#scmaglev

[1863-project]

Uniforms for the Magnet Train rail staff. They're a lovely shade of blue, if I do say so myself.

Someday in the not-so-distant future this will be a reality.

[usgsbiml]

The Malingering Bee.  This is a male Lasioglossum fuscipenne.  The species, as a species, is out whenever it is warm.  A commonish species it is.  In the MidAtlantic it would wing rassle with L. coriaceum for regional commonest champion.  It would win, however, because until a hard freeze occurs the males often become the most common non-honeybee bee in late October and November.   Loving life on any flower they can find.  What gives?  I don't have time, but I will give you all our data and you can look at interesting questions such as when the females (in comparison) trim their sales, look for mirrored patterns with L. coriacium and measure the specialness quotient of this odd phenom...for a male bee without a female bee is no bee at all really so why bother to linger when the others simply disappear?  Photo by Elizabeth Panner.  Oh, it, as usual these days, was found on on of the proposed 200 acre Beltsville MAGlev Trainyard sites.  

[transparentgentlemenmarker]

The fastest train in the world

Le train le plus rapide du monde est le SCMaglev, un bijou de technologie venant tout droit du pays du Soleil-Levant. Ce train à sustentation électromagnétique a été conçu en 1962 par la compagnie ferroviaire Central Japan Railway. Comme son nom l’indique, le « maglev » a la particularité de léviter au-dessus des rails, grâce à des aimants supraconducteurs fixés sur le véhicule et des bandes conductrices insérées dans les voies ferrées.

April 21 2021

[1863-project]

do you have any thoughts on the scmaglev? ive been Thinking About It lately.

Yes!

So for people who don't know, the SCMaglev is the current world land speed record holder for rail vehicles, managing a whopping 375 mph in April 2015 during testing. Developed by JR Central, the SCMaglev isn't operating fully yet, but right now the timetable is to have it ready for the public by 2027.

The idea for this Maglev goes back to 1962, when Japanese National Railways decided to explore the idea of a train that could travel between Tokyo and Osaka in a mere hour. The SC in SCMaglev stands for "superconductor," as that's the technology being used here - superconducting magnetic levitation technology was patented by Brookhaven National Laboratory out on Long Island in the US in 1969, and soon after JNR decided to try to use it to build an extremely fast train, with its first test run in 1972. They've been testing and improving the design and technology ever since. In 2009, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism declared the SCMaglev ready for commercial operation, and the building began! 2027 is, as mentioned above, the estimated opening date. For now, there's a museum in Nagoya where you can see at least one of the prototypes, as well as some other trains!

If you play Pokemon, you might be aware of the Magnet Train that goes between Goldenrod City in Johto and Saffron City in Kanto. If you know that Goldenrod City is based on Osaka and Saffron City is based on Tokyo, it's easy to connect the dots and see that this is the planned SCMaglev, implemented in the Pokemon universe!

I'd love to ride on it someday. A girl can dream, after all.

[usgsbiml]

Hey want something to do with your one valuable life?  Figure out the proper species boundaries for ambush bugs in North America (Phymata).  These lovelies come in many colors and are  thought to be over-described.  Really, who wouldn't want to work on this group?  This particular petit four lime flower dragon was found where the proposed MAGLEV trainyard will be located.  Specimen and photo by Adam Grima.    

[usgsbiml]

Bees!  Yes, we still mostly do bees, but have been targeting biodiversity surveys of the MAGLEV impact sites on the refuge.  Here look at this tiny bee, as with all creatures there is a story as to why you do or do not find it somewhere.  Here it is found because of sand (USGS TIP OF THE DAY. if you want regionally rare insects and plants  go to sand, if you want to conserve them, keep that sand openish and don't let those darn trees grow in them), it is restricted to deep sand areas in Maryland it is in love with the little fall composites (yes, insects feel love).  (Why do I still add 2 spaces to the end of a sentance?)This is just one of a handful of records on the Patuxent Refuge under the powerlines (transmission lines can often be the most awesome conservation area for plants and insects...because they have to be kept open ... or you can just mow all that goodness away with sprays and mowing...sigh) that will be  impacted by the MAGLEV the area is full of lovely things like blooming liatris and other prairie and bog type  species.  Photo by Adam Grima.  

[usgsbiml]

Immature Planthopper?  Treehopper?  Beetle?  ???  Metallic is not what I think of when I think of Planthoppers, but then what is it?  Is it an immature?  Anyway, cool, and very small, see the side shot showing it on the end of a pin.  Knowing all the insects even on a small plot is basically impossible.  This is from the Beltsville Ag Center West MAGLEV trainyard proposed site.  Photo by Jade Loiuis.  

[usgsbiml]

These are perhaps Agromyzid flies.   Not sure, but they are very tiny tiny tiny flies ( I used a 10X microscope lens and still have to crop the shots), which would fit their leaf mining lifestyle.  There appear to be 2 species in this set.  Let's pretend they are Agromyzids which gives me a chance to tell you that they are very picky.  Each choosing to "mine" the leaves and stems of a small number of plants.  Hidden biodiversity.  Thank you little plants and flies.  Collected on the proposed Maglev Trainyard site on the Beltsville Agriculture Research Station.