Conference koolit::disney

    I do  this all the time, it usually best to try during the slow periods
    of the day,  just  when  the  tram  left  and your next in line ask the
    attendant if you can ride in the front or back car.
    
    The is usually a good way to find out things about WDW etc.  onetime we
    learned that WDW back in '84 was looking into putting a monorail run to
    the  airport  but decided against it.  Seems I remember him telling  me
    the Epcot run had cost 150 million back in '81 (each car cost in excess
    of 1 million, and they are currently looking into upgrading to new cars
    with 40 percent seating and 60 percent  standing)and that was only four
    miles  and  they  owned the land etc, where  they  would  have  to  get
    permision to run along the highway etc and go about 17 miles or so, and
    the  only  way to make it cost justifiable was to  have  several  stops
    along the way and each station cost big buck etc.
    
    Claude

>    and they are currently looking into upgrading to new cars
>    with 40 percent seating and 60 percent  standing
    
    ACCCKKK!!!
    
    The thing I always loved about the monorail (other than the coolness
    of the entire concept) was the fact that everyone got a seat so
    it was not just a glorified subway car.
    
    It may be time for a letter to the Imagineers.
    
    David.

reply to < Note 26.2 by KNEE::SEAGLE "Disney-aphile" >

>                             -< Say it isn't so! >-
>>    and they are currently looking into upgrading to new cars
>>    with 40 percent seating and 60 percent  standing
    
    This was  explaned  to me on my last trip, that due to all the expected
    traffic etc.   with all the new things comming, WDW was afraid that the
    current number of trains  wouln't  not  be able to accomadate the load,
    also the MK trains are  now  18  years  old, Epcot are 8 years old, and
    they were loking to upgrade them anyway and felt this was a better idea
    versus adding more trains to the loops.

    Also the company wasn't Martin Marieatta in  Florida which designed the
    current one, some company in Montreal had a  complete train back in '87
    that they were looking at so that they could come up with a design that
    would fit in the overal demensions of the current model,  since  if  it
    had  to  be  a few feet taller, major modification at the  Contemporary
    (the current model just squeezes in now).


    Claude

    The current WDW monorail system is called, the Mark IV Monorail System.
    When Disneyland upgraded a copule of  years  ago it was called the Mark
    V (according to an article in Disney news  a while back), so I guess if
    and when WDW upgraded to the new trains they  will  be  called the Mark
    VI.
    
    Claude

    RE: .4
    
    Also, the original monorail system was developed by a German firm
    called Alweg and was initially presented at the Seattle World's
    Fair.  Disneyland Imagineers and Walt himself (a BIG train fan)
    thought the Alweg Mark I Monorail was super fantastic and contracted
    with them to install a modified version at the theme park.  After
    a few design changes it was re-christened the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail
    and became the world's first daily operational monorail transportation
    system.
    
    I am not certain as to why or how Alweg lost their designation and
    association with the Disney monorail systems.  Claude?  Anyone?
    I wonder what the relationship is between Disney and that Canadian
    firm mentioned a few replies back which are slated to supply the new
    standing/sitting monorails?
    
    
    FWIW,
    David.

RE: .1
        
>    The is usually a good way to find out things about WDW etc.  onetime we
>    learned that WDW back in '84 was looking into putting a monorail run to
>    the  airport  but decided against it.  
    
    A private company is trying to do this now.  There was something
    about it in the Orlando Sentinal almost every day on our recent
    visit.  The project is controversial because the I-drive business
    want the train to stop there, and the developer wants to go straight
    from the airport to WDW.  Not sure if this is going to be a monorail
    or more conventional subway-type train.

    re .5
    
    Disneyland's Monorail predates the Seattle Worlds Fair.  I rode the
    Disney Monorail in 1957 and the Worlds Fair was in 59 or 60 (and I rode
    that on also).
    
    Larry
    

    RE: .7
    
    Well, *I* was not yet born in 1957 so I will have to differ to your
    experiences.  However, the following excerpt from "Disneyland, The
    First Quarter Century" (c. 1979 Walt Disney Publications) seems
    to back us both up:  (paraphrased and re-printed without permission)
    
    "Since the early days of Disneyland, Walt had wanted to include
    a 'train of the future'.  After much research and study, Disney
    engineers returned from Cologne, Germany, where they had been impressed
    by an experimental monorail developed by the Alweg Company...Disney
    designers joined with the Alweg staff in 1958...In June 1959, Vice
    President Richard M. Nixon and family helped Walt Disney introduce
    his new Disneyland Monorail system to a world audience...".
    
    I had been lead to believe that the Monorail was after the World's
    Fair of Seattle, and that *that* prototype was the one the Disney
    Imagineers "hacked" upon to create the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail
    System.  After finding this little passage in my research I'm not
    sure WHAT I know!
    
    I would say that Disney deployed the Monorail at both the World's
    Fair and Disneyland at the same time (roughly).  Probably, the Alweg
    Company took the Alweg-Disney developed working model and displayed
    it at the World's Fair collecting their share of the "credit" (it
    *was* a joint development effort) while simultaneously Disneyland
    placed theirs into operation at the park (thus fulfilling their
    end of the bargain).  Of course, this is just speculation on my
    part...who out there knows for sure (I'm going nuts not knowing now!).
    
    Confused but willing to stand corrected/keep me honest here folks,
    David.

    Well, I can't really remember who built the Monorail when the park
    opened, but I do know that it was one of the original rides when the
    park first opened in (I believe, again a long time ago) 1956.  I have
    vivid memories of watching "Disneyland" on Sunday nights and it was
    featured in the opening credits.
    
    Anyone remember the "House of Tomorrow" that was torn down when it
    became "The House of Yesterday". 
    
    Larry

    Just for  referrence,  I  was  told  by one of the operator's, that the
    original monorail's trains and the one for the Epcot branch where built
    by Martin Marrieta in Orlando (off  of  Major Drive?).  I only wished I
    could remember who he said was the company in Montreal.
    
    Claude

    RE: .9
    
    Hey!  No sweat!  I am not tossing stones here, just trying to get
    to the facts.  No offense intended or taken.
    
    Disneyland opened in July, 1955.
    
    I hate to add insult to injury, but again citing my reference
    ("Disneyland, The First Quarter Century") Tomorrowland was extensively
    re-done in 1959 and the Monorail was installed at that time.  Prior
    to that, Tomorrowland was VERY different (and I have pictures).
    
    RE: .10
    
    According to the reference cited above, the original Monorail trains
    for Disneyland were built at the Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
    Of course, that does not mean that later models were not done by
    Martin Marietta.
    
    
    David.

rep to < Note 26.11 by RECAP::SEAGLE "Disneyland junkie!" >

>    RE: .10
>    According to the reference cited above, the original Monorail trains
>    for Disneyland were built at the Disney Studios in Burbank, California.
>    Of course, that does not mean that later models were not done by
>    Martin Marietta.

    In .10  I  was  talking about the monorails built for Walt Disney World
    and not Disneyland.    I  was merely reporting what a Monorail operator
    had  told   me  in  '87,  about  how  Martin  Marrietta  in  Fl.    had
    designed(along with Disney)/built the original  WDW  monorails for it's
    opening in '71 and later for the Epcot run for it's opening in '82.  He
    then went onto say that Disney was  looking to replace the monorails at
    WDW with new trains that would have 40% seating and 60% standing setup,
    so that the monorails could handle the crowds in  the coming years with
    all  the  contruction  (don't  forget  they  just  included  the  Grand
    Floridian  to the MK run, that's a lot of people staying  and  visiting
    there  alone).   And one of the reason why in '87 only  2  trains  were
    running on the Hotel run, was because they had sent 2 cars (engine  and
    passenger)  up to a company in Montrel, so that they could come of with
    a  design  that  would not increase the hieght of the cars and still be
    40/60 design  they  wanted.    Note  if the car had to be higher, there
    would have to  be  some  major  modifications  done to the Contemporary
    (like a floor of  rooms  going  bye-bye), since they just make it as it
    is.

    Did any of the people  who have gone recently noticed if there is still
    just 2 trains running of the  Hotel  run versus the normal 3.  WDW used
    to have 9 trains, 3 on the  Hotel  run,  3 for the TTC/MK run and 3 for
    the Epcot run.
        
    Claude

    As for  the  Disneyland  Monorail, Disney News had an article about 2-3
    years ago on  the  new  Mark V train they just installed there, and had
    talked about the Mark  I,  II and III train upgrades through the years.
    (Note the Mark IV are  the current Monorails at WDW) Maybe the article
    has the dates as to when  first  installed, and upgrades to the II, III
    and V trains, after all if Disney  News  (Published  by  Disney has bad
    info who can you trust?  ;^)) I'll  see if I can dig it up tonight when
    I get home.
    
    Claude

>            <<< Note 26.11 by RECAP::SEAGLE "Disneyland junkie!" >>>
>                           -< Begging to differ... >-
>    Disneyland opened in July, 1955.
>    
>    I hate to add insult to injury, but again citing my reference
>    ("Disneyland, The First Quarter Century") Tomorrowland was extensively
>    re-done in 1959 and the Monorail was installed at that time.  Prior
>    to that, Tomorrowland was VERY different (and I have pictures).
>    
    If the Monorail was installed in 1959, then how did I ride it in 1957? 
    My parents have photos and everything.
    
    I will believe that I rode the Disney Monorail and that in 1959, the
    Alweg Monorail was installed.  I believe the 1959 rebuild was when the
    House of Yesterday was removed.
    
    Larry

    Well I hate to  bust people bubbles as well but according to the Spring
    issue of Disney News, here are the facts according to Disney.
    
