By 2002, an elevated concrete and steel guideway was constructed across the Norfolk, Va., school. The state kicked in nearly half of the project's $16 million price tag. A blue-and-white train car was set upon the track, and tests were run.
But the maglev proved to be more complicated than originally thought.
The car never traveled more than a short distance, at speeds far less than the promised 40 miles per hour. More test runs took place over the next few years -- some of them paid for by selling most of the metal track as scrap.
The last of the three stations was demolished in 2010. But a 3,200-foot overhead concrete guideway remains. Today, students at Old Dominion use it as a landmark and to provide a small amount of protection from sun and rain.
