Comments on: Russia’s Giant Snake Train Rolls Speedily on Steel Balls

By: Alexander

Alexander — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:33:06 +0000

Trial rides of a model of this train (1/5 of real size) was recorded in 1934 and can be found on youtube. The speed of a model reached 70 km/h.

youtube.com/watch?v=WKfWkjpnbE0

By: cDima

cDima — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:50:06 +0000

I’m not sure why everyone thinks the debris would knock the train loose. Are two tracks much more stable than one at 190mph? The momentum/inertia problems go for the current trains too. I’d be more scared to ride a two-track train more, a simple misalignment of the two tracks would send any train hurling, right?

By: anachoret

anachoret — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:05:45 +0000

> Yarmolshuk (Ð¯Ñ€Ð¼Ð¾Ð»ÑˆÑƒÐº?) is a pretty strange name, if you ask me.
This is his second name. I suppose “Gray” doesn’t strange you. Peace, dude…

By: Andrew Sem.

Andrew Sem. — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:02:06 +0000

And also… How this this train will “land”? The railway station should have special equipment for that.

By: Emili Gray

Emili Gray — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:26:51 +0000

Heh – the headline is priceless -) –
Yarmolshuk (Ð¯Ñ€Ð¼Ð¾Ð»ÑˆÑƒÐº?) is a pretty strange name, if you ask me.

By: Robert Haines

Robert Haines — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 20:51:20 +0000

Also: how would they induce braking? Even if they could come up with some method for acting on the giant solid steel balls, the inertia/momentum of would be considerable. I wonder how much of the original story was true.

By: Carlos S

Carlos S — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:50:07 +0000

The lateral instability of that thing would be awsome, despite the gyroscopes! It would grind the sides against the lateral concrete guards. Besides, the vibrations and noise of those giant steel bearings rolling on concrete would be unbearable. And any debris on the track would make the train jump, literally, as Neil Russell noted.

By: Tim Giachetti

Tim Giachetti — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:53:33 +0000

All Russia have steel balls!

By: Al Bear

Al Bear — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:01:01 +0000

Wow it really does have balls of steel!

By: Neil Russell

Neil Russell — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:06:11 +0000

I would have figured the idea was based on the sport of curling, but if so there would be a big broom on the front of the train to keep debris out of the special concave track.

At 190mph I bet a possum could upend that thing if he was down in the bottom of the track. Or whatever equivalent thing to a possum is in Russia!!

By: fluffy

fluffy — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:21:11 +0000

The headline made me giggle. I am such a 12-year-old inside.