Noreen and Akshara are our new readers from Australia. They want tell us about Tilting Train. They writes, The Tilt Train is the name for two similar high speed tilting train services operated by Queensland Rail along the coast of Queensland, from Brisbane, the state capital, through to regional centres Rockhampton and Cairns. A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train (or other vehicle) rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide about or seated passengers to feel squashed by the outboard armrest due to its centripetal force, and standing passengers to lose their balance. Tilting trains are designed to counteract this discomfort. One might think it is not safe to push a train round a corner at high speed. Indeed that is true.
Curved railroad tracks are usually tilted. The tilt angle is based on a particular speed and has the effect that at this speed the passengers do not experience the centrifugal force. This makes the ride more comfortable. The disadvantage is that if a train halts in a curve, the tilting is not comfortable. However the crucial thing is that the speed at which it becomes unsafe, i.e. the speed at which there is enough force to push the train off the track is incredibly high. In fact the force needed would be enough so that all passengers on the train couldn't move and would be stuck to the sides of the train.
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