SMART FORRAIL CONCEPT
//cute
train
It can drive from
London to Aberdeen non-stop for as little as £39. Its four occupants will be
comfy on the 540-mile journey too, even if they're significantly taller than
the car is wide. The smart forfour is tiny on the outside, yet clever
engineering means its interior is vast and is packed with technology to help
make the journey fun, relaxing and safe. It stands a good chance of being the
ultimate commuting machine, were it not for one obvious rival.
The forfour is reliant
on roads, meaning the humble train has an obvious advantage in that it can get
from point-to-point through a more direct route. When it comes to outright
speed and ruthless efficiency, it's one-nil to the train.
Not all is lost,
though. A light-hearted, one-off experiment by smart may have redressed the
balance - the aim being to see if the two could be combined.
Nicknamed the smart
'forrail', it might appear like a lightly modified smart forfour but it's, in
fact, a fully certified, mini-train.
The smart's tridion
safety cell allows it immense strength, which underpins the forrail. No matter
how simple Roger Moore made it look in his Mercedes-Benz 250 SE, removing the
tyres and placing it on tracks isn't really possible in real life - the car
would fall off almost immediately.
Six months of
engineering work and sophisticated CAD modelling later, the smart forrail is
equipped with unique, solid steel wheels each measuring 22-inches in diameter
and weighing 80 kg, allowing it the traction it needs on rails.
Designed by Interfleet,
a specialised British train engineering business based in Derby, the team - who
usually work on 16-litre, 70-tonne diesel locomotives, had to employ a new
approach to the challenge presented by a 999 cc, one-tonne smart.
The agile steering,
which in road use allows the smart forfour to handle as if it's on rails, was
disconnected by engineers, to allow it to handle being driven on rails. To
avoid any steering movement, aluminium supports were welded between the axles
meaning the wheels are locked in position.
Under close
supervision, the smart forrail tentatively took to the tracks at the weekend on
the privately operated Bluebell Railway - providing a few, bemused commuters
the chance to avoid the congested roads without having to leave the comfort of
the compact four-seater. The 10-mile stretch of railway, cutting a direct route
through Sussex, represented a significant challenge for the smart forrail, and
yet the smallest train on the tracks took the trip in its stride, and the
regular enthusiasts (present for a model railway exhibition) somewhat by
surprise.
Despite challenging
engineering obstacles, the experiment steadfastly refused to come off the
rails. The best of both worlds were combined - albeit briefly - to create
arguably the most efficient, and fun, commuting machine in the world. Shortly
after, the forrail reverted back to its forfour, road-going alter ego - content
with being spectacularly efficient, fun and ideal for commuting. On tarmac.
-netcarshow
