Abstract: A vehicle system for driving and supporting a vehicle by magnetic force along a vehicle travel path includes a guide rail extending along the vehicle travel path; longitudinal stators stationarily mounted along the guide rail; a vehicle including a vehicle shell and a vehicle chassis supporting the vehicle shell; a carrier bar secured to the chassis; permanent magnets mounted on the carrier bar for cooperating with the longitudinal stators to generate a magnetic carrying force opposing the vehicle weight; and first and second guide rollers each having a roller shaft rigidly supported relative to the carrier bar and rollingly engaging the guide rail for maintaining constant an airgap between the permanent magnets and the longitudinal stators. The first and second rollers take up, until their load limit is reached, any deficiency or excess in the magnetic carrying force to entirely compensate for the vehicle weight.

Abstract: A railway switch has a rightward switch position for coupling a track with a right track and a leftward switch position for coupling the track with a left track. Each track has a right rail and a left rail. The switch has a first or right rail of the rightward switch position, a second or left rail of the rightward switch position, a third or right rail of the leftward switch position and a fourth or left rail of the leftward switch position. The switch includes a turning segment whose carrier member supports the second and third rails and is rotatable through 90.degree.. The first and fourth rails are shiftably supported by respective switch tongues. The turning segment and the switch tongues are each movable into first and second positions.