    June 1959 - Mark  I  monorail  system introduce  by  Richard  Nixon  at
                Disneyland (no mention of Builder)
    
    1962      - Mark II system install when extention  to  Disneyland Hotel
                is built (no mention of Builder)
    
    1969      - Mark  III  system installed  at Disneyland (no  mention  of
                builder)
    
    1971      - Mark IV system installed at WDW (no mention of Builder)
    
    1987      - Mark  V    system    installed   at  Disneyland,  built  by
                Messerchnitt Bolkow, and Blohh located in Munich Germany.
    
    Claude
    

    RE: .14
    
    Well, I do not know what to say.
    
    Prior to 1959, Disneyland operated a futuristic, dual rail, narrow
    gauge railroad in Tomorrowland called the Viewliner.  The only thing
    I can think of is that you are somehow confusing the Viewliner with
    the Monorail.
    
    The only other logical explanation would be that you and/or your
    parents are mistaken about the date you visited Disneyland and rode
    the Monorail.  Of course, there is always the possibility that the
    Disney books, magazines, et al. are in error about the history of
    the park, but I would imagine the probability of that being the
    case approaches the infinitesimal.
    
    Finally, from what I could find in our library here the Seattle
    World's Fair and Exposition was held in 1962.
    
    As always, I welcome comments and corrections.  Keep me honest!
    
    
    David.

rep to < Note 26.15 by ATE012::CLAUDE "Claude G. Berube" >

>                      -< Facts according to Disney News >-
>    Well I hate to  bust people bubbles as well but according to the Spring
>    issue of Disney News, here are the facts according to Disney.

    Well that should of read Spring of '87 issue, the one with George Lucas
    on the cover, concerning the Star Tour's ride in Disneyland.
    
    Claude    

    re prior few.
    
    I just went over this with my parents yesterday.  We went in the spring
    of 1958.  Seems that my sister graduated from High School that year and
    some other significant dates.  Because of the trip, I became rather
    enamoured of monorails.  We rode in the front of the train, it left
    Tomorrow land, went around the perimiter of the parking lot to the
    Hotel, then back to Tomorrowland, going behind Adventureland and wound
    through Tomorrowland for a bit before completing its circuit.  The Mark
    I that was opened in 1959 was probably the first Alweg built train. 
    
    Larry

    
    RE: 54.22
    
     In Feb. of '87, I participated in an interesting experiment for
    the Imagineers.  It seems that the Mark V's (in Disneyland) doors
    were a little too high for all the platforms at WDW, there would
    be a step-up of about 1 to 2 inches to go from the station to the
    monorail.  They set up a wooden mock-up of a monorail car and the
    platform and has us transportation Cast Members file 'onboard' to
    see how much of a time difference it would take for the step-up
    and if it was worth the cost of raising all the platforms.
    
     Last Thanksgiving, I went back and I was talking to one of the
    monorail supervisors.  He said that the platforms have all been
    raised, and that he wasn't sure, but that he felt that WDW wouldn't
    get the Mark V but get a newer version, the Mark VI, but that he
    wasn't too sure about that.
    
     As to them putting in a line to the Studio, if you take a look
    at the map in Communicore (I think it's West), near EPCOT Outreach,
    there is a map of all of the property and they (as of Thanksgiving)
    now show a proposed line to the Studio, but don't expect to put
    one in too soon.  There was talk of creating a canal/river from
    the World Showcase Lagoon to the Studio.  Can anyone back this up?
    
    There also was plans to run a line to the Village, and one trans-
    portation Cast Member I worked with told me that there is actually
    a station built in the village, supposedly near the Reservation
    Center(or whatever it is now), but I never saw it myself, and I
    looked for it from the top of the Viscount.  Again, anyone?
    
    About the airport.  Walt's original plans for the World were to
    include an "Airport of the Future", but the building of Orlando
    International prompted the halting of such plans.  It is quite a
    difficulty for Disney to have to deal with the outside transportation
    which exists now.  Many of the cabbies/shuttle drivers attempt
    to get onto property without paying their passes and they try to
    pick-up other peoples fares.  It is Disney's job (and was mine)
    to make sure that the Guest doesn't see this, which could ruin his
    stay.  This is why Disney wants a line to run to the airport, they
    want you to have the Disney Experience from moment one you step
    off the plane, but they don't want to pay for it.  Let someone else
    handle the bill but give Disney full control over quality.  That's
    the Disney way (just look at the hotels in the Village).
    
    Rich

    
     RE: 54.22 and all
    
     About the company from Montreal who is supposed to have made the
    new monorails, I'm not even sure if the company is in Montreal,
    but I'll take your words for it.  About all I can add to it is that
    Disney wanted to be able to sell this design to municipal/cities
    around the world and that the parks would be a perfect place to
    showcase them.  This is the reason for the new arangement of seating,
    which, if Disneyland's Mark V's are any indication, aren't really
    all that bad.  There is no queue to wait for the next train, and
    if you can't find a seat, you can just wait for the next one.  I'd
    give up my option to sit down on the train and get to where I'm
    going a lot faster than having to stand longer in line than I would
    on the train.
    
    Comments?
    Rich

    The following article is from "The Orlando Sentinel", dated Sunday
    April 9, 1989.  Author: Dan Tracy, of the Sentinel staff.  This
    is being reprinted without permission.
    
                   "Big hitters' behind superfast rail system"
    
         Some of the world's largest and wealthiest banks and development
    companies are members of an international team trying to build a
    superfast train in south Orange County.
    
         All told, the combined assets of the backers of Maglev Transit
    Inc. approach $800 billion, or about $300 billion less than the
    annual budget of the federal government.
    
         Among Maglev Transit's major supporters are the Dai-Ichi Kangyo
    Bank of Japan, with assets of $387 billion, and Mitsui Fudoson of
    Japan, a $17.5 billion real estate conglomerate and part owner of
    Disneyland, Tokyo.
    
         Maglev is planning a $650 million train that would literally
    fly along a 17.5-mile rail and link Orlando Inernational Airport
    with Walt Disney World's Epcot Center.
    
         Disney, which licensed the Tokyo park in 1983 and receives
    an undisclosed percentage of its revenue has been lukewarm in public
    to the rail proposal since it surfaced in 1986.
    
         From the beginning, Disney officals said they have no ties
    to the project and would sign no agreements until they were convinced
    that Maglev's deal was financially sound.  Disney's skepticism, 
    however appears to be fading.  "We must admit that it seems hard
    not to support a system that requirs no tax subsidy, brings new
    jobs and would not preclude other rail systems from serving the
    airport," Disney executive Dick Nunis said last month during a speech
    before community leaders in Orlando.
    
         International Drive hoteliers and attraction owners were hardly
    surprised by Nunis' comments.
    
         The train, members of the International Drive contingent sy,
    represents just one more move by Disney to further its domination
    of Central Florida's lucrative tourist market.
    
         They say the sleek train, powered by electried magnets, would
    rob them of millions of customers who would be whisked from the
    airport to an evergrowing complex of Disney parks and hotels.
    "Disney's 'modus operandi' is to capture people and keep them as
    long as possible," said Dick Batchelor, an International Drive lobbyist
    who wants the train to stop at a station serving his clients.
    
         Nunis and Maglev officals say the train cannot stop at
    International Drive on every run because it would be impossible
    to showcase the system's primary asset, speeds in excess of 300
    miles an hour.
    
         Maglev has offered a series of less frequent stops on a line
    branching off the main rail, but International Drive businesses
    rejected the concept, saying it was to expensive and did not offer
    a direct path to Disney.
    
         The fears of those on International Drive are overblown anyway,
    Nunis has said repeadedly.  Most people would take the train as
    a thrill ride, starting at Epcot, rather than boarding it at the
    airport, Nunis said.  And even if the train takes as many as 8.5
    million one-way trips between the airport and Epcot annually - the
    high side of first year ridership estimates - there is no guarntee
    all the riders would all stay on Disney property, Maglev spokeswoman
    Jane Hames said.
    
         Competing hotels, Hames said, would be allowed to park shuttle
    buses by the Epcot terminal, and space also would be provided for
    rental cars, taxis and private automoblies.  "We fundamentall do
    not believe we will render International Drive a ghost town....
    I don't think we are going to be a threat," she said.  Regardless
    of where the passengers board, Hames said, there is little doubt
    the system makes financial sense.  In fact, she said, it could very
    well make money.
    
         With one-way fares ranging from $9 to $12, the train could
    generate $85 million a year, if ridership projections are correct.
     Operating expenses, including debt payments, are figured at $35
    million to $45 million, accoarding to company papers.
    
         Maglev's group has the resources to withstand losses if the
    train is not profitable.  One financial analyst said Maglev has
    attracted "the blue chips" of corporate Japan.  "They're real big
    hitters," said Jack Barthell, a managing partner in the Los Angeles
    office of Kennrth Leventhal & Co., which tracks Japanese investment
    in the U.S.
    
         In addition to Mitsui and Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, which has more
    than twice the assets of America's largest bank, Citibank of N.Y.
    City, Maglev also has attracted:
         : The Industrial Bank of Japan, with assets of $261 billion.
     The Industrial Bank and Dai-Ichi Kangyo would finance about 70%
     of the work.  The rest would be covered with cash, according to
    company papers.
         : Shimizu Corp., a construction firm with 1988 sales of $8.7
    billion and assets of $9.4 billion.  Shimizu would act as the general
    contractor during construction.
         : C. Itoh, a Japanese trading company with $38.5 billion in
    assets.  C. Itoh is an investor, as is Mitsui.
         : Transrapid International, a partnership of three West German
    firms with combined assets of $4.3 billion.  Transrapid would provide
    the train, which was developed at a cost of $1 billion during the
    past 20 years.
         : The Forum For Urban Development, a Japanese think tank composed
    of government officials, business leaders and scientists.  Forum
    members would set policy for Maglev.
    
