Patent ID: 7921782

Claim:
A transportation system, comprising: a passive track system including at least one track member extending for a distance characteristic of a transportation system for conveying people and/or cargo from a first location to a second location; a vehicle defining a carrying space therein large enough to carry at least one person or a comparable amount of cargo; and a carriage system readily releasably coupled with and supporting the vehicle from the main track member, such that the vehicle is not directly supported by the track, the carriage having no carrying space large enough to carry a person or comparable amount of cargo, the carriage system including at least one self contained propulsion unit for generating the power to propel the carriage system and supported vehicle along the main track member, and a primary drive for transferring the power generated by the propulsion unit to the main track member and propelling the vehicle along the main track member; wherein the vehicle is readily releasably coupled to the carriage system via a coupling system; and wherein the vehicle includes a first portion of the coupling system, the carriage system includes a second portion of the coupling system, and wherein the coupling system is adapted to allow the vehicle to be coupled with the carriage system by moving the first portion of the coupling system in a lateral direction relative to the normal direction of travel of the vehicle along the main track member.