Motor scooters are great in an urban environment - they take up little road space, are agile, and easy to park.

But getting any distance on them is a pain, as they're not that fast, and not that safe on open roads in poor weather.

But in the future you may be able to catch a Scooter Train.

A Scooter Train unit consists of a modified railway boxcar. It has "slots" or "pens", about 1.5 metres wide, laid out parallel to its length, and a folding ramp, about 1.5 metres high when folded up along each side.

The unit can be attached to a regular commuter train, of coupled with others to make a specific Scooter Train.

On arrival at a station, the ramp on the appropriate side hinges down onto the platform. Scooters can be quickly wheeled on or off as requred. The ramp then hinges up again.

Riders remain on their vehicles if the wish during the journey, if it is short, or can dismount and make their way along a central walkway in to the train proper. Since they will be wearing protective clothing appropriate to the weather conditions, sitting on a stationary scooter for 30 minutes or so should be no great hardship.

The locomotive is electircally powered using energy from renewable sources.
-- 8th of 7, Jul 08 2008

Open air train #1 http://www.shastasunset.com/excursion.php
The hunkey-dory American version [mylodon, Jul 09 2008]

Open air trains #2 http://www.railtickets.co.nz/
Most of these trains have open air decks. [mylodon, Jul 09 2008]

The powers that be ought to do this. And for bicycles too.
-- Bad Jim, Jul 08 2008


[+] I like it... expand it to motorcycles as well...

I don't see a problem with an open air train for either debris or energy requirements though. Open air trains do exist, scooter drivers are already aware of high speed debris (a partial reason for the 'helmet' technology) and energy requirements are obviated by the locomotive being powered by the opening of lotus flowers, as described, or nuclear power, or coal for those of us who are too chilly in the morning.
-- mylodon, Jul 09 2008


// Scooter drivers don't drive on a rail at 200 km/h without the possibility to evade debris. //

You should visit Rome sometime.

(Hint: don't go by scooter).
-- 8th of 7, Jul 26 2008


Now I had the same idea but with Bus lines, driving highways from suburbs to downtown and back (maybe between nearby cities too) taking in motorbikes, scooters and bicyles. Difference to rails version being a slower travel speed but really fast entry/exit at the stops.

I see this was halfbaked years ago but haven't yet seen a working example even if I can't find anything wrong with the idea. Am I being stupid?
-- AK-74, Sep 14 2015


Not powered by improbable, inefficient, and destructive mechanisms. [-]
-- Voice, Sep 14 2015



random, halfbakery