         The entire setup, put together during the past three to four
    years depends on the state High Speed Rail Commission, a seven-member
    panel that must study and approve Maglev's plan before any construction
    begins.  Commission chairman Malcolm Kirschenbaum said he has sorted
    through about half of Maglev's voluminous application and decided
    the group has "substantial credibility."  One of the keys to Maglev's
    success, Kirschenbaum said, is making certain the public has access
    to the train not only at the airport but also at Disney.  The
    commission will make a decision in June.  If it approves, a public
    hearing would be conducted in December.  The governor and his cabinet
    would then review it and have the final say.
    
         Maglev president Sam Tabuchi has said the train will carry
    its first passengers at 10am Oct. 1, 1994 if it passes all the state
    requirements.  Two additional hurdles for Maglev are Disney and
    the airport, both of which must agree to have the train.  The airport
    could be the toughest to sign.  Orlando Inernational likely will
    lose rental-car income because of the train, and members of the
    airport's policy-setting board will have to react to complaints
    from the area, including International Drive.
    
         Maglev intends to offer the airport 5% of its annual revenue,
    which could amount to $4 million.  Airport officials have said it
    will have to be shown that the train would help the community before
    they will sign.
    
         Disney, it appears, could be easier to placate, and Maglev's
    application reflects that possibility.  Company documents predict
    that negotiations "would conclude shortly after" the state review
    ends.  If everything comes together, Maglev would be able to run
    a train that has never been commercially operated before.  It would
    use the train, which rides on a 5/8 inch cushion of air, as a selling
    tool for prospective customers around the world.
    
         Maglev expects to attract the majority of its passengers before
    they ever set foot in Orlando by making the trip part of a package
    deal with airline tickets sold through traval agents.
    
         The five-unit train, which will hold 100 person in each car,
    would peak at 311 MPH and average 173 MPH.  Passengers would take
    morw time leaving the train, at 8 minuters, than the trip would
    take, at 6 minutes and 30 seconds.  Trains would leave as often
    as every 15 minutes, and the system would operate from 7 am to
    mid-night, 365 days a year. 
    
         As many as 300 jobs would be created, according to the
    application, ranging from the executive vice president, who would
    be paid $150,000 a year, to baggage handlers earning $9.95 an hour.
    
        Barthell speculated the train also could signal the beginning
    of more Japanese investments in Central Florida.
    
    *****Spec's*****
    
    MAGLEV's high-speed rail:
    
    Ridership - up to 8.5 million on one-way trips
    Cost - up to $650 million
    Top speed - 311 mph
    Average speed - 173 mph
    Length of trip - 17.5 mph
    Time of trip - 6.5 to 7.5 minutes
    Operating hrs - 7 am to midnight, 365 days a year
    Gross revenue - up to $85 million a year
    Operating expenses - up to $45 million a year
    Ticket price - $9 to $12 per person, one-way
    Construction time - 54 months
    * Also included in the article was a photo of a monorail and a layout
      of the proposed rail,  leaving the airport and going to Epcot
    

    	There was not one American company mentioned.  I don't know
    if I like the idea of giving Japanese investors one more foothold
    on a large area like Central Florida.  The train sounds like a good
    idea, but it could open the floodgates for the Japanese to come
    in and scoop up everything in the area.  I don't like that idea.
    
    ToM

    re: .22
    I agree completely.... looks as if Florida may be the next Hawaii!!
    
    Also could you believe the assets they have?!?!?!?

    As has been said about Disney, 
    any company could but only ___ does.
    Several american companies could also build such a transportation
    system, but if only one that wants to is based in Japan, so be it.
    (Maybe they will run it all the way to Tampa.)
    
    mike

    I really don't think a system like this would work in the real world.
    You should see what hapens when one of these things breaks down!
    They run on HUGE tires at the front and rear, and when one goes
    flat, the whole system comes to a standstill until it can be cleared.
    Although this rarely hapens (I was there, but the monorail attendatant
    said that he had never seen this occur) in WDW, a comercial system
    similar to that of WDW might not work.
    
    Steve O

    Re:    <<< Note 26.25 by EUCLID::OWEN "You Are the Everything" >>>
>                    -< Oh, yea.  47 days and counting... >-
>
>   I really don't think a system like this would work in the real world.
>   You should see what hapens when one of these things breaks down!
>   They run on HUGE tires at the front and rear, and when one goes
>   flat, the whole system comes to a standstill until it can be cleared.

    Though it doesn't use tires (uses flanged Wheel sets), the reaction to
    a break down is consistent with the notorious BART system in San
    Francisco.  And it breaks down several times a month.
    
    Larry

    re . 26
    Could you explain further what you mean by 'Flanged Wheel Sets'?
    
    It was my understanding (told by one of the drivers) that there
    are huge tires that sit between each car.  I also think you can
    see the big tires from the top of the Contmporary as the Monorail
    passes underneath.
    
    Steve O

    BART has flanged wheel sets like standard trains.  They don't go flat,
    though on some it felt like they had flat spots. 
    
    The point I was making is that there is a commercial/public system that
    virtually grinds to a halt whenever there is a breakdown, and these
    breakdowns occure regularlty.
    
    Does the Washington subway have the same problems??
    
    Larry

    
      I just got back from WDW last week and had the good luck to be
    riding in the nose, when the senior supervisor got in to give a
    CT (Casual Temporary) Cast Member his refresher test.  Hopefully,
    he passed, because my girlfriend and I kept the supervisor pretty
    busy answering questions.
    
      
    
     The new monorail trains are(have) come in on June 1st., one new
    train per month for 12 months to replace all 12 trains.
    
    More later...
    Rich

    Side note,
    
    Just saw "Harry and the Hendersons" on the Disney Channel.  In one of
    the scenes, they show the Monorail in Seattle and it seems to be in
    operable condition, at least it was at the time of the film.
    
    Larry

    
     RE .29
    
      So, I have to correct my own note...
    
    
      It seems that the new Mark V monorails are being delivered to
    WDW, on time (two, as of the writing of this note, Monorails Blue
    and Gold), but that they are now undergoing testing (900 hours of
    testing) during the night and are not yet used for Guests.  They
    are due to be put on-line around the beginning of the year.
    
    Rich

    
    	I still don't get it. If we're dealing with 1950s technology here,
    what makes the monorail so expensive?  What has Marks 2,3,4,5,6 added
    that makes Disney cringe at expansion?  Seems like the track is nothing
    but reenforced concrete.  Why is one train worth 1 million dollars. 
    Somebody is making a tidy profit.
    

    I beleive it has to do with the fact that on Disneyland and WDW has the
    Monorails at present  (at  the the Disney version) and when ever Disney
    decides to upgrades it's on a custom order type of deal from an outside
    company.
    
    Claude

    Look for the MOUSEorail coming to a city near you in '90.
    
    Seems as  a celebration of Disneyland's 35 anniverasy on July 17th '90,
    Disney will be celebrating the event all throughout the year.  Like the
    LiMOUSEine of '89, Disney took old Red (first Disneyland Monorail) from
    the archives and outfitted it onto  a streched 40' Chevy truck bed, and
    added various other amenities to it, and  will  be  touring  across the
    country  throughtout '90 advertising Disneyland 35th ann..  It's  debut
    will be on the Rose Parade New years Day.
    
    Claude

    RE: .34
    
    *Please* tell me you're joking.
    
    
    David.

rep to <<< Note 26.35 by RECAP::SEAGLE "Disneyland junkie!" >>>

>                                  -< ahem... >-
>   *Please* tell me you're joking.
    
    David.

    Only if the Disney News is into printing early April Fools Jokes!, look
    for it yourself when the Winter edition comes in if your a subscriber.
    
    Claude

    Rep to <<< Note 26.34 by ATE012::BERUBE "I'm Thumping on a Green-Flagged.." >>>

>    Look for the MOUSEorail coming to a city near you in '90.
>    It's debut will be on the Rose Parade New years Day.

    So did  any  of you catch the MOUSEorail in Disney's pre-parade show to
    the Rose Parade?
    
    I did and  thought it didn't look all that bad, would like to see it up
    close though.
    
    Claude

RE: Note 26.19  CIM2NI::CARINI


>     As to them putting in a line to the Studio, if you take a look
>    at the map in Communicore (I think it's West), near EPCOT Outreach,
>    there is a map of all of the property and they (as of Thanksgiving)
>    now show a proposed line to the Studio, but don't expect to put
>    one in too soon.  There was talk of creating a canal/river from
>    the World Showcase Lagoon to the Studio.  Can anyone back this up?

        Yes, that map is in Communicore West.

        I was looking over that map and they show the proposed line to
        the studio as an extension of the current line to EPCOT.  They
        are showing a "break" in the current rail near the Imagination
        Building.  The proposed monorail would take the following
        route:

           Start at TTC, go to EPCOT on current rail, enter future
           world and circle around, break off from current rail near
           Imagination building, go to MGM terminal, loop back and
           connect to existing rail near Imagination, continue to EPCOT
           terminal, continue back to TTC.

        It would take a little longer to get to EPCOT if they did
        this, but would take a lot less time to get to MGM.  I think
        it would be a good tradeoff and would require very little
        additional track.

        As far the canal from the World Showcase lagoon to the Studio. 
        There is a canal from the lagoon to the Swan/Dolphin's lake
        and a canal from there to the Studio.  They have boat service
        between the Swan/Dolphin and the Studio but they do not
        currently have any boats running to EPCOT.  Instead people
        staying at Swan/Dolphin take a tram (similar to ones used in
        parking lots) to the World Showcase EPCOT entrance.

