Research Article
Feb 1969
Urban Gravity—Vacuum Transit System
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VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Transportation Engineering Journal of ASCE
Volume 95, Issue 1
Abstract
Gravity-Vacuum Transit (GVT), a passenger transportation system which employs gravity and vacuum for propulsion, is described for urban applications. The physical principles are presented which permit GVT trains to operate at roughly twice the average speed of conventional rapid transit while satisfying the same passenger-comfort criteria. A system-engineered train configuration is described which affords unusually generous passenger space while permitting an economical tunnel-section, slightly over half that of present transit tunnels. A possible system from San Francisco to Marin County is presented and its performance discussed. The GVT tunnel-section is shown and several advantages of deep tunnels are cited. Details of the tubes and tube suspension within the tunnels are also discussed. The wheel-rail interface is presented and the train and station configurations are described. Further information is presented concerning valves, pumps, turnaround and shop facilities, and profile characteristics. A performance summary is given in tabular form.
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Published In
Transportation Engineering Journal of ASCE
Volume 95 • Issue 1 • February 1969
Pages: 173 - 202
Copyright
© 1969 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published in print: Feb 1969
Published online: Feb 5, 2021
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Authors
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Lawrence K. Edwards
President, Tube Transit Corp., Palo Alto, Calif.
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Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.