Have you heard about the popular Brennan Monorail of 1900? This rail defied the principles of physics and was perfectly balanced on a single track. Its inventor, Lewis Brennan, presented it to the public in 1910. This article contains brief information about the Brennan Monorail.
Unique Single-Track Design
The concept of the Brennan Monorail was that it would run on one track instead of two. By using this, trains would become faster and the cost of making the tracks would also be reduced considerably. This train could turn at high speed, and there was no risk of falling off the track. Additionally, only half the resources were required to make this train.
Compared to today’s monorails, which often have thick tracks at a height, Brennan’s monorail could run on assisting tracks. It may have looked a bit unstable, but its design made it extremely stable. There was a gyroscope in the center of the train that adjusted the tilt of the train without the passengers noticing it at all.
Stability Through Gyroscopic Technology
Gyroscopic stabilizers are installed to keep the monorail balanced on the same track. A gyroscope is a rotating wheel or disc that rotates at a very high speed on its axis. These gyroscopes keep rotating at a very high speed so that the monorail does not fall to the right or left. When the monorail starts to tilt, the gyroscope provides torque in the opposite direction, which maintains balance.
Public Demonstration in 1910
Inventor Lewis Brennan first introduced it to the public in 1910. Brennan began working on a fully developed prototype that he could test with real passengers. This was a 12-meter-long, 22-ton vehicle with two large gyroscopes rotating at 3500 rpm. But this detail of the design revealed a major problem. When the vehicle added significant weight, the gyroscopes had to fight against their rotational force as well as the force of gravity that was trying to topple the train.
Overcoming Technical Challenges
This problem was easy to solve in Brennan’s smaller models, but now that there was a 22-ton weight trying to pull the train, the gyros had to be very strong. By pressing the gyroscopes faster than normal, a strong force was generated to straighten the vehicle. They connected the gyroscopes to a petrol engine and placed them in a vacuum-sealed casing to reduce friction. Even if the power went out, the gyroscopes would keep rotating for 30 minutes, preventing the train from falling.
