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The discussion in another post regarding guided bus systems reminded me of another project where Birmingham was an innovator. The link between the newly opened Birmingham International Railway Station at the National Exhibition Centre and the city's airport was a groundbreaking system, which all too typically didn't get the further development or maintenance it needed. Officially opened in 1984, it had become so unreliable 10 years later that it was scrapped in 1995.
Although not a regular visitor to this site, I did travel on it once, just for the experience.
Re: Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) Railway
Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2021 4:35 pm
by philipy
Then of course there is the the Gatwick Airport Monorail, which isn't a monorail at all! The vehicles are carried on rubber tyres running on a concrete track with twin running surfaces and are steered by separate guide rails.
I've been on it once when we got caught in the mayhem caused by the drones a couple of Christmas's ago and we had to get to the mainline Brighton train to find an hotel for the night!
Re: Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) Railway
Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2021 4:32 pm
by Lonsdaler
Peter Butler wrote: ↑Sun Dec 12, 2021 4:06 pm
Meanwhile..... also in the West Midlands, another similar system was in operation for a while, probably suffering the same fate?
Although not a regular visitor to this site, I did travel on it once, just for the experience.
I'd forgotten about Merry Hill! I never went there, having moved from the Black Country in 1980. It was still Round Oak Steelworks back then (I did visit there a few times as a fireman).
Re: Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) Railway
Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2021 6:31 pm
by -steves-
If we are going down this "route" then let's not forget about the experimental hovercraft train that ended up at Railworld in Peterborough. I don't know much about it's history but I do know it was built in 1970 and was a "doomed" test vehicle, used somewhere near Erith and was finally donated to Railworld in 1996 and I have seen it a couple of times, it was just siting there, rotting away.