        My wife and I were riding that Tram when the operator had an
        accident.  He cut a corner a little tight in front of the Swan
        and took out a side of the tram.  Luckily no one was hurt.

        A couple of times we parked at the Swan or Dolphin when we
        were going to EPCOT.  We only did this at night when we were
        going into the park specifically to dinner and Illuminations. 
        It allowed us to bypass the Future World part of EPCOT and
        avoid the crowds following Illuminations.  Actually, this is a
        hole in the Disney parking empire.  Anyone can park at these
        hotels, and take the tram into Future World to avoid the
        parking fee.

        /Jim Pappas
    

    RE: .38

    Yeeech!    :-{

    I would prefer to see them break the line out in EPCOT's parking lot,
    go over to MGM, then double back and hook up for the return to the TTC
    as normal.  Their proposed plan would ruin the aesthetics of EPCOT,
    (IMHO), and force people who only want to go to EPCOT to wait through a
    side trip to MGM.  Stupid.

    As for the money aspect...sure, their plan is cheaper.  But with the
    profits they seem to turn from the parks, why cut corners?


    FWIW,
    David.

Claude,

I just came back from Walt Disney World a few week ago and according to the
driver we had from the airport stated that they were going to build the monorail
system from the airport and charge $12.5 per person.  This is not a bad price
considering the  "LIMO" cost about the same per person from the resorts to the
airport.

Donna

    RE: .40

    Are they planning a Monorail, or a Maglev system (see 26.21)?  Also,
    any word or resolution on the fracas with Orlando over these proposals/plans?


    David.

    Just got back from the World on Monday and haven't quite gotten
    through all the notes here.  Did anyone here about the monorail
    accident that happened last week.  Here's the article from the
    Orlando Sentinel.
    
    
         MONORAIL BUMPS PLATOFRM - 2 Disney Workers Hurt
    
    Two Walt Disney World employees were slightly injured Friday
    when a monorail bumped a camera platform the workers were riding on.
    
    The elevated branch line was closed to the public while the camera
    crew was filming it for a commerical, said Disney spokesman John
    Dreyer.  Guests were being transported by ferry boats.
    
    The two employees, whom disney did not identify, were wearing safety
    harnesses that kept them from falling off the platform.  They were
    treated at Sand Lake Hospital for cuts.
    
    The monorail bumped the platform car as the vehicles were pulling
    away from the Contemporary Resort Hotel.  The front of the train was
    slightly damaged, and Disney is investigating.
    
    The monorail was closed for about two hours after the accident.
    
    
    
    

    I saw news footage of the monorail involved in the accident while I was
    down there.
    
    One point to keep in mind. If you plan on sitting up in the cockpit, as
    I often do, you better hope you don't hit anything ! The nose of the
    monorail appeared to be pushed back to the drivers console and the
    windshield was shattered. Anyone sitting in the front would have been
    severly injured in my estimation. The rest of the monorail appeared
    undamaged.

    We were behind the fire trucks and ambulance Friday morning as they
    were on the way to the accident.  They went on toward the Contemporary
    and we turned into the Poly.  I was wondering what it was all about. 
    We flew home that day so we never saw what happened.

        When in WDW last week I was riding up in the nose talking with
        driver (we almost always try to sit up there and we usually
        can). WDW now has 16 monorail trains (actually, it might be
        closer to 15.9 after reading 26.42).  The garage/maintenance
        building can only hold 10 trains.   At night, after they shut
        down the system, they park the excess under the shelters at
        the various monorail stations.

        The operators console does have warning lights to prevent the
        trains from getting too close to each other.  Also, there is
        an oversized red emergency button which will cause the
        monorail to stop.  The operator told me it could stop the
        train in less than 50' when operating at full speed.   I think
        it would be unlikely to have an accident during normal
        operation.  The accident in 26.42 was during a special
        filming.

        If you want to sit in the nose, the worse place to try is in
        any of the resort hotels.  The nose will probably already be
        occupied, and the passengers may not get off.  I always ask
        anyway, but the success rate is not high. However, the TTC/MK
        direct, or the TTC/EPCOT runs only have two stops.  Therefore
        if there are any passengers up front, then they should be
        getting off at your stop.  If you ask, then you will probably
        be able to ride in the nose.

        On our last day we wanted to ride the nose from EPCOT to TTC
        but someone was already waiting.  We asked if we could wait
        for the next monorail and they said sure.  Six minutes later
        we were in the nose.  When we transferred to the TTC/MK
        monorail, nobody had asked yet so we got the nose again.

        They will only officially allow 4 passengers up in the nose,
        but usually (not always), they will let all 5 of us ride since
        3 are children.
    

    Next time I want to video tape from the nose.
    
    Mike

    the nose glass(?) appears to be too dirty and scratched to produce
    great video. Of course it is better than any other seat.

    I too found the windows very scratched. They're made of plexiglass 
    or some other plastic, and are covered with fine scratches, which 
    causes much reflection. I tried taping across the cab to get the 
    family with WDW scenes in the background, and instead got one with 
    a very clear reflection of me behind them.
    
    I did get some clear pictures by resting the camera on the shelf 
    with the lens very close to the windshield, but they are from a 
    fixed perspective and can make you quite nauseous when watching.
    
    Mike B.

Article: 3877
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: The Monorail FAQ List *LONG*
Date: 20 Sep 91 13:44:00 GMT
Organization: The Walt Disney World Monorail System (Reserve)
 
 
   Hello Everyone.  The response to monorails was so overwhelming that I
decided just to compile all the stuff and post it as a FAQ list.
The technical and operations data is for the Mark VI trains at WDW.
I much preferred the Mark IVs, but it's unlikely you'll see one of
those again.  Theye were a LOT more fun to drive.  They were
clunky, but they had personality!
 
   Thanks to everyone who sent me mail or posted questions.  If I
didn't respond to you, please forgive me, as I only get 40 minutes
a day on line.  If you have anything else or if one of these
questions raises another pleas feel free to ask...
 
 
 
   OK.  I'm gonna try to cover this stuff from ground zero,
hopefully I'll catch myself before saying something too
technical or specific.  The Mark VI trains are really big on
acrynyms for simple stuff.
 
 
The Basics:
 
>How do you make it go?
 
   On the control console in the cab at each end of the train is
a M.C.U. or Master Control Unit (the stick).  Also on this
console, next to the stick are two rocker switches.  One is a
forward/reverse selector, the other is a run mode/stop mode
selector.
 
   The train won't go anywhere without the selector in "run".
 
   The forward/reverse switch controls not only the direction of
the train's movement, but the direction in which the MAPO system
receiver (I know you don't know about that - It' coming) is
pointed.  The train can travel equally well in either direction
driven from either end - It can't tell the difference.
 
 
>How do you make it stop?
 
   The MCU has 10 selections, 5 forward, 1 center, and 4 back.
The 5 forward positions are propulsion selections labelled P-1
through P-5.  They correspond to speed travelled as follows:
 
    P-1    15 mph
    P-2    20 mph
    P-3    25 mph
    P-4    30 mph
    P-5    40 mph
 
   35 zones are a real pain in the posterior.
 
   The center position is Neutral.  In this setting the train
will do whatever it was doing.  If youre cruising along and put
it in neutral, the train will coast.  If you're sitting still
with brakes on, the train will leave on brakes until you give it
a power selection.
 
   The four rear positions are labelled B-1 through B-4 (for
Braking).  The higher the number the harder the brakes.  How
much dynamic current or air pressure you get depebds on how fast
you're going.  For those who don't know what dynamic braking is,
imagine that the wheel of the monorail is a windmill.  When you
take the train out of propulsion, the wheel is still spinning
because youre still moving.  Use that spin just like a windmill
blase to provide electricity.  Use that electricity to slow the
motor down, using it's own energy against it.  Its cheap, and
efficient.  (NOTE to all Engineer types:  This is how
maintenence always explained it to me.  If I've grossly
oversimplified please forgive me.  I'm a driver not a techie.)
 
 
>How do you keep from crashing into each other?
 
   On the beamway at certain points there are transmitters.
These MAPO transmitters send an electrical signal through the
track.  When a train is on the track, it blocks that signal.
 
   These transmitters correspond to locations on the beam called
Holdpoints.  The holdpoints are located at certain numbers,
which must all be committed to memory (your memory, not the
train's)
 
   Each train has a receiver that can tell how many of these
signals it is receiveing.  Say  Monorail Red is driving behind
Monorail Blue.  If there are four transmitters between the
trains, Red will only get four signals, because all the signalls
ahead of Blue are blocked by that train's presense.
 
   If Red gets within two holdpoints of Blue, the train's MAPO
receiver will say "Hey, you're gettin' close buddy!" and turn on
an amber light on the console with a beeping alarm.  At that
point the driver consults his super-keen monorail-intellect and
figures out where the next holdpoint is.  He then stops there
and tells all the passesngers that the train is "waiting for
further traffic clearance."
 
   If Red doesn't stop at that holdpoint?  When he passes over
the transmitter at that holdpoint, and his MAPO is then only
receiving ONE signal, the train will automatically assume the
driver is insane: "Hey this idiot is tryin' ta dent my nose!"
 
   The train puts on 85-90 psi air brakes and stops on a dime,
then you get canned.  Well actually you're allowed three
"overruns" (the term for crossing the line).  If however you do
something that is really dangerous, Good Bye.  Three overruns is
the limit for your entire career.  They never go away.
 
   What do we do with overrun victims?  Send 'em to Buses of
course!
 
 
>What does MAPO stand for?
 
   MAPO is a subsidiary of WED (Walter Elias Disney)
Transportation.  The name is short for Mary Poppins.
 
   The MAPO system is also called the MBS (Moving Blocklight
System).
 
