THE GYROCAR 



so tremendous as might at first thought appear, for the 

 gyroscopes are by no means called upon to counteract 

 the entire force of gravity brought to bear on the car. 

 They do not in any sense lift the car; they only balance 

 its two sides, which when left to themselves are approxi- 

 mately of equal weight. The car, as a whole, weighs 

 down on the track just as heavily with the gyroscopes in 

 action as when they are still. Balancing is a very differ- 

 ent feat from lifting, as everyone is aware from personal 

 experience. Two men pushing against the opposite 

 sides of a monorail car could keep it balanced on the 

 central rail though its weight vastly exceeded anything 

 they could lift. 



THE EVOLUTION OF AN IDEA 



It goes without saying that so elaborate a mechanism 

 as Mr. Brennan's gyroscope was not perfected in a day. 

 Neither was it hit upon by accident. It belongs in the 

 category of inventions that were thought out to meet a 

 mechanical need. Mr. Brennan is an Irishman by 

 birth, but he was taken by his parents to Australia at 

 the age of nine and remained there throughout the years 

 of his early manhood. Observation of the condition of 

 the roads in Australia, and of the enormous retardation 

 of development due to inadequate transportation facili- 

 ties led him to ponder over the possibilities of improve- 

 ment in this direction, as he was jolted about the 

 country in a coach with leather straps in lieu of springs. 

 It became clear to him that a way must be found to 

 build railroads more cheaply. Furthermore, it was 



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