Dave VanHorn wrote:
>
> >   Still messy if the solid cored rocket calculated for a full truck
> > fired on an empty one.
>
> @home's sending my email way out of sequence, with dupes.
>
> I said prev, that rockets set for a load of steel would be amusing with a
> load of pigs.
> Pigs Fly!
>
> Basically, there's no way to make that approach go, but it has some amusing
> ways it would not work..

I mentioned something about load carrying penalty <G>

Easy to stop the engine from generating any net thrust forwards or
back;  have both forwards & rearwards facing nozzles on each engine.
Blow the "forward" facing one to brake;  When this car's empty, blow the
other nozzle cover, so your two thrusts cancel each other.

Still end up with, what, a 25% cargo weight carrying capacity loss, for
a rocket-assisted braking system?  And who'll pay the $100,000 system
refill bill, that driver who ran a crossing gate & then drove away fast
when the conductor pulled the "E-Stop" lanyard and narrowly missed them,
or the people paying to have the train carry their freight?  (Isn't
going to be the conductor!)

Can be done, and shouldn't...

  Mark