 
>How much track is there?
 
     There are 13.6 miles of rail including all spurlines.  The EPCOT
rail is 7.6 miles of that, the Lagoon (Hotel) beam and the Exterior
(Kingdom Express) beam are about 2.6 miles each.
 
 
>How do you move trains between beams?     
 
    We can and do move trains back and forth between beamways constantly,
depending on guest flow.  With all beams in operation it looks like this.
The Lagoon and Exterior beams are set up with one inside the other.  One
circle nested in another without touching it.
 
    In the diagram below, the  Lagoon beam is on the
left, Exterior on the right, and the spur to shop on the far right (coming
to an abrupt end).  This is of corse a veiw from above.  This is a drawing
of Switchbeam 1 and 2, between the Contemporary and the Kingdom, right on
the footpath from one to the other.
 
           |     |
           |     |
           |     |
           |     |
           |     |
           |     |
           |  0  |
           |     |    \
           |     |     \
           |     |      \
           |     |       \
           |     |        \
           |     |         \____________ to shop
           |     |
 
 
Connecting Exterior to Lagoon looks like this.
 
           |     |
           |     |
           |     |
           |     |
           |    /
           |   /
           |  0  |  \
             /   |   \
            /    |    \
           |     |     \
           |     |      \
           |     |       \
           |     |        \____________ to shop
           |     |
 
 
 
Connecting Exterior to spur looks like this.
 
           |     |
           |     |
           |     |
           |     |
           |      \
           |       \
           |  0  |  \
           |     |   \
           |     |    \
           |     |     \
           |     |      \
           |     |       \
           |     |        \____________ to shop
           |     |
 
 
>Is there any way to see switching in progress?
 
   Yes. Just take the footpath from the Contemporary to the
Kingdom, it runs right under switch 2.  Trains come out between
6:30 and 8:00 am during a regular openning.  You might have trouble
getting past the Guard at the head of the footpath, but if you tell
him you only want to walk over to the switch and take some pictures
he should oblige you, (this IS WDW after all).
 
 
>* when were the new style trains at WDW introduced, the ones
>with the mediocre  standing space and the quiet doors ? (missing
>the old !BANG! after a stop :))  BTW, I apologize for 'mediocre'
>to people with strollers or wheelchairs, but  for my height
>(1.89 m), standing in that train is strainful.
 
   I'm 2m. tall.  I agree.
 
   The Mark VI Monorails came on line in the spring of 89, but
we didn't start loading them until X-Mas.  The intervening time
was all test and adjust period.  We had a third shift crew
(which I was on) that came in at 8pm and ran the trains around
in circles all night trying to get malfunctions (and boy we sure
did).  It was endurance testing and de-bugging.
 
   Even after the Mark VIs went on line, we had problems.
 
     a.  Before we got the trains we realized that the design
wasn't going to let them fit through the air door at the
Contemporary Hotel.  We went down for several months in the fall
of 88 for widening of the openning at the Hotel and for extra
concrete to be poured on the platforms (the trains are taller
than the Mark IVs.
 
     b.  Once we had the first one on line (they came on about
one per two months at first) we found that the power draw was
too high.  We couldn't operate two of them within a certain
distance of each other.  Major changes were made to the power
grid to compensate.
 
     c.  The software had so many bugs I could've caught fish
with it.  The trains were very prone to shutdown from software
glitches.  The Mark IVs were built in 1969 and had squat for
electronics, so this was really new to us.
 
     d.  The doors were a mess at first.  Jim Whitman's arm got
broken in a recycling test (the door DIDN'T recycle).  Forever
after that we used special bat-like clubs (made by Disney
Central Shops - Disney doesn't send out for anything that it can
make) that were known as "Whitman Probes" to test the doors.
 
 
 
>* who actually builds the monorail trains ? I recall that the
>original design  (Alweg ?) was of Swiss origin, but this could
>be related to the first DL monorail only.
 
   Alweg built up to the Mark IIIs, all of which operated only at
Disneyland.  I know this because the nose-cone door from Monorail
Gold Mk.III is displayed at Monorail Shop and is clearly labelled
"Alweg".
 
   The Mark IVs (used at WDW from opening until replaced by
Mk.VIs) were built by WED Enterprises and Martin Marrietta at a
cost of around six million per train.
 
   The Mark Vs that replaced Disneyland's Mk.IIIs were designed
by Ride and Show inc. I think.  I'm not completely sure about
that one, but Ride and Show's press packet claimed it.
 
   The infamous (two years late and hideously overbudget) Mark
VI trains were designed and built by Bombardier of Quebec, (the
lowest bidder).
 
 
>* how are the tracks maintained ? The concrete did not look as
good as it once did, when I saw it last September.
 
   Ummmmmm.  weeeeeeeeeell.   It's like this.
 
   Me: "Hey, there's a chunk missing near pylon 24!"
   Maintenence: "Keep your britches on."
   Me: "Monorail red just plunged to it's doom!"
   Maintenence: "Woah, good thing we bought new ones."
 
   Just kidding.  The beam is supposed to be inspected yearly
and drivers report anything that looks interesting.
 
   The original tracks (MK loop) are lots better than the EC
tracks, which were manufactured in 1981.  Strange how quality goes
down through the years...
 
 
 
>* ever had any safety problems with the exposed electric rails
at the track ?
 
   Yes.  People can be really stupid.  I personally watched
several people jump into the trough with the live bar and trains
barrelling down on them.  Twice to retrieve a lenscap, and once
was a teenager showing off.  All should've been killed but got
lucky.  Can ya believe it?
 
 
>* ever had a runaway train :) ?
 
   Yes.
 
 
>Ever had any accidents?
 
   Yes.
 
 
>Ever had a train get stuck and the people on it have to be
>rescued?
 
   Nope.  The procedure for stuck trains is to try everything
possible to make that sucker move.  If it's too broke, we bring
out a diesel powered work tractor to tow it to a station where
the people can be unloaded.  This HAS resulted in people getting
stuck for hours (worst case - two mark VIs on EPCOT died
simultaneously along with one on Exterior beam - suicide pact I
guess...).  The guest relations folks were handing out free
passes like candy.
 
 
>Are the drivers allowed to "ad lib" their speeches or is there
>a "Disney Approved" script?
 
   As long as you get all the pertinent info in there and don't
offend anyone, go for it.  Sometimes we can cut loose, like Grad
Night or at the Cast Christmas Party.  (Want to have the best
time of your life at the MK, get a job at WDW and go to the Cast
Party in the Magic Kingdom!)
 
 
>Are there any plans to extend the monorail to the MGM studios
>or to the EPCOT hotels / Marketplace?
 
   Plans?  Sure.  There have been PLANS to do that since the
park was built.  World Showcase is sitting on top of buried
pylon footers for track extension from there.  The problem is
that it's expensive and impractical.  The amount of constructin
would be disruptive, and the sites can be served fine with
buses.  There are plans to construct a light rail trolley (San
Francisco style) to those areas.  We don't have one of those
yet...
 
 
>When were each Mark model (I, II, etc) introduced?
 
   The Monorail Mk.I at Disneyland started running in 1959. I
don't know when the II and III replaced it.  The Mk. IV went on
at WDW in 1971, and the Mk.V replaced the Mk.III at Disneyland
sometime after that, Early-mid '80s I think.
 
 
>What are the differences between the models?
 
   The I,II,and III had the "bubbletop" design that had the
driver sit up in a bubble on top of the train (similar to the
way the Submarine Pilots sit in 20,000 leagues - which is
incidentally a lot like monorails for ops purposes).
 
   The biggest change for the Mk.V was the automatic door
system, and the VI is tall enough to stand in and carries a LOT
more people (244 in the IV vs 350+ in the VI).
 
 
>What is the energy effieciency of the monorails?
 
   Don't have numbers but it's pretty good.  Granted it would
have to be utilized by people in order to be efficent enough, so
planning would be a major factor in setting up a real monorail
system.
 
   Interesting Factoid: Houston appropriated a billion dollars
to start a monorail project downtown.  They'll be licensing the
tech from Disney and their trains will be commuter models of the
Mk.VI built by Bombardier.
 
 
>How much power do they consume?
 
   They run on 600 volts DC, rectified from (don't quote me on
this) 13,000+ AC.  We make our own power at the plant north of
the contmporary, across the street from monorail shop.
 
 
>What kind of brakes do they have and what is their stopping
>distance?
 
   Dynamic braking slows the train down, but is ineffective
below 7-10 mph.  Air brakes are used to stop.   Distance depends on
how fast you're going.   At 40 mph, roughly (very) a hundred feet
with regular braking.  Emergency brakes are faster, but REAL rough
on the passengers.  (see also "How do you make it stop?")
 
 
>I'd like to know, for example, about the markings on the pylons.
 
     The pylons are all numbered for location reasons.  If my
train has a problem and dies, I can't say to  Central  "Well I'm
sort of near that big tree..."  The pylons are for traffic
control as well.  Remember that there are three or four other
trains out there on 2.6 miles of loop.  If somebody gets stuck I
want to know EXACTLY where they are before I find 'em the hard
way.
 
 
>Do you use the numbers to judge where to sit and wait before
>pulling into the station?
 
     What I assume you mean is that the train sometimes stops in
mid-beam, for no reason that's apparent to you.  The train isn't
required to stop before pulling into a station, but often has to
because there's still another train inside.  The numbers on the
pylons dont tell us where to stop, but there are designated
holding points for each zone (which you have to memorize).  When
you get an amber signal you have to stop at the designated
number (see also "How do you keep from crashing into each other?")
 
     Stopping at weird points is frowned upon because it might
cause the train behind you to get an indication at an unexpected
time, overrun his holdpoint, and beat you up after work.  This is
the preferred method for dumping undesireables out of the
department, as safety violations are not tolerated in rails.
 
