Thompson's Gravity System for Rapid Transit in Towns and Cities -- January 11, 2008

L A Thompson (no relation) was a pioneer designer and builder of roller coasters. In 1888 he proposed using the same techniques to operate an elevated railway. Trains would have gripped a cable on leaving each station, which would have pulled the car to the top of an incline. The train would have automatically dropped the cable and coasted to the next station. A slight upgrade into each station would have helped to slow the train. It would have been a fun ride if it had been built.