Monorail crash?

[MissM]

Over on a Disney LJ community, someone posted that her father is a monorail driver. His train got stuck and another driver was supposed to push him but instead hit him, causing that driver to shatter his jaw and break four ribs.

How is that even possible? When I rode up front one time the driver said they have computerized controls, warnings and anti-collision detectors. (But that they didn't used to in the older version.)

Is this for real? Did anyone hear about it, see it or was there? (I assume from her post it was yesterday or equally recent.) I find it a little hard to believe so I'm hoping someone has some yea or nea on the real scoop.
-m

[edwardtc]

Originally Posted by MissM

Over on a Disney LJ community, someone posted that her father is a monorail driver. His train got stuck and another driver was supposed to push him but instead hit him, causing that driver to shatter his jaw and break four ribs.

How is that even possible? When I rode up front one time the driver said they have computerized controls, warnings and anti-collision detectors. (But that they didn't used to in the older version.)

Is this for real? Did anyone hear about it, see it or was there? (I assume from her post it was yesterday or equally recent.) I find it a little hard to believe so I'm hoping someone has some yea or nea on the real scoop.
-m

I think you answered your own question when you was you saw it on Live Journal

[MissM]

While LJ makes it a bit suspect, it's not outside the realm of possibility. Hence the asking here.
-m

[edwardtc]

Originally Posted by MissM

While LJ makes it a bit suspect, it's not outside the realm of possibility. Hence the asking here.
-m

Indeed, there is still a slim chance that it could happen. Please take no offense to my response

Keeping in mind all the MAPO failsafes they have in place, I'm trying to figure out how it could be possible for one train to ram another. And I'm 99.9% sure that they don't use the other trains to push "stuck" monorails - they bring out the "tugger" which is designed specifically to do that. And even at that, I don't think either of them can accelerate fast enough to break someone's jaw and ribs.

Again, not doubting that you read this, but I think someone on LJ is being a bit overreactive or falsifying information.

[mousermerf]

Pushing would crush the nosecone no matter what - it's just aestethic from what i recall, so it seems like a big no-no to have them touch.

They can put the trains nose-to-nose in the Contemporary for storage, so it's possible to get them that close.

The only major monorail incident in FL that i've seen chronicled was Silver throwing the tread of a tire, having it drag at full speed, then catching fire (filling a passenger cabin with smoke), and thus bringing the train down outside of Epcot and it having to be evac'ed from the line.

[cbspace]

That is true. Yellow broke down last night and the tug ran into it too hard. Someone was injured and yellow's front windshield was broken.

[mousermerf]

Well, if it's the tug, that makes more sense..

A jaw and broken ribs? I wasn't aware the tug could move that fast...

Yellow? Makes it more convincing - i've spent more time waiting for traffic clearance behind yellow than any other monorail.

[officeboy]

I don't know what happened but I can tell the story as I know it. Yellow had a problem (go figure) and tractor 3 came out to get it. When the tow operator went to attach the tow hook something bad happened and the hook operator was injured. Very soon after, someone was air lifted from the large grassy area across the street from the Contemporary hotel, presumably the hook op. Exterior was closed for a while, at MK close. I didn't feel like watercraft so I walked from MK to Contemporary. Tractor 3 was sitting on exterior in the middle of the hotel. The guardrail on one end of the tractor was pushed in, way in. Looked like the welds had begun to fail. Any way, 2 tractor operators, managers, RCFD, and security were standing next to the tractor looking quite solemn. Apparently Yellows plexi windshield was on the MK station platform.

[mousermerf]

Don't the front cab windows pop-out for Evac? I remember that for some reason, but I dunno why - but could explain why it wasn't in.

[officeboy]

The front plexi does not pop out that I am aware of. If a tractor hit it with enough force to damage the tractor then the nose of the monorail is most likely in worse shape...

[mpaul32001]

I was there and saw it happen as I was in the Monorail right next to yellow, which is the one that broke down...Our monorail pilot said "If you look to your right you can see Monorail Yellow which has broken down..This is a perfect example of what happens when a monorail breaks down. Our tow vehicle is going to push the, OH GEE!" This is not word for word but thats what he said, & the speaker cut off and I saw monorail yellow jolt maybe 2 inches. The tow truck driver was about 2 feet away from monorail yellow when the driver pushed the throttle too hard and caused the monorail tow car to crash into monorail yellow. Luckily nobody was hurt...All of this information is reliable because I got it from a Monorail CM 2 hours ago. This had also shut the express monorail down for the night right at park closing! What a Mess! There was also a big dent and huge scratches when we passed by it.

[uklad79]

Originally Posted by mpaul32001

I was there and saw it happen as I was in the Monorail right next to yellow, which is the one that broke down...Our monorail pilot said "If you look to your right you can see Monorail Yellow which has broken down..This is a perfect example of what happens when a monorail breaks down. Our tow vehicle is going to push the, OH GEE!" This is not word for word but thats what he said, & the speaker cut off and I saw monorail yellow jolt maybe 2 inches. The tow truck driver was about 2 feet away from monorail yellow when the driver pushed the throttle too hard and caused the monorail tow car to crash into monorail yellow. Luckily nobody was hurt...All of this information is reliable because I got it from a Monorail CM 2 hours ago. This had also shut the express monorail down for the night right at park closing! What a Mess! There was also a big dent and huge scratches when we passed by it.

Make your mind up! This sounds like you weren't their at all and have heard this through a CM

[mpaul32001]

I was there and saw what happened and I then asked a CM and he told me the same story I saw.....hopefully that will clear it up

[KumbaRider]

This is interesting whether it is true or not. I hope everyone is ok.

[gregwardlow]

We were there last night also, didn't know all the details. We saw Yellow broken down and they were shouting instructions from the ground to the operator through the side pop-out window. We thought it was odd that two transportation managers would be yelling up to them instead of using the radio. This was right near the MK bus depot as we were walking to the Contemporary. As we passed the switch station we saw tractor three (big green "3" on the side!) and when I pointed to it the operator waved down to us. We continued on and watched the fireworks from the concourse patio.

When we got back inside tractor 3 was in the middle of the Contemporary. We went up to the 7th floor and watched as EMTs went down into the monorail "groove" and brought out a CM in a transporation uniform. He was immobilized on a board but we did see him blinking and responsive. Fire and Police vehicles blocked traffic and they airlifted him out.

So I'm not sure why they'd be pulling him out in the hotel if the impact was all the way over at the MK, unless they had to back up all the way because Yellow was broken. BTW, here's a pic taken after the rescue was over:

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/bc/2f0acc64...fTTgDB9XR04qqh