 
>  Is there one central command, or is there a separate "command
>center" at each station?
 
     Each station has a Lead, who CAN give orders to trains if
necessary, but only as pertains to his station.  For instance the
Kingdom Lead could call the train approaching his station and
tell him to hold for some reason (someone fell in the track or
something...)  but if he calls down a train at EPCOT, he'd better
have a good reason.
 
     Monorail Central is at the Transportation and Ticket Center
(TTC), on the "To EPCOT Center" side of the station building.
The enclosed glass tower (just like at an airport but smaller) is
the Central Console.  Mind you though, Central doesn't actually
have any control over the trains outside of dealing with unusual
situations.  Just driving around it's the driver's responsibility
not to bump into anyone.  Central can only give orders, it's not
like he has a remote control...
 
 
General Layout:
 
    This is the best I can manage  with the computer.
 ("Dammit, Jim, I'm a monorail pilot not an artist!")
 
 
 
 
         _______MK____*___
       /                   \
      /                     \
     |                      CO
     |                       |   _______
     GF                      |  /       \
     |                       |#|         |
     |                       TTC         |
      \                      | |         |
       \                    /  |         |
        \                  /    \_       |
         \_______POLY_____/       \_     \______
                                    \__________ \
            ^                                  \ \
            |                                  | |
      The above section is actually            | |
      two tracks, one inside the other.        | |
                                               | |
                                            A long way
                                               | |
                                               | |
                                               | |
                                               | |
                                               | |
                                              /   \
                                             /     \
                                            /       \
                             EPCOT CENTER  |    SE   |
                                            \       /
                                             \     /
                                              \___/
 
TTC       The Transportation and Ticket Center, (also called
           the Ticket and Transportation Center by Tickets
           people, but they don't count.)
 
MK        The Magic Kingdom station
 
GF        The Grand Floridian (oops, I mean "Disney's Grand
           Floridian Beach Resort."  - the Duty Manager can be
           touchy about that!)
 
CO        The Contemporary Resort
 
POLY      The Polynesian Resort
 
SE        Spaceship Earth (the big golf ball at Epcot)
 
*         Switchbeam One and Two (see "switching") -
           goes between Exterior, Lagoon, and Spurline.
 
#         Switchbeam 8 & 9 -  goes between Exterior, Epcot beam,
           and Epcot spurline.
 
 
   That's it (wheeew!)  See ya round!
 
 
                                             Monorail Green
 
                                               aka B-Man
 
--
  The 23:00 News and Mail Service - +1 206 292 9048 - Seattle, WA USA
                          PEP, V.32, V.42bis
                  +++ A Waffle Iron, Model 1.64 +++

Article: 3878
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Monorails: In Training
Date: 20 Sep 91 13:45:16 GMT
Organization: The Walt Disney World Monorail System (Reserve)
 
 
   This was written by my old roommate John, the hardest workin'
man in Monorails.  He also no longer works in Rails.
 
                                             -Monorail Green
 
                                                aka B-Man
 
 
 
 
             AN INTRODUCTION TO DRIVE TRAINING
                             BY
                    JOHN ROBERT KAPPELER
 
 
     Welcome to the wonderful world of drive training.  For
the next six days, I will be your sole Lord and Master,
otherwise referred to as your drive trainer.  During this
time, we shall learn how to operate the Mark IV or Mark VI
Monorail Train, and how to use them on the Walt Disney World
Monorail System.
     You're probably exited about drive training, and who
could blame you?  After two or three months of repeating
"How many in your group?" or "Take this train to the next
stop and get on another." six or seven hundred thousand
times a day, you'd be excited about anything.  Just keep in
mind that the time you spent on the platform was well worth
it.  It built up your anticipation for driving.  Think about
it.  While you were on Exterior Load, busting your butt to
get five hundred Brazilians onto Monorail Gold, you saw all
the drivers at the water cooler, or in the console, or on
unload, not doing any work, and the same thought kept going
through your mind. . .
     When will I be able to do that?
     Soon now, very soon.  Soon you'll be able to get out of
going to turnstiles, or taking hour lunches and not getting
docked, or getting back cab times where you're allowed to
turn your brain off.  Soon, very soon.
     But first, comes training.
     I realize there's a great deal of resentment between
drivers and platform people.  Drivers are always the
"snots", while the platforms are always the "slaves".  I
remember when I was a platform-only.  I used to hate drivers
just like you probably did.  I worked like hell, and they
did nothing but ride around in trains all night, and
actually bitch about it sometimes.  I used to resent them.
In fact, I began to hate them.  Especially whenever I'd put
people in their front cab and they'd look at me like I'd
just asked them to donate their liver.  Drivers were stuck-
up jerks, and I swore I'd never be like them.
     Then I became a driver.
     I saw what makes them that way.  I saw what makes them
stand around while the platform people do all the work.  I
learned the truth.
     I became enlightened.
     Drive training is hard.  Real hard.  It looks like a
piece of cake from a platform person's point of view.  After
all, all they do it push the stick to go, pull it back to
stop, and talk into a microphone.  That's it.  Pretty easy.
     Well, as I learned, there's more to that.
     Much more.
 
     Driving a monorail is a lot like driving a bus filled
with drunk people on a crowded highway with your fuel gauge
hovering just above "E".  There's a lot to do.  A lot to
look out for, and a lot of bad things that could happen to
you.  It can be fun, but it takes a lot of practice.
     In comes me.
     For the next week, I'm going to show you just what it's
like to drive that bus, with all those drunks vomiting all
over the place, and trying to find a gas station that will
accept your expired Radio Shack credit card.
     Before we begin drive training, I will sit you down and
discuss something with you.  Call it a sort of disclaimer.
I will look you in the eye and say something like:  "Listen,
it's going to be rough out there, and I'm going to be rough
on you.  The pressure will be on you like you've never felt
it before.  I'll be asking you to do sixteen things at the
same time, and if you mess up, I'll be on your case about
it.  But just keep one thing in mind--nothing personal."
     This will probably make more sense after about three
days of training.  Day Four of training is often referred to
as, "Hell Day".  That's when it suddenly dawns on your that
driver's don't really have it that easy.  That's when you
realize that you're operating a monorail carrying anywhere
from 244 to 364 people, and you have to get then to the next
destination, preferably alive.
     A lot of trainees quit after Hell Day.  We don't think
any less of them, they just couldn't take the pressure,
that's all.  They just usually announce that "This isn't
worth $5.25 a @!&%!! hour!" and quit.  The main reason they
quit is that they didn't realize the pressure involved.
That's why I wrote this.  To let you know.
     But I don't want to scare you.  I don't want you to
think that I'm going to prod you with sticks and make you
accept Satan as your Supreme Being.  All I'm doing is
attempting to bring out the best in you, and make you the
best damned monorail pilot you can be.
     So don't hurt me, okay?
 
--
  The 23:00 News and Mail Service - +1 206 292 9048 - Seattle, WA USA
                          PEP, V.32, V.42bis
                  +++ A Waffle Iron, Model 1.64 +++

Article: 3879
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Monorails: Radio Ops  *Funny!*
Date: 20 Sep 91 13:46:52 GMT
Organization: The Walt Disney World Monorail System (Reserve)
 
 
   My roommate, John Kappeler, wrote up the following treatise
on monorail radio operations.  I couldn't improve on it a bit...
 
                                      -Monorail Green
 
                                        aka B-Man
 
 
 
                    TALKING ON THE RADIO
 
                   by John Robert Kappeler
 
 
     Talking on the radio is one of the most important
aspects of drive training.  Our goal is to make you sound as
professional, accurate and most of all, coherent as
possible.
     This is not as easy as it sounds.  Talking on the radio
is the major stumbling block to most trainees, because it's
your responsibility to repeat back verbatim whatever it was
Central or Shop has told you to do.  Still sound easy?  Okay
then, try doing this:
 
     CENTRAL:  Monorail Green from Central.
     GREEN:  Green bye.
     CENTRAL:  I show you clear MAPO Bypass through
Switchbeams 8 and 9 to the EPCOT Center Mainline, following
Monorail Pink Delta in a temporary three-train normal visual
operation.  You're clear normal visual to pylon 95, hold and
notify Central.  Also notify Central upon passing pylons 27
and 45.
     GREEN:  (30 second pause)  What?
 
     Not very professional, is it?  That's why we have the
most important radio code you can use--10-9.  10-9 means,
simply, I don't have the slightest idea of what you just
said and would you mind repeating it very much.  Here's an
example of how the code 10-9 improves the professionalism of
your radio work.
 
     CENTRAL:  Monorail Pink from Central.
     PINK:  Pink bye.
     CENTRAL:  I show you clear to put your train in stop
and your control arm in neutral.  You're clear to press
Linebreaker Reset and Group A/B Reset for fifteen seconds,
hold and notify Central the status of your groups.
     PINK:  (30 second pause)  10-9?
 
     See?  Much more professional.  To help you sound even
MORE professional on the radio, we use a variety of
different codes to make your radio experience as confusing
as possible.  Here's a listing of the codes you will need to
know.
 
