French Skytrain - fabulously futuristic propeller/jet driven high speed train from the 60s

[editor]

Check out this amazing experimental train!

Translated page: https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.nuancierds.fr/Art5.htm&edit-text=&act=url

Original: http://www.nuancierds.fr/Art5.htm

 

[8ball]

Monorail!

 

[editor]

The translation says:

How does the SkyTrain?

The zany, guided by a rail concrete inverted T-shaped, sliding at full speed on an air cushion on its support.

Zanyrail!

 

[Hocus Eye.]

It is not a train at all. It is a single unit without coaches.

 

[The Boy]

Can I make my obligatory "can't understand why they never took off" quip?

There is also footage of these in action on that there YouTube.

 

[Gingerman]

http://uktvplay.uktv.co.uk/shows/impossible-engineering/watch-online/?video=4275840258001
Wonder if it was an influence on the Maglev train

 

[dishevelled]

The French love their trains. Their current rail system is vastly superior to the UK. I suppose they want to keep it that way. Bravo.

 

[ska invita]

Monorail!

A monorail?
...monorail......monorail......monorail......monorail......monorail......monorail...

 

[Dogsauce]

There's a wonderful video of this on the youtubes with Michael Jackson's Earth Song for added gravitas. Includes footage of them smashing it to bits.

 

[Dogsauce]

Some great footage here. Our bold future, unrealised:

 

[Dogsauce]

... and don't forget the Russian version which ran on conventional rails

http://englishrussia.com/2014/05/26/abandoned-and-rusty-soviet-turbo-jet-train/

 

[pogofish]

And the American one:

http://www.american-rails.com/images/NYCBlackBTL.jpg

 

[Dogsauce]

And the American one:

That's blatantly a Transformer. Robots not in disguise.

 

[SikhWarrioR]

Dont forget the Germans built a propellor driven railcar pre-WW2 that ran on conventional track and if you want to see working Monorails in every day use a trip to Wuppertal will satisfy you Die Schwebilbhan literally The Hanging Railway been working for over 110 years