About Maglev Trains
Kids love trains. They are big and strong and fast... there's something dinosaur-like about them. One train that is fascinating to kids is a Magnetic Levetation Train, aka a Maglev Train.
Science and Trains
There are three components to the Maglev system:
- A large electrical power source
- Metal coils lining a guideway or track
- Large guidance magnets attached to the underside of the train
The big difference between a maglev train and a conventional train is that maglev trains do not have an engine -- at least not the kind of engine used to pull typical train cars along steel tracks. The engine for maglev trains is rather inconspicuous. Instead of using fossil fuels, the magnetic field created by the electrified coils in the guideway walls and the track combine to propel the train.
Maglev trains float on a cushion of air, held aloft by their powerful magnets, thus eliminating friction. This lack of friction and the trains' aerodynamic designs allow these trains to reach unprecedented ground transportation speeds of more than 310 mph (500 kph), or twice as fast as Amtrak's fastest commuter train. In comparison, a Boeing-777 commercial airplane used for long-range flights can reach a top speed of about 562 mph (905 kph). Developers say that maglev trains will eventually link cities that are up to 1,000 miles (1,609 km) apart. At 310 mph, you could travel from Paris to Rome in just over two hours.
Maglev Train Accidents
On August 11, 2006, a maglev train compartment on the Transrapid Shanghai airport line caught fire. There were no injuries, and investigators believe that the fire was caused by an electrical problem.
On September 22, 2006, a Transrapid test train in Emsland, Germany had 29 people aboard during a test run when it crashed into a repair car that had been accidentally left on the track. The train was going at least 120 mph (133 km) at the time. Most passengers were killed in the first fatal accident involving a maglev train.