     10-1:  Reading you poorly, get a new battery
     10-2:  Reading you perfectly, you don't have to shout
     10-4:  Okay, yes, acknowledged, sure, uh-huh, whatever
     10-6:  Busy, (Only supervisors can be busy.  You can't)
     10-7:  Out of service, off, broken beyond repair
     10-8:  In service, on, "My God!  It actually works!"
     10-9:  Repeat, say what?, I ignored you the first time
     10-20:  Your exact location, (In pylon numbers, please)
     10-22:  Disregard, never mind, I goofed
     10-23:  Stand-by, wait, hold, don't move or die!
     10-26:  I understand, (Only Poly leads can say this)
     10-36:  The current time of day, (In military time)
     10-45:  Phone call, you were speeding through the Poly
     10-51:  En route to, hope to get to. . .
     10-52:  E.T.A., (Always say 5 minutes, no matter what)
     10-56:  Come here, you're in biiiiig trouble!
     10-99:  Deadheaded, no guests on board. . . I think
     SIGNAL 25:  Fire, flames, Chernobyl
     SIGNAL 96-S:  There's a huge snake on my train!
 
     As a Monorail Pilot, you will use each and every one of
these codes during your career, although the last one might
not come up as often.  I put it there just in case you do
get a huge snake in your front cab, you'll know the exact
radio code to relay this information to Monorail Central.
(Chances are, however, they won't know what the hell you're
talking about.)
 
     RED:  Central from Red.
     CENTRAL:  Central bye, Red.
     RED:  Be advised, I have a Signal 96-S on board.
     CENTRAL:  (30 second pause)  10-9?
     RED:  Be advised, I have a Signal 96-S on board!
     CENTRAL:  I copy you have an auto accident on board?
     RED:  Negative!  A Signal 96-S!
     CENTRAL:  I copy you have a robbery in progress?
     RED:  10-22, I threw it out the window.
     CENTRAL:  I copy, you threw the robber out the window?
 
     I think you get the picture.
     Now then, it's important to learn those codes, because
in the coming days, Central, Shop, Maintenance, Leads, and
just about everybody with a radio is going to be calling you
up to see if you know them inside and out.  This is
especially true after Day Three of training.  On Day Four
comes a lot of radio from Central.  It's used to see if you
can talk and drive at the same time.  Up front, it sounds
pretty easy.  Here's an example of radio Mark VI trainees
receive:
 
     CENTRAL:  Monorail Gold from Central.
     GOLD:  Gold bye.
     CENTRAL:  What's the status of your CMPAS?
     GOLD:  Be advised, my CMPAS is 10-8.
     CENTRAL:  10-4, what mode is your CMPAS in?
     GOLD:  Be advised, my CMPAS is in 'play'.
     CENTRAL:  What's the status of your Car 3 LMCU?
     GOLD:  Uh. . . 10-8?
     CENTRAL:  10-4, how do you know that?
     GOLD:  Uh. . .
     CENTRAL:  What's the status of your Group A PECU?  And
     while you're at it, give me the status of your Group B
     BECU, your VOBC, your DPAS, your BCS, your TIM, your
     LVPS, and the OVERHEAT light in your upper display.
     GOLD:  (30 second pause)  Central from Gold.
     CENTRAL:  Central bye.
     GOLD:  Please 10-56 hell, Gold clear.
     CENTRAL:  10-4, will 10-56 he. . . 10-9!?
 
     Take into account that while you're attempting to
answer Central's questions, you're also attempting to keep
your train from smashing into the one ahead of it, spieling
to your guests, and watching your trainer's face distort in
disgust whenever you mess up.
     When you first start out, the trainer will be there to
coach you along the difficult radio parts.  But after
awhile, the trainer will no longer take an active interest
in what you say over the radio, and begin taking an active
interest in his nails, the weather, or the gorgeous blonde
on the Grand Floridian's beach.
     After some practice, you'll notice that you will know
ahead of time what it is Central, Shop, Etc. is going to say
to you, so it gets easier to repeat it back.  The reason it
takes practice is because there are a lot of people on the
Monorail System who are not easy to understand over the
radio.  This is especially true when you're taking a train
to or from Shop.
 
     SHOP:  Mo'rail Peenk fro' Shap.
     PINK:  Uh, Pink bye. . . I think.
     SHOP:  I sho' ya cleer usin' MAYPO Buypays outta da
     Shap to th' No' Side o'th' Shiller Playnt, hol' an'
     notify Swiytchbeem.
     PINK:  (30 second pause)  What?
 
     It's not just Shop.  There are some Central Leads who
are a bit difficult to understand at first.  But, if you
know what he/she's going to say ahead of time, you'll be
able to repeat back the commands with no problem.  Just
listen to any veteran operator on the radio, and you'll see
how it's done.
 
     CENTRAL:  Monorail (Garbled) from (Garbled).
     BLUE:  Blue bye.
     CENTRAL:  I show you (Garbled) to use (Garbled) to
     (Garbled), hold (Garbled) (Garbled) (Garbled).
     BLUE:  10-4, MAPO Override to pylon 34, will hold and
     notify Monorail Central.  Blue clear.
 
     That's why it's important to study your radio codes and
scripts.  If you memorize them, then you won't have a cow
trying to talk on the radio and drive your train at the same
time.
     In all seriousness, if you have a problem repeating
back a command, just ask them to 10-9.  They know you're in
training, and won't get it perfect!  A lot of trainees get
all flustered on the radio, that's perfectly understandable,
and acceptable.  What isn't acceptable, (at least to me), is
keying your radio to talk back to them, messing up, and
continuing to hold down the radio button!  All this does is
make you sound unprofessional, make me look like an idiot,
and give Central Leads funny stories to tell each other at
their parties.
     An example:
 
     CENTRAL:  Black from Central.
     BLACK:  Black bye.
     CENTRAL:  You're clear in reverse, MAPO Bypass if nec-
     cessary to reach pylon 62, hold an notify Central.
     BLACK:  10-4. . . clear MAPO. . .uh, necessary to. . .
     in, uh, reverse. . . what did he say?  Huh?  Why are
     you giving me the 'cut off the flow' hand signal?
     What?  I didn't hear what he said!  How can anybody
     understand what he says?  All I heard was 'Black' and
     'MAPO' something.  Hey!  Why are you grabbing my ha-
     CENTRAL:  (Laughter)  Monorail Black, please have your
     trainer 10-45.
 
     See what problems that causes?  And don't think to
yourself that you won't do it.  You will!  Everybody does it
during training.  But with me, you will do it once.
     Now then, I don't want to give you the idea that
talking over the radio is going to be the worst experience
of your life.  Come on now!  There are a lot of things worse
than that.  Drinking Oven Cleaner comes to my mind.  But if
you practice, practice, practice, and know your radio codes
and scripts, you will find that talking over the radio is
easy.
 
 
--
  The 23:00 News and Mail Service - +1 206 292 9048 - Seattle, WA USA
                          PEP, V.32, V.42bis
                  +++ A Waffle Iron, Model 1.64 +++

Article: 3895
From: [email protected] (John Heiden UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Re: The Monorail FAQ List *LONG*
Date: 22 Sep 91 07:54:54 GMT
Organization: University of Toledo, Computer Services
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] writes:
 
[...]
 
>>Are there any plans to extend the monorail to the MGM studios
>>or to the EPCOT hotels / Marketplace?
> 
>    Plans?  Sure.  There have been PLANS to do that since the
> park was built.  World Showcase is sitting on top of buried
> pylon footers for track extension from there.  The problem is
> that it's expensive and impractical.  The amount of constructin
> would be disruptive, and the sites can be served fine with
> buses.  There are plans to construct a light rail trolley (San
> Francisco style) to those areas.  We don't have one of those
> yet...
> 
> 
Well, according to my brother (who work at THE DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS),
DISNEY plans to begin construction on a new monorail segment that extends
to DISNEY-MGM sometime in 1992.  (Remember, this is what HE said.)
 
>>How much power do they consume?
>  
>    They run on 600 volts DC, rectified from (don't quote me on
> this) 13,000+ AC.  We make our own power at the plant north of
> the contmporary, across the street from monorail shop.
>  
> 
Well, when I asked this question, I was told that the monorail runs
on precisely 13,800 volts.  (Sorry to be so picky.)
 
> 
>    That's it (wheeew!)  See ya round!
> 
> 
>                                              Monorail Green
> 
>                                                aka B-Man
> 
-- 
Well, one other fact I found to being interesting...  The monorail trains
run on either EXACTLY or PRECISELY 100 wheels each.
 
I have one question now.  How does each Mark VI cost?
 
About a week ago, I got stuck on a Mark IV for about 30 minutes.  It appeared
to be the only Mark IV in operation at that time.  After being on it for
that long, I MUCH prefer the VI's.  (Bu then, my experience on that day
was already a rather unpleasant experience.  Perhaps I should write about
that day.  Boy am I mad!)
 
================================================================================
John Heiden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Heiden
 
[email protected]            The University of Toledo
[email protected]                 Toledo, Ohio     U.S.A.

Article: 3910
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Monorails: Some safety discussion/ranting
Date: 23 Sep 91 11:58:22 GMT
Organization: The Walt Disney World Monorail System (Reserve)
 
From: [email protected] (John Heiden UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO)
 
>Well, according to my brother (who work at THE DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS),
>DISNEY plans to begin construction on a new monorail segment that extends
>to DISNEY-MGM sometime in 1992.  (Remember, this is what HE said.)
 
   Don't bet on it.  The rumor mill has been saying that ever since
the Studio got under construction.  It's not feasible.
 
   First, where would it go?  EPCOT?  Not likely.  The
configuration of the station would make it impossible to run a
rail near the loading side of the station for a "bridge" to let
people transfer from MGM's rail to EPCOT's rail.  The other option
is to take people from the unload side.  That would be a nightmare.
 Changing the load to unload side was shown (during rehab of the
load side platform in '89) to be SUPER-difficult, because the
loading side is completely different in construction, and has the
control console.
 
In any case the MGM park is RIGHT NEXT DOOR to EPCOT.
Buses are cheaper and in this situation just as fast.  TTC?  This
would be crazy.  The beam from MGM to TTC would run right alongside
the EPCOT beam and that seems damn redundant.
 
