What would happen if I ran an electromagnetic current thru a railroad track?

Question

Two large magnets, a railroad, connecting wires and a car battery. Would track magnetize? Would train derail/stop? How far away from magnets? Before or after magnets?

Answer 1

The train would activate its secret weapon. The wings. It would land on Mt Visuvius. You where this is??

Answer 2

The railroad police are on the way to pay you a visit!

Answer 3

I always thought train tracks were grounded so if lightning hits them the most you'd get is sparks and any train will be safe. But, I could be wrong...

Answer 4

I heard this creates a distorsium in the space time continuum, and you'll go back in time. Yup. It happened to friend of a friend whos cousin knew the guy.

Answer 5

Don't do it.

Firstly, you'd short out the electromagnetic track circuit signalling system, which trains depend on for safety, and second, there are easier ways to commit suicide.

Apart from anything else, you'd be breaking the law. So drop it.

Answer 6

Dear God NO!!!

That is the exact design Jules Verne used to make his time machine, you will either make a submarine that runs on underwater railroad tracks or a train that floats thorugh the space time contuum.

Dont blame me for the consequences, but if  you get to next year, maybe pick me up a couple copies of the Wall Street Journal and bring back??

Answer 7

If you put a magnet across the rails, all the signals the engineers see would go red on the rail line.

Answer 8

You would kill the Track Circuit System that protects the line, which would the make all the signals on the line revert to Danger (Red). Then The signal box would see an error massage on the control pannel, so they would then send out a Mobile Operations Manager to the site.

You would also casue major delay to the railway network as all the trains would have to stop.

Answer 9

LOL, first you don't need magnets to create an electromagnet.  Second, neither an electromagnet or natural magnets would have any noticeable effect on the track let alone a multi-ton train travelling at high speed (the signalling system is another story).  Third,  if you were planning to sabotage a rail line don't you think it's stupid to broadcast your intentions by asking thousands of people how to do so?

Answer 10

DON'T.

We tried it once when we were stalled at Penoyar using the locomotive's electrical system and vaporized the 01PTLAF21.

The railroad blamed UPS and UPS blamed Fed Ex.  Anyway, that's why your package never got there.  Sorry.