Mercedes-Benz Smart “Forrail” Train Kept A-Rollin’ During Test Drive
Mercedes has been working on the railroad
Mercedes thinks it can, it thinks it can. Well now it knows it can!
What is Mercedes-Benz trying to do exactly? Why make a miniature Mercedes train!
Mercedes-Benz UK recently transformed a Smart Forfour into a fully functional rail-based vehicle for a recent publicity experiment.
They for real called it the Forrail
According to a Mercedes-Benz UK press release, the converted Forfour, nicknamed the “Forrail,” took to the tracks of the private Bluebell Railway in Sussex, England. During this time, the little engine that could traveled 10 miles along the track without derailing. The result was a bizarre sight to behold: a small yellow car traveling in the land of giant locomotives. Anybody else hear the last call for the Shining Time Station?
Creating the Forrail was no easy task. Rather, it was a project six months in the making. Working with Interfleet, a British train engineering business, the team worked to create a means of transportation for the Forrail. Interfleet usually works with huge trains, so designing wheels that would carry the car along was no easy task.
After an insensitive process of planning and engineering, the team was able to create a functional set of wheels. They were made of solid steel and weighed 176 pounds each. The specialized wheels measured 22 inches in diameter.
A closer look at the Forrail’s specialized wheels
In order to ensure precise handling on the rails was achieved, the team disconnected the steering components of the Forrail and inserted aluminum supports to lock the wheels in place. By doing so, the engineers prevented any steering movement that would cause the vehicle to derail.
Once the experiment was completed, the Smart Forrail was converted back into a Smart Forfour. So don’t expect to see a little car speeding into the train station anytime soon.
Now all Mercedes-Benz has to do is convert the Forfour into a jet to complete the Plane, Trains and Automobiles triumvirate.
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