Abstract: An improved railway truck for providing non-contact active support between the unsprung and the sprung elements as well as lateral stability and banking of vehicles used in surface supported transportation systems having unsprung surface contacting elements, sprung load carrying elements, magnetic force fields, inertial and position sensing elements mounted on the sprung element and a non-linear feedback circuit for actively varying the strength of the force field to maintain a relatively stable air gap between the unsprung and sprung elements while also holding the sprung element to a smooth course notwithstanding irregular surface conditions encountered by the surface contacting elements or variations in loading on the load carrying element.

Abstract: An improved method for providing non-contact active support between the unsprung and the sprung elements of a railway truck as well as lateral stability and banking of vehicles used in surface supported transportation systems having unsprung surface contacting elements, sprung load carrying elements, magnetic force fields, inertial and position sensing elements mounted on the sprung element and a non-linear feedback circuit for actively varying the strength of the force field to maintain a relatively stable air gap between the unsprung and sprung elements while also holding the sprung element to a smooth course not withstanding irregular surface conditions encountered by the surface contacting elements or variations in loading on the load carrying element.