Build a Battery-Power Electric Train

Hyperloop intends to create electric trains operating with magnets and levitation, and shooting through tubes at great speed. While that technology may take a while to perfect, we can echo the basics at home. If you would like to build a battery-power electric train with your own hands, do read on. Who would possibly want to refuse an offer like that!

Stuff You Need to Build a Battery-Power Electric Train

A standard AA battery that’s holding full charge. Rechargeable ones are best.
A rod, or pipe slightly larger than the battery diameter. Copper pipe is good.
Length of 0.8 mm bare copper wire that’s shiny new, and suitable to wind into a coil.
Four neodymium disk magnets the same diameter as the battery (or smaller)

How to Build the Race Track and Your Train

You can’t build a battery-power electric train without a track. Except in this case this will be a tube, something like the real thing! So the first thing you need to do is assemble the tube, by winding the copper wire around the rod or pipe. The longer you keep doing this, the more fun you will have as the train operator. But that’s up to you to decide. Remove the coil carefully when you are satisfied it is long enough.

A rail track, or tube is not much use without a train. Although in this instance we will just build the loco to illustrate the principle.

First you take your AA battery with a full charge.
Then you attach one neodymium disk magnet at each end.
Ensure the negative or positive terminals are facing each other.
Then finally add a second magnet at each end in the same direction.

You are good to go after you build a battery-power electric train the way we explained. Now insert the loco assembly into one end of the coil. If it jumps out, insert it the other way around. Your loco will speed through the coil, making your experiment a success. This is how it worked: