Discussion:
TV movie review: Supertrain pilot and insane transportation tech
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David Brown
2021-05-22 01:09:24 UTC
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Here's another review of a movie that might be of interest, the Supertrain pilot:
https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2021/05/space-1999-one-that-cost-more-than-star.html
Also, here's an excerpt regarding the premise, which I'd say is really pretty typical for SF through the 1940s and '50s: "What the story proposes is a transportation system that combines the regulatory, safety and security issues of an airplane, a subway and a nuclear power plant. It would be fascinating to consider just the psychological tension of operating such a vehicle, but this particular crew drives their atomic train through major cities like a run-down bus on a dirt road."

Any other egregious examples stand out? Especially after the early 1960s?

David N. Brown
Mesa, Arizona
Andrew Love
2021-05-23 18:33:41 UTC
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Post by David Brown
https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2021/05/space-1999-one-that-cost-more-than-star.html
Also, here's an excerpt regarding the premise, which I'd say is really pretty typical for SF through the 1940s and '50s: "What the story proposes is a transportation system that combines the regulatory, safety and security issues of an airplane, a subway and a nuclear power plant. It would be fascinating to consider just the psychological tension of operating such a vehicle, but this particular crew drives their atomic train through major cities like a run-down bus on a dirt road."
I watched this when it was on TV in the 1970s - but thankfully have few memories of it.
Post by David Brown
Any other egregious examples stand out? Especially after the early 1960s?
Rick Raphael's "Code Three" might be of interest (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/19111/19111-h/19111-h.htm)

Also see Timothy Zahn's 1982 "Between a Rock and a High Place" about a permanently aloft aircraft carrier that picks up smaller aircraft and transports them and their passengers nearer to their destinations faster than the smaller craft could travel.
Dimensional Traveler
2021-05-23 18:36:06 UTC
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Post by Andrew Love
Post by David Brown
https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2021/05/space-1999-one-that-cost-more-than-star.html
Also, here's an excerpt regarding the premise, which I'd say is really pretty typical for SF through the 1940s and '50s: "What the story proposes is a transportation system that combines the regulatory, safety and security issues of an airplane, a subway and a nuclear power plant. It would be fascinating to consider just the psychological tension of operating such a vehicle, but this particular crew drives their atomic train through major cities like a run-down bus on a dirt road."
I watched this when it was on TV in the 1970s - but thankfully have few memories of it.
Post by David Brown
Any other egregious examples stand out? Especially after the early 1960s?
Rick Raphael's "Code Three" might be of interest (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/19111/19111-h/19111-h.htm)
Also see Timothy Zahn's 1982 "Between a Rock and a High Place" about a permanently aloft aircraft carrier that picks up smaller aircraft and transports them and their passengers nearer to their destinations faster than the smaller craft could travel.
Then how do they catch up with it to land on it?
--
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Andrew Love
2021-05-23 18:43:37 UTC
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Post by Dimensional Traveler
Post by Andrew Love
Also see Timothy Zahn's 1982 "Between a Rock and a High Place" about a permanently aloft aircraft carrier that picks up smaller aircraft and transports them and their passengers nearer to their destinations faster than the smaller craft could travel.
Then how do they catch up with it to land on it?
IIRC, the carrier slows a bit before a rendezvous, and the shuttle is going faster during the docking than it could sustain on a long flight
Bill Gill
2021-05-23 18:41:29 UTC
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Post by David Brown
https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2021/05/space-1999-one-that-cost-more-than-star.html
Also, here's an excerpt regarding the premise, which I'd say is really pretty typical for SF through the 1940s and '50s: "What the story proposes is a transportation system that combines the regulatory, safety and security issues of an airplane, a subway and a nuclear power plant. It would be fascinating to consider just the psychological tension of operating such a vehicle, but this particular crew drives their atomic train through major cities like a run-down bus on a dirt road."
Any other egregious examples stand out? Especially after the early 1960s?
David N. Brown
Mesa, Arizona
In one of L. Neil Smith's books, I think most like "The Probability
Broach", there was an underground transportation system that made a
half circle between the 2 ends. The car dropped down one side and
came up the other. There was of course a vacuum in the tube.

Bill
pete...@gmail.com
2021-05-24 01:02:57 UTC
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Post by Bill Gill
Post by David Brown
https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2021/05/space-1999-one-that-cost-more-than-star.html
Also, here's an excerpt regarding the premise, which I'd say is really pretty typical for SF through the 1940s and '50s: "What the story proposes is a transportation system that combines the regulatory, safety and security issues of an airplane, a subway and a nuclear power plant. It would be fascinating to consider just the psychological tension of operating such a vehicle, but this particular crew drives their atomic train through major cities like a run-down bus on a dirt road."
Any other egregious examples stand out? Especially after the early 1960s?
David N. Brown
Mesa, Arizona
In one of L. Neil Smith's books, I think most like "The Probability
Broach", there was an underground transportation system that made a
half circle between the 2 ends. The car dropped down one side and
came up the other. There was of course a vacuum in the tube.
Perhaps inspired by Lewis Carroll's Underground Railroad in
'Sylvie and Bruno'. All tunnels are straight, point to point, ignore
the curve of the Earth, and are both frictionless and evacuated.
All trips, whether to the next block, or to the antipodes, take 42 minutes.

http://vunex.blogspot.com/2006/01/sylvie-and-bruno-tangent-ii.html

Pt
David Duffy
2021-05-24 00:25:23 UTC
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[...]
Post by David Brown
operating such a vehicle, but this particular crew drives their atomic
train through major cities like a run-down bus on a dirt road."
Any other egregious examples stand out? Especially after the early 1960s?
The it-sounds-like-inspired-by 1976 spoof
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bus
Bice
2021-05-24 12:01:06 UTC
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On Mon, 24 May 2021 00:25:23 +0000 (UTC), David Duffy
Post by David Duffy
[...]
Post by David Brown
operating such a vehicle, but this particular crew drives their atomic
train through major cities like a run-down bus on a dirt road."
Any other egregious examples stand out? Especially after the early 1960s?
The it-sounds-like-inspired-by 1976 spoof
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bus
I was going to mention The Big Bus, but you beat me to it. That movie
used to be on cable a lot when I was a kid, and a few years ago I
found a cheap copy on DVD and bought it. Great goofy comedy.

For decades I was under the impression that The Big Bus was made in
response to the popularity of the movie Airplane!, but it actually
predates Airplane! by four years.

-- Bob

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