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Worldbuilding

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    $\begingroup$ A mode that is in use is eddy current braking, which can look like your "second" mode to the uninitiated. $\endgroup$
    – hmakholm left over Monica
    Commented Mar 16, 2018 at 2:39
  • $\begingroup$ @HenningMakholm Good one! And it gives me another idea. $\endgroup$
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Mar 16, 2018 at 3:16
  • $\begingroup$ OP asked about trams, not trains. The difference is that trams are tightly integrated with road and foot traffic. Ever seen a maglev track? It has to either support the train from 3 sides or let the train straddle the track from 3 sides. It's an obstacle. Maglev is simply no-go for a tram, at any cost. It must be strictly grade separated, suitable only for subway or a train. $\endgroup$
    – Agent_L
    Commented Mar 16, 2018 at 10:16
  • $\begingroup$ @Agent_L very good point about maglev. Mind you I never propose maglev, I only mention it to disambiguate it from LIM, (and diss it somewhat). No worries of LIM working on street railways. That said... I'm not entirely sure a street maglev couldn't work via very smart manipulation of magnetic fields, though it would need some magic armwave to keep it from becoming a collector or violent ejector of all things metallic (yes, metallic). $\endgroup$
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Mar 16, 2018 at 13:38
  • $\begingroup$ If you pin down the to the rail magnetically, it will already slow down the train by magnetic field emited by the rails $\endgroup$
    – Ferrybig
    Commented Feb 14, 2019 at 19:37