Missile on rails
 

link corrected:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6521295.stm

Hooooosssshhhh...!

Wha?? Do you have the right link?

This is the same as here - http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=110462

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6521295.stm

My fault, sorry.

Some footage of the Feb test that preceded this attempt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Bel_LcjZg

Gives you an idea of some of the speeds involved....if we tried that on the East Coast Main Line, the wires would fall down and the stock fall apart.

Soon, the CTRL will give us at least one high speed line....if it doesn't get bodged that is.

Thanks for the link Sky!! :up:

Such speeds for me only when wings are involved, please, and the vehicle is completely undetached from the ground. One of the pleasure of train travelling is that you move at medium speeds, or even slow. That's what gives it it's charm. I don't like this high speed train stuff at all.

I hate rail travel. In the UK its very slow, very unreliable and incredibly expensive. Its dirty, noisy, overcrowded to boot. Its something i have to tolerate once or twice a year as opposed to something id enjoy.

Anything to get that journey over and to my destination quicker is good by me.
I'd much rather fly (and its often a lot cheaper to fly) but if i cant a fast train would do second place provided its faster than my car.

The useless british infrastructure though there is no chance of ever reaching 1/2 that speed reliably without the entire train and track falling to pieces.

Cool! I wish we had trains that fast in the States, I know I'd think twice about air travel...

I agree.

Missile on rails, eh? I thought you meant on of these. :D

From what James Bond movie is that? :D

That's a real piece of equipment, namely the rail-launched version of the RT-23 Molodets (SS-24 Scalpel) ICBM. There's some footage of it over on YouTube. (narration is in Russian, but the footage is still facinating)

Incidently, the US also built and tested a rail-launched version of the LGM-119 Peacekeeper (which is very similar to the Molodets in most regards), but never got around to actually deploying it.

ICBM Peacekeeper, Colt Peacemaker - there always were some mysterious twists in American humour that I never really got to understand... :lol:

When I was in England in 2004, I had the choice of rail or air travel between Bristol and Liverpool. The rail journey would take 8 hours, and changing trains once, and cost 80 pounds. Take the plane, get there in 1 hour and cost 20 pounds.

Want to guess which one I took.....:hmm: