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Transrapid (MagLev) Test Successful In China: 405

Posted by Hemos on from the were-you-sent-here-by-the-devil dept.

theBunkinator writes "Use your favorite translator (+ unit converter) to read about the first successful beyond 400km/h (~250MPH) test of the MagLev train in China. News Blurp in German at tagesschau.de. The offical Transrapid site is bilingual, with choice of German/English. Pictures & Video, too. Beats the Autobahn any day. Probably beats a plane in many situations as well."

8 of 315 comments (clear)

  1. Magnets: by ekrout · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Magnets: Not just for your fridge anymore."

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    If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
  2. I'm not riding it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Seeing China's current economic condition, it's probably just a repainted 1964 World's Fair monorail.

  3. Excellent news. by Alien+Being · · Score: 5, Funny

    Passengers can now go 405 kilometers before they're hungry again.

  4. Reporting from the old days... by MosesJones · · Score: 5, Funny


    5 or so years ago this would have been reported as

    "Under the guise of a civilian transporter the Chinese goverment demonstrated a potentially terrible military weapon, capable of accelerating several tonnes upto half the speed of sound"

    Just think, if Iraq had just done this we'd declare war.

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    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
    1. Re:Reporting from the old days... by MacAndrew · · Score: 3, Funny

      5 years ago, didn't we (US) think "Chinese technology" an oxymoron? Now we consider their fairly modest rockets a threat worthy of an ABM program. Relations have not improved a whole lot. We can't quite decide whether China is our biggest nuclear threat or our #1 growth trading partner, or both.

      If Iraq had done this, it'd mean they had an economy.... Can you imagine someone in Iraq in a hurry to get somewhere, except out? So, you're right, the natural conclusion would be that it was military, a step towards a supergun or something. A not-very-practical horizontal supergun, but Hussein probably wouldn't figure that out. Or the hawks. :)

  5. At least... by Niles_Stonne · · Score: 4, Funny

    At least it wasn't:

    404: Maglev not found

    --
    Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but copyright will always protect me.
  6. Re:Better in more ways by spakka · · Score: 3, Funny
    this will be much easier to attack than an airplane at 35,000 feet

    But a little more difficult to fly into towers

  7. Re:And ... ?? by TheLink · · Score: 3, Funny

    That said we're not far from diminishing returns with maglev vs tgv style trains.

    As you get closer to Mach 1, more and more people will start complaining ;).

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