Transportation of Tomorrow: The Hastings Railplane

Transportation is one of the vital cogs in the wheels of progress of our dynamic American commerce. The newest and one of the greatest modes of movement, certainly in keeping with the tempo of the times, is the contemplated railplane. The answer to a crying need in many cities and states for a rapid, low-cost carrier. Newspaper headlines and editorials everywhere have pointed up the urgent need for a transportation system such as the electric railplane. They are demanding a new means of fast, safe, and cheap transportation in the public interest. Writers remind us that heretofore, as the need and the economy required it, transportation was furnished. Covered wagons carried thousands cross-country. Stagecoaches delivered passengers and mail. These in turn gave way to the railroad, which afforded more speed, comfort, and capacity. The march of progress in the industry was loaded with drama as older, antiquated means of movement gave way to the new in the race to excel. To meet the bigger, the better, the more economic and convenient mode of travel. Thus did the steam engine give way to the electric. And subsequently, the electric locomotive was surpassed by the giant cross-country diesel. However, the maintenance cost of these mighty monsters and their endless rails and roadbeds is tremendous. So, it's little wonder that air transportation, clean, fast, and comfortable, is competing mightily. And now comes the newest in the march of progress, the railplane, which combines the best features of the railroad and the plane. The stability and safety of rail support, the speed and comfort of airplane service. In our cities, where fantastic traffic congestion now bottlenecks movement, the railplane would skim along high above it all, taking passengers to their destinations quickly, smoothly, and effortlessly. Situations such as these would be eased as people left their cars in the garage and travel by railplane. Under existing conditions, each method of transportation encumbers the other. Streets were made for the movement of vehicles and not for the storage and parking of them. Tremendous loss of our natural resources is caused by wasted energy. Frequently, more gasoline and oil is consumed by automobiles standing still than when moving. Frustrating waits in fume-filled traffic further cause untold wear and tear on the nerves. It's stop and go constantly. It's true modern freeways have eliminated traffic delays up to a point by providing uninterrupted travel on wide multiple lane highways allowing smooth flowing high-speed movement excepting during morning and evening rush hours with overpasses and underpasses to overcome street crossing congestion. Traffic speed has been greatly increased, but what we gain in one place, we lose in another because of off and on-ramp bottlenecks. There's no question of the value of the freeways, but they're slow in building and costly to construct in excess of $5 million per mile. On the other hand, the railplane could be rapidly constructed at a cost of 1 and 1 1/2 million per mile and would furnish several times the capacity. That's 1 and 1 1/2 million per mile for the railplane compared to 5 million a mile for the freeway construction. Certainly something to think about. Fast, smooth, safe, low-cost transportation taking people close to their destination downtown from all areas with strategically planned station stops encircling the business areas with a loop. This keeps the railplane equipment on the move in a continuous circuit, an important economic operating factor. The railplane will help solve the costly parking problem. Travelers will get to and from a greater distance faster, safer and cheaper enabling them to leave their cars at home for family use. The Railplane support is built of pre-stressed concrete, a popular material for heavy construction. Furthermore, unlike steel, it doesn't vibrate, thus is noiseless. It requires very little maintenance, has the beauty of granite, yet the strength of steel, and is ageless. The Railplane units are guided by an overhead rail above and supported and propelled by wheels riding on a single rail below. As securely locked in as an office building elevator, the safest means of transportation in the world. It is made up of a series of articulated units built of aluminum or magnesium and constructed in accordance with standard railroad and aviation principles. One of the advantages, and a big one, of the Railplane way is the utilization in many cases of present rights of ways, such as the island between the freeway lanes. Traveling along the same right of way, here is an artist's conception of a projected Railplane way over existing right of way. Further, in some instances where existing freight lines are necessary, they may be operated simultaneously with the Railplane overhead as shown in this illustration. With the Railplane solving travel and transportation problems, also traffic congestion, any city in America would be on the right track. The Railplane, in effect, is a captive airplane capable of being propelled by electrical, jet, or in the future even atomic power. The public should be served. It has taken approximately 5 minutes to tell this story. In that time, resting comfortably in a reclining seat, reading your newspaper on a Railplane, you would have traveled 14 miles, and that you must admit is traveling fast and safe. This is progress in transportation.