The *V* Track is a interesting magnetic attraction model to experiment with. Several years ago I performed some brief experiments with my *V* Track shown on Eric's website: (www.fdp.nu.)
Eric is a true expermenter who has compiled alot of interesting information about all kinds of magnetic designs. I incourage you to visit his site. Back then I used iron wire to build the *V* Track and used a single magnet for a 'runner'. The 'runner' used back then developed no torque. It only turned and traveled down the track in attraction because it was round in shape. I now use magnets in the track and multiple magnets in the 'runner'. In the pic's shown, I have everything on a iron table for easy showing and assembly. The track works pretty well even on a iron surface. The track magnets shown are .375 dia X .250 thick button neo magnets. The 'runner' consists of (4) 4 inch long X .375 dia. neo magnets mounted in a 'paddle wheel' type configuration. The configuration is then inserted into a round tube for easy rolling down the track.(Not shown) More 4 inch magnets can be added to the 'paddle wheel runner' also. With the 'runner'!built in this manner, it can develop true torque. It also becomes a much more powerful track by using larger diameter magnets and gluing the track magnets to a non-magnetic surface. The 'runner' is fed into the small end of the *V* Track. It quickly pulls itself rolling to the other end of the track by attraction. It is one directional and will start anywhere in the track and pull itself to the wide end of the track. Another unique oddity found, is if you turn the 'runner' around at the wide end of the track, it will travel to the narrow end of the track in repel mode. The 'paddle wheel' setup allows the magnet group to 'walk n' roll' to the wide end of the track. The 'runner' is actually doing work. It creates torque. This is a interesting feature in a future experimental engine design setup. Several *V* Tracks can be built and incorporated into one long single track. Each end of a single *V* Track should be allowed to meet without causing a flux loop by our experiments. Each track magnet is in repel with the others in the track along with the 'runner' searching the width of the track and not the length. The magnets on the left side of the *V* Track are north up, while the right side magnets are south pole up. This kills any chance of the dreaded flux loop with proper magnet spacing in the track. We also have by experiment, successfully joined tracks using a 'drop method'. Because the 'runner' will pull a grade easily, I have experimented with a dropout point at the end of the track. The first half of the track is mounted below the car runner, then the last half of the track is mounted above the car runner. As the car travels down the track a opening is made in the bottom part of the track for the car to fall down into as it tries to keep traveling into the second half of the track, escaping the first track into the begining of the attraction of the next track. The runner drops about 2 inches at the end of the first half of the track onto another track, escaping the final attraction from the first track. It then continues on its way down the second track. One could make a continous circle track using this method with proper funding. The very reason this idea works so well is because of the Bloch wall. The flux at the Bloch wall is very weak and non-existent at the precise center. As the *V* widens in the track, the 'runner' starts from it's Bloch wall and is attracted to stronger flux as it's ends travels to the wide end of the track seeking the stronger attraction at the ends of the 'runner' magnets. Our next experiment is to glue *V* Track magnets to the inside of a large ID piece of PVC pipe about 6 inches in length. Video of the 32 inch Calloway *V* Track with one gate can be seen in action by clicking the link below.
