HIGH SPEED TRACKED AIR CUSHION VEHICLE (TACV) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

The Federal Railroad Administration's Tracked Air Cushion Vehicle (TACV) Project is developing the technology necessary for a technical and economic evaluation of TACV systems with speed capability up to 300 mph. Studies conducted as early as 1965 indicated that the TACV, in comparison with other high speed ground transportation candidates, possessed the greatest potential for implementation in the 1980's. The project began with basic technology studies and laboratory tests, and is presently in the test operations phase, utilizing a tracked air cushion research vehicle (TACRV). Test operations began with the TACV in November 1972, at the Department of Transportation's High Speed Ground Test Center in Pueblo, Colorado. A status report on the project is presented, focusing on recent test developments and future plans. In addition, the main components of the TACRV system (i.e., the vehicle, air cushion system, propulsion system, power distribution and collection system, and guideway) are briefly described.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at the Intersociety Conference on Transportation, September 23-27, 1973.
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Railroad Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Lampros, A F
• Publication Date: 1973-9

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Intelligent transportation systems; Tracked air cushion vehicles
• Old TRIS Terms: Advanced systems
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00050057
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ASME Journal of Mechanical Engineering
• Report/Paper Numbers: 73-ICT-23
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 13 1974 12:00AM