Yeah, it is - get a semi-truck to about 60 mph, let it coast, it stops in abouta mile. Do that with a regular railroad car, it stops in about 5 miles. Plus, these railcars could be made to streamline with each other - fairings could keep the wind off, so that although the 1st car is expending 3000 hp to push the air out of the way at 150 mph, the 2nd thru 100th cars, simply running close or touching the car ahead, could be "drafting", NASCAR style, and expending 50 hp to maintain that 150 mph.
Triple-redundancy in the computer configuration ensures that no cars are blocking tracks - the problem will be fixed when the 1st one of the three exhibits problems - the remaining 2 good ones get the car to the next station. The technicians would not have to be "everywhere" as they could ride in on another railcar from 300 miles away, in about 2 hrs, and fix one stranded at a station with a bad computer. Computer problems would be rare, just like they are in cars - 1 tech could probably cover a 600 mile radius.
That would be time for a court battle - I'm saying they have to be fair, too.
Actually, I'd like to see all emminent domain paid at 2X if a structure is taken, or 1.5X if its just land. The 1X pays for the house, the other X pays for the inconvenience of suddenly having to make other plans.
You never ride airplanes, eh? Well, almost everyone else does.
Not so many will ride transporters - Dr. McCoy may have been right - you die each time you step into one - what comes out the other end is a copy that doesn't know that you died, and thinks its you.
Only a plus if we can move all the people (who hate our guts) out of there to somewhere else.
Dave Head
