Antone's Nightclub
Ventura Wrong on Maglev Trains
RECEIVED Fri., Oct. 28, 2005
Dear Editor,
Michael Ventura seems to have invented perpetual motion with his statement, "Maglev trains use no fuel. Emit no pollutants." ["Letters @ 3am," Oct. 28] While there is no fuel on the Maglev, they certainly use a lot of fuel in the form of electricity to power the electro-magnets that levitate and move the cars. How can one believe Ventura when he makes mistakes like this?
I rode the Shanghai Maglev this year, and while it is smooth at slow to moderate speed, the ride became quite bumpy at its maximum speed of 267 mph (430 kph) on the 20-mile run. Even in heavily populated China the Maglev operates at a loss due to the high operating cost. Since the guideway ends on the outskirts of Shanghai it functions mainly as an amusement ride. As I exited a worker was cleaning the bug- and possibly bird- (birds are few in China) splattered windshield.
Michael Ventura seems to have invented perpetual motion with his statement, "Maglev trains use no fuel. Emit no pollutants." ["Letters @ 3am," Oct. 28] While there is no fuel on the Maglev, they certainly use a lot of fuel in the form of electricity to power the electro-magnets that levitate and move the cars. How can one believe Ventura when he makes mistakes like this?
I rode the Shanghai Maglev this year, and while it is smooth at slow to moderate speed, the ride became quite bumpy at its maximum speed of 267 mph (430 kph) on the 20-mile run. Even in heavily populated China the Maglev operates at a loss due to the high operating cost. Since the guideway ends on the outskirts of Shanghai it functions mainly as an amusement ride. As I exited a worker was cleaning the bug- and possibly bird- (birds are few in China) splattered windshield.
Jerry Whiteaker