Isitimela Esingenamasondo
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EHONG KONG
NGISHO nangaphambi kokugibela isitimela esisha esisheshayo eShanghai, eChina, abagibeli bayaqaphela ukuthi bazohamba kujantshi ongavamile. Lowo muzwa uba namandla njengoba isitimela sisuka esiteshini saso sesimanje bese ngokushesha sihamba ngesivinini esingaphezu kwamakhilomitha angu-430 ngehora, okusenza sibe isitimela esithwala abantu esishesha kunazo zonke emhlabeni. Kusithatha imizuzu engu-8 ukuya ePudong International Airport eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-30. Kodwa kukhona okuthile okukhethekile ngalesi sitimela—asinawo amasondo!
Ujantshi osuka eShanghai uye ePudong uwukuphela komzila wesitimela esibanjwa uzibuthe, noma i-maglev, emhlabeni. Esikhundleni sokuhamba ngamasondo ensimbi, lesi sitimela sibanjwa amandla kazibuthe ngokuphelele. Futhi esikhundleni sokuba nomshayeli ongumuntu, sinobuchwepheshe obulandelela ukuthi sikuphi bese sithumela lokho kwaziswa esiteshini esisiqondisayo. Lapho, kunabaqondisi abangabantu, abasizwa ama-computer, abalawula ukuhamba kwaso.
Ukuqhathanisa I-maglev Nojantshi Ovamile
Ukwakhiwa kwalesi sitimela esikhethekile nojantshi waso kwakunezinselele eziningi. Ngokwesibonelo, kunesikhala esincane kakhulu somoya phakathi kwesitimela esihambayo nojantshi. Ngakho-ke, ngenxa yenhlabathi ethambile yaseShanghai, onjiniyela kwadingeka ukuba bafake amajoyinti akhethekile abangase bakwazi ukuwalungisa ukuze awusekele uzinze ungashoni enhlabathini. Kwadingeka ukuba bakhumbule nokuthi izinsika zikakhonkolo ziyanyakaza, kuhlanganise ukunwebeka nokuncipha okubangelwa ukushisa.
Noma kunjalo, ubuchwepheshe be-maglev bunezinto eziningi eziwusizo. Ngokwesibonelo, lesi sitimela asinawo umsindo wenjini noma wamasondo futhi asisikhiphi isisi esiyingozi. Umzila nezinye izinto ezisetshenziswayo azidingi ukunakekelwa njalo. Njengoba sithwala abantu, lesi sitimela songa amandla esihamba ngawo ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezintathu kunemoto nangokuphindwe kahlanu kunendiza. Empeleni, amandla lesi sitimela esiwasebenzisayo ukuze sikwazi ukuhamba angaphansi kwalawo adliwa isiphephetha-moya saso! Ngaphezu kwalokho, lesi sitimela singakhuphuka imiqansa futhi sibambe amajika amabi uma siqhathaniswa nezitimela ezinamasondo, okwenza kungabi nesidingo sokulungiswa kwendawo esihamba kuyo.
Njengoba sinazo zonke lezi zinzuzo, kungase kubonakale kuyisimanga ukuthi abanye ojantshi be-maglev abakakhiwa. Enye imbangela yalokhu ukuthi kuyizindleko ezinkulu ukuqala umsebenzi. Empeleni, iziphathimandla zaseChina zihlehlise umsebenzi wokwakha ujantshi we-maglev phakathi kweShanghai neBeijing ngenxa yokuthi izindleko zokwakha beziyoba nkulu ngokuphindwe kabili kunezikajantshi ovamile wesitimela esihamba ngesivinini esikhulu. Futhi, bekungaba nzima ukuxhuma ujantshi we-maglev kojantshi besitimela abakhona njengamanje eChina.
Ujantshi we-maglev waseShanghai usebenzisa ubuchwepheshe baseJalimane, futhi ucwaningo lwe-maglev lusaqhubeka eJalimane, eJapane nakwamanye amazwe. Ngo-December 2003, isitimela se-maglev esahlolwa eJapane saqopha umlando ngokuhamba kujantshi ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angu-581 ngehora. Kodwa okwamanje lesi sitimela saseShanghai siseyingqayizivele kwezohwebo.
Njengoba i-maglev isuka ePudong ibuyela eShanghai, amehlo abagibeli athe njó emawashini esivinini asenqoleni ngayinye, befuna ukuwabona lapho esebonisa isivinini esiphelele. Empeleni, lapho beqala ngqa ukusigibela, abagibeli abaningi abayiboni indawo ezungezile, ngakho baye bathathe uhambo lwesibili. Njengoba bebuka indawo idlula ngokushesha, baqonda ngokuphelele ukuthi kungani i-maglev ibizwa ngokuthi “indiza engenamaphiko.”
[Ibhokisi/Imidwebo ekhasini 24]
ISITIMELA ESIBANJWA AMANDLA KAZIBUTHE SISEBENZA KANJANI?
Ozibuthe abasebenza ngogesi (1) abafakwe ngaphansi kwenqola ngayinye, kanye nozibuthe abangaphansi kukajantshi wesitimela (2), bayasiphakamisa isitimela kuze kube yilapho lab’ ozibuthe ababili behlukana cishe ngesentimitha. Abanye ozibuthe (3) bagcina isitimela siqondile singatsheki. Izinsimbi ezisazipilingi (4) ezikujantshi zikhipha amandla kazibuthe enza isitimela sihambe.
Ukuze kongiwe ugesi, isiteshi esiyinhloko esilawula isitimela siphakela amandla kagesi kuleyo ngxenye kajantshi (5) isitimela esidlula kuyo kuphela. Kuthunyelwa amandla kagesi engeziwe ezindaweni lapho isitimela kumelwe sisheshe khona noma sikhuphuke umqansa. Uma isitimela kufanele sinciphise ijubane noma sibuyele emuva, amandla kazibuthe asezinsimbini ezisazipilingi kujantshi nawo ayahlehla asibuyisele emuva.
INGABE SIPHEPHILE?
Nakuba isitimela se-maglev sihamba ngesivinini esikhulu, amaphethelo aso agobile (6) agaxela kujantshi, okunciphisa ingozi yokuba siphume emzileni. Awadingeki amabhande okuzivikela, futhi abagibeli bayakwazi ukuhambahamba, ngisho nalapho isitimela sihamba ngesivinini esiphelele. Uma kwenzeka kucima ugesi, kunamabhuleki akhethekile, asebenza ngamabhetri asesitimeleni, akhipha amandla kazibuthe anciphise isivinini sesitimela sibe amakhilomitha ayishumi ngehora. Isitimela sibe sesihlala phezu komzila sihambe kancane size sime.
Ingabe ozibuthe besitimela abanamandla bayingozi empilweni—ngokwesibonelo, kubagibeli abanemishini elawula ukushaya kwenhliziyo? Imiphumela yokuhlolwa kwabo ibonisa ukuthi asikho isizathu sokukhathazeka. Empeleni, amandla kazibuthe angaphandle mancane kunawezitimela ezivamile.
[Izithombe ekhasini 24, 25]
Amakhilomitha angaphezu kwangu-430 ngehora!
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]
Pages 24 and 25: All photos and diagrams: © Fritz Stoiber Productions/Courtesy Transrapid International GmbH & Co. KG