Hyperloop to Boston?

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Concentrist

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I couldn't help but notice that Boston is not included as one of the HTT Hyperloop planned destinations? Does anybody have any insight as to why not?

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I hope the MIT Hyperloop Team can help address this oversight!
 
Because there are bigger fools than us willing to part with their money for Elon Musk's ego gratification?
 
How dare this imaginary project not have an imaginary stop in Boston!
 
I think Elon Musk is interesting, but half the shit he does it literally to keep himself and by extension Tesla in the media's eye. Hyperloop is an example of this.
 
On the subject of Hyperloop, I think its a great concept for cargo transport, but as far as passenger transport, I see too many problems in the way.

As far as it not reaching Boston, it may be due to the fact that there is not as straight of a path that they would like for the system to work at their desired high speeds between NYC and Boston. Just a guess.
 
stefalarchitect said:
On the subject of Hyperloop, I think its a great concept for cargo transport, but as far as passenger transport, I see too many problems in the way.

As far as it not reaching Boston, it may be due to the fact that there is not as straight of a path that they would like for the system to work at their desired high speeds between NYC and Boston. Just a guess.
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That...and, you know, it being 100% snake oil.
 
If Hyperloop ever amounts to anything, it wont be because this map gave them an ideal strategy. The map is a disaster: a standalone Spokane-Boise shuttle (not enough demand) and a crazy triangular network in triplicate in Texas (when a star routing would serve the same demand for much less infrastructure) is proof enough that they have no idea how to build a network from either a demand or cost standpoint.

The Hyperloop has exactly the same appeal that FastShip Inc did. FastShip was a scaled-up freight-capable JetSki, offering speed advantages vs container ships and huge fuel savings vs air cargo, just as the Hyperloop promises to be faster than trains but cheaper than planes. Rich industrial economies need to make some crazy bets in stuff like this, as Japan has in maglev and US, Europe, and the Soviet Union did in SST aircraft. But these are valued for their tech spinoffs, and rarely for commercialization.
 
Just venturing a guess, but I'm guessing that leaving Boston off the map more to do with the straightness of the alignment & the grades, than just an oversight. If they're able to travel at 760mph, I assume that the hyperloop would require a much straighter ROW than the Acela or any other rail network. They could enforce speed restrictions to traverse certain curves/grades, but I assume at this stage that would be cost prohibitive. Aside from the Pittsburg>Philly section, it looks like the lines avoid any significant mountain crossings.

Random thought, how do you think they would handle switches? Move an entire tube section?
 
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I think switches would be handled by slightly varying the air pressure in the respective tubes.
 
Leaving Boston off the map is just a visual typo. Blame the intern.

They plan on building a next generation, national transportation network that somehow misses the country's sixth-largest CSA? I don't think so.
 
There will be no next generation. There will be no first generation. There will be no network. There are no ROWs from city center to city center. Elevating the whole thing is insane. It's 1% science, 99% showbiz. Between planes and trains we pretty much have this long-distance-transportation thing covered. Credit where credit is due, however, HYPErloop is a very apt name.
 
Shepard said:
There will be no next generation. There will be no first generation. There will be no network. There are no ROWs from city center to city center. Elevating the whole thing is insane. It's 1% science, 99% showbiz. Between planes and trains we pretty much have this long-distance-transportation thing covered. Credit where credit is due, however, HYPErloop is a very apt name.
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Shep -- Just dig a hole and everything becomes obvious and straight -- only $ missing from realizing this

Hyperloop is just Musk trying to seem to be the new Edison -- Note however that of Edison's thousand + inventions that were patented -- not a very large fraction ever were implemented
 
whighlander said:
Shep -- Just dig a hole and everything becomes obvious and straight -- only $ missing from realizing this

Hyperloop is just Musk trying to seem to be the new Edison -- Note however that of Edison's thousand + inventions that were patented -- not a very large fraction ever were implemented
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At what point after digging the hole do you put your head in the sand?

Although there is still no way this goes beyond an expensive experiment and Musk circlejerk, the only feasible way for this to happen is with most of it elevated. To perform any kind of maitence on it I'm assuming they would need to either create a ton of access shafts or assemble the tube within a larger tunnel that allows for easier access. Don't worry though, it's not like the thing will be built in any areas notorious for their seismic activity.

Also, I think people are forgetting that the map was likely made before Boston became a world class city with the addition of a thousand GE employees. Our new heliport can serve as the multi-modal transportation hub of the future, serviced by helicopter, hyperloop, 12 different iterations of PRT, and the Track 61 dinky providing hour long headways for the peasants.
 
Is this more or less realistic than passenger planes that fly without oil?
 
stefalarchitect said:
Funny that you mention that, Musk has hinted at all-electric passenger planes.
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...which would at least take advantage of existing aerospace technology and airport infrastructure.

One reason why Hyperloop is too-far-out is the amount of fixed right-of-way infrastructure it requires (admittedly less than High Speed Rail, but infinitely more than the airlines require)
 
Texasian said:
I'm assuming that the energy store won't be batteries... because ain't nobody got time to wait for the plane to recharge.
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1000 mile power cords.
[/sarcasm]
Perhaps replaceable battery pods.. You just need a simple system for replacing them and obviously make it reliable.
 
stefalarchitect said:
1000 mile power cords.
[/sarcasm]
Perhaps replaceable battery pods.. You just need a simple system for replacing them and obviously make it reliable.
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You could have flow batteries, just empty the tanks and refill.
 
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