Welcome to our first post for 2011! Not a lot of Maglev news has been released since Christmas time as the political wheels come to a halt (as new Governors are brought in for their elected statesman roles) for the holiday season. We will try and wrap up what news has taken place.
Jan 05 (Vegas X & Z trains)
(This story has a small tie to the Vegas Market and the "X"&"Z" trains trying to get early market share of the LA to Vegas route before either DesertXpress or Maglev start vertical construction. It discusses how Downtown Vegas with its recent real estate transaction of selling the old city hall to Zappos.com is hopping to rebuild the area into a"high-tech" working hub.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/jan/05/hopes-tech-hub-downtown-hinge-hsieh/
"The Plaza closed its 1,037-room hotel last month and will spend the next year remodeling rooms and hallways. In October, it purchased high-end furniture once destined for the stalled Fontainebleau on the Strip.
Sources said the Plaza is also working on a deal to use existing rails, which run next to the hotel, for a project they’re calling X-Train, which would ferry tourists from Los Angeles to downtown Las Vegas for $99 round trip. Because X-Train would use existing tracks, it could begin operation this year — two or three years ahead of proposed high-speed rail projects between Southern Nevada and Southern California.
Plaza representatives could not be reached for comment.
X-Train could be an immense boost to downtown casinos."
Jan 03 (MOVIE)
The International Maglev Board (www.maglevboard.net) posted this great video (about 2 years ago showing a TR08) from the Discovery and Science Channel that discusses the basics of Maglev travel. It has some great shots in the maintenance bay, underneath the maglev showing the triple stator windings, Drivers view POV, and a quick shot of the drivers computer screen. If you need to explain how a Maglev works... this is a great easy level of education.
Late Dec.
The North American Maglev Transport Institute *NAMTI website (http://namti.org/)is up and running. We were sent a link to this site and they are a non-profit group promoting the benefits of maglev transportation. Links to technology, photos, videos, and a papers section.
Mid Dec. Tehran Maglev
There were a lot of reports for Tehran wanting to build a Maglev line from Mashhad and Tehran (525 miles), and that Tehran even sent teams to Frankfurt to "sign a deal." However, no confirmations of the deal have been published or released. http://www.iran-times.com/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=949:regime-wants-to-build-worlds-first-big-maglev-line-&catid=101:eco-left&Itemid=44
Keep Flying On The Ground!
Ca/Nv Maglev News