 
>Well, when I asked this question, I was told that the monorail runs
>on precisely 13,800 volts.  (Sorry to be so picky.)
 
   Hey, I don't know everything.  I'm not in maintenence, I just
keep my ears and eyes open.  I like to know what I'm doing.
 
 
>Well, one other fact I found to being interesting...  The monorail trains
>run on either EXACTLY or PRECISELY 100 wheels each.
 
   That's not true of the 4s or the 6s.
 
   The trains have 136 side tires and 12 load tires.  Side tires
are those little tires that run along the side of the beam.  Load
tires are between the cars.
 
  A load tire sits inbetween cars like this...
 
             (side veiw)
__________________________    ___________________
                   /      ||||      \
                  /       ||||       \
                 /        ||||        \
  cabin area    /   OO    ||||    OO   \     cabin area
               /  OOOOOO  ||||  OOOOOO  \
              /  OOtireOO |||| OOtireOO  \
_____________/    OOOOOO  ||||  OOOOOO    \_______
                    OO            OO
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
||||||||||CONCRETE BEAMWAY||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 
 
  A side tire runs along the side like this:
 
    (REAL simple drawing)
        ______________________
       /                      \
      |                        |
      |                        |
      |                        |
      |       front view       |
      |                        |
      |                        |
      |                        |
      |________________________|  __cabin floor level
      |                        |
      |   ______||||||______   |
      |  |_tire_||||||_tire_|  |
       \_______ |||||| _______/
                |beam|
 
    If you go somewhere where the train passes over you, you can
look up and see the side tires under the train.
 
 
>I have one question now.  How does each Mark VI cost?
 
    Between 6 and 9 million depending whether you include certain
aspects, (refitting powers systems, post delivery mods, etc.).
 
 
>About a week ago, I got stuck on a Mark IV for about 30 minutes.  It appeared
>to be the only Mark IV in operation at that time.  After being on it for
>that long, I MUCH prefer the VI's.  (Bu then, my experience on that day
>was already a rather unpleasant experience.  Perhaps I should write about
>that day.  Boy am I mad!)
 
   Those trains are twenty years old, but given the choice, I'd
rather be stuck on a Mk.4.  The 4 has openable windows instead of
the "ventilation openings" of the Mk.6.  Those "vents" are one inch
wide and abou four feet long, 2 of them located at each end of a
car that's supposed to hold *65* passengers, most of them standing.
It's cramped, and it gets hot dangerously fast, especially in the
cars located next to resistor banks.
 
   If you'd been on a 6 you'd have been STANDING for that time.
 
   The 4 also has a MUCH better chance of being troubleshootable by
the driver, and thus getting moving faster.  Also it might not have
been your train that was broken.  I might infer from your
dissatisfaction with the wait that the AC units were probably off.
In that case power was off and the train style makes no difference.
If you wrote me with more data I might be able to say more
accurately what might have happened.
 
    And remember THIS tidbit.  My roommate trained the last Mk.4
pilot to be checked out.  This means that anyone in control of a 4
is a pilot with AT LEAST 2 years experience on the system, AND is
someone who could handle the MUCH more difficult (IMHO) Mk.4
training.  ("Mk.6 onlys" will say that this isn't true, but they're
talking from conjecture, not experience...)
 
   Also remember that we have 12 mark 6 trains.  We only usually
run 3 on EPCOT and Exterior (MK express) - 4 at peak,  and 4 on
Lagoon (resort).  This means we only need 9 trains to operate.
The fact that the Mk.4 was out means that THREE Mk.6s were
inoperable at that time.  We only had 11 Mk.4s.  If 3 went down the
system was screwed.  This almost never happened.  I've seen three
Mk 6s die AT THE SAME MOMENT of different ailments.
 
   Three time during the Test and Adjust phase the 6s were declared
too unsafe for further operation, and we had to use the 4s
exclusively.  This became a problem when they started to take the
4s off the beam to make room for 6s.  When the 6s would get
grounded we'd have only 9 Mk.4s TOTAL, but we got by.  We used to
joke about what was gonna happen when they found such a problem
after we didn't have enough Mk.4s to run with out the 6s.
 
   The answer?  Run the 6s anyway.  I saw more fires on Mk. 6s in
the 2 years that I drove them than anyone could remember EVER
happening on the 4s.  Hydraulics don't catch on fire, electrical
relays do.  And on top of this, the rear cab operator was
eliminated "because the Allison heat detection system can detect
any fires in the train."
 
   The Allison only covers the wheelwells of the train.  If a car
were burning the Allison would never know till it burned through
the wall to the wheelwell.  On top of this if there's a fire, the
driver cannot possibly evecuate all the passengers to the roof of
the train (YES, that's the procedure) by himself.  Truthfully you'd
be pressed to do it with two people, but for one it's not possible.
 
   I had over a hundred Allison alarms in my time, only ONE was
real.  On the flip side I saw a train come in (during testing) with
it's ALLISON heat detector ON FIRE and not going off...
 
   I sound pretty cynical don't I?  Well I'm not saying that the
Trains are deathboxes or anything.  But In my opinion it's only a
matter of time before there's a serious accident, probably a fire.
A Mk.4 could drive in flames, but the Mk.6s electronics would
overheat and die, leaving the train stranded.  This might sound
silly, but when we got the trains we had a lot of trouble with the
electronic door controls everytime it rained.  Turned out the
boards weren't covered from rain.  They just got soaked if it
rained.   AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRG!
 
   Maybe when they have to get Mk.7s (in a few years, since these
will NEVER last 20 like the 4s did) they'll do it "in house"
instead of by the lowest bidder, and they'll ask the drivers how
it should be...
 
 
                                          Monorail Green
 
                                            aka B-Man
 
--
  The 23:00 News and Mail Service - +1 206 292 9048 - Seattle, WA USA
                          PEP, V.32, V.42bis
                  +++ A Waffle Iron, Model 1.64 +++

Article: 3926
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Monorails: Yet more discussion
Date: 24 Sep 91 15:33:22 GMT
Organization: The Walt Disney World Monorail System (Reserve)
 
 
sumax!gte.com!krs0 (Rod Stephens) asked:
 
>What is the complete evacuation procedure for when a monorail is going
>up in flames? You mentioned that you move the passengers onto the
>roof, but then what?
 
   The truth?  You're supposed to take a rope from the cabinet
under the driver's seat, attatch it to a clip on top of the train
near the nose.  Repel down the windscreen to the beamway.  Attatch
the other end of the rope to a clip near the headlight. The
passengers are supposed to follow you down the windshield and walk
down the beam to a station.
 
   They don't figure you'll be wanting to save any handicapped
guests, I guess.  In fact, for $5.25 an hour, most pilots
probably wouldn't get out on the roof anyway and have said so.  I
would because I'm me, not because of any S.O.P..  The whole thing
is nuts considering that a full car's load of people couldn't get
on the roof all at once anyway (not enough space/handholds).
 
 
>
>Can the trains be separated easily? Like can you break the train and
>leave the burning car(s) behind?
 
   Nope.  The trains are assembled as one unit.
 
   I should clairify that.  Monorails come in 1 car portions on
the back of a flatbed truck.  They are assembled onto the beam
with a crane, not to be separated until they're dismounted for
scrap.  One Mk.6 got misassembled (they reversed cars 3 & 4) and
had to be taken down and switched before it could run...
 
   A monorail isn't
like a normal train in that it has an engine and the rest of it is
dead weight.  A monorail train has 8 motors in it, 113 horsepower
each in the new trains, 100 HP each in the mk.4s, spaced through
the train.  The resistors and other components aren't set up in a
fashion of "one per car" either.  You can no more split a monorail
than a bus, but maintenence HAS tried...
 
 
  WARNING!  MONORAIL WAR STORY TO FOLLOW!!
 
   When Adrian Scott was new to the department and going through
drive training, he was assigned one morning to bring monorail
orange out of shop.  He and his trainer were getting the train
though switch #3, south of shop, but Adrian was taking a REAL
long time because he was a trainee.  Book procedure calls for a
train to notify shop by radio when he's clear of switch #3, since
shop can't really see there. Shop then knows that its OK to move
the switch for the next train.
 
   Well, since most of the opening crew are vets, we never much
bothered with extra radio traffic and got pretty loose on this
point.  Shop would hear us notify switch #2 of our position and
know that we'd gotten clear of #3, so why bother?
 
   Adrian was two cars over #3 when shop decided that it had been
SOOO long that he HAD to be clear of #3.  They just must not have
heard the call to #2.
 
   Adrian's train started to shake.  It made a funny noise that
made his trainer say "What the #@*%! is that!".  Cars 3-6 started
moving sideways in his mirror.
 
   After a judicious amount of Adrian screaming into the radio,
shop turned the switch motors off and went to see what happened.
The train wasn't torn in half, so they OKed it to continue on out
and we ran it that whole day.  We just kept waiting for it to
"liberate" cars 1 & 2...
 
                                       Monorail Green
 
--
  The 23:00 News and Mail Service - +1 206 292 9048 - Seattle, WA USA
                          PEP, V.32, V.42bis
                  +++ A Waffle Iron, Model 1.64 +++

    Some studious examination of the large WDW aerial map near EPCOT
    Outreach reveals a proposed monorail loop that leaves the EPCOT loop
    somewhere between The Land and Journey Into Imagination, swings to the
    front side (away from the lagoon) of the Beach and Yacht Clubs and Swan
    and Dolphin Hotels to the studio.  The return follows the same path,
    and rejoins the EPCOT loop where it left.

    It is not clear whether one train would stop at both locations, or there
    would be some kind of a switch at the break out point so some trains
    could continue on the the studio, and others stay on the EPCOT loop.