Lasers to soon "zap" leaves off rails?

MGWR

That's what UK company LaserThor is working on.

NewScientist

If they won't budge, zap 'em! Train-mounted lasers are being tested as a way of clearing the path for high-speed trains. What requires such forceful removal? Leaves. ...

Last month, Dutch Railways began trials to zap leaves into oblivion with lasers. Angled downwards and fitted just in front of a wheel, the lasers vaporise built-up residue as the train passes. They also dry the rails to prevent new leaves from piling up. This gives trains better traction, allowing faster acceleration and braking.

Using lasers to clear leaves was first proposed in 1999 by a UK company called LaserThor, which developed a laser with a temperature of 5,000°C that was strong enough to zap leaves 25,000 times per second. "This worked really well in the lab," says a Network Rail spokesman. But when fitted to moving trains, the vibrations made it hard to keep the laser focused on the rails, he says. Network Rail eventually opted for high-powered water jets instead. ...

braddun

m me up scotty there's no intelligent life

ClovenHoof

Makes perfect sense to me.

Chemical Byrne

I'd assume you'd have to have "the right type of leaves" for those lasers to work on IE tracks.
I can almost hear Barry Kenny giving us that one as I type.

mawk

op wrote:

. developed a laser with a temperature of 5,000°C that was strong enough to zap leaves 25,000 times per second.

As an engineer in a company that makes lasers... That hurt my head.