aren't true maglevs: Still require physical guidance...

...and wheels. Transrapid's maglevs have zero, zilch, nada physical contact with their guideways/tracks except when the magnets are turned off.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. No wonder they're rounding up Falun Gong.

They're protecting trade secrets.

[bleedingheart]

16. We were supposed to have Maglev here in Pittsburgh...but nope

we will build stadiums and arenas for sports teams because as we all know now...it is about Bread and Circuses...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. Meanwhile, The USofA tests new 8mpg Hummer.

"We're proud of you!" shouts the crowd.

[steely]

21. Guffaw

ssnnnort - good one.

[KittyWampus]

24. yes, and that Hummer will have the perfect cup holder as well

[katty]

27. any Mag Lev's in U.S.?

[DRoseDARs]

29. There are actually several proposed projects at various stages...

http://www.transrapid-usa.com/

To find the map below, follow the link above, click on the US map button for the listing of projects, then the top link on following page for a graphical map.

[CentralEuropeanDude]

30. "without using foreign technology" LOL!!!1!

...
The history of China's new magnetic levitation rail system is instructive. Whereas Germany's Transrapid has been tested on a stretch of track in the country's northern Emsland region since 1983, the Chinese version -- led by Chinese engineer Wu Xiangming, nicknamed Commander Wu -- only took 22 months to build. The 30-kilometer (18 mile) stretch of magnetic track went up on the perimeter of Shanghai at the behest of the Chinese government. The rapid completion, of course, was made possible because the German companies involved contributed funding, top-notch personnel and expertise. A Sino-German joint-venture company oversaw the project.

But the cooperation turned sour in December 2004, when Chinese engineers broke into the Transrapid maintenance room in the middle of the night and took measurements of the new train. The bizarre incident was even captured on film, and German economic weekly Wirtschaftswoche speculated that it was a case of Transrapid technology theft.
...

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,402464,00.html