Forgive me if this has been posted. I searched but didn't search too deep. This was posted today on monorails.org... http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/News.html#WDW
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Automated Monorails
- Thread starter montyz81
- Start date
Genie of the Lamp
Well-Known Member
As long as it improves guest safety and the worker's safety I am all for this. Although I still miss being able to ride up front with the driver of the monorails. Ahh those were the days esp.cool sitting in the driver's cabin getting ready to go through the contemporary. At least it somewhat is an investment on upgrading/improving an important asset of WDW's infastructure. I'm also glad that they're considering changing the whole course as well being that it would prevent driving backwards but even if they still had to drive backwards rearview cameras will be installed so that should help.
Uncle Lupe
Well-Known Member
I'm open to any love the monorails can receive.
Prince-1
Well-Known Member
I second the idea that anything that improves the safety for all is a great idea and that the cast members will still play a part in the monorail experience. But I also wish that we were able to drive in the front. I have many memories of riding in it as a kid and seeing my own kids faces light up when they got to ride in front and talk to the driver. Memories.....
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
The article said that it would negate the chance of ever having to drive a monorail backwards through a switch...
I had to draw this out to prove it to myself and it would work both morning and evening...of course they would have to stop at a station to change cabs.
I had to draw this out to prove it to myself and it would work both morning and evening...of course they would have to stop at a station to change cabs.
I would think that sitting up front could be restored. This says that the Monorails would be safer with this switch which in my opinion gives them less of an excuse to not open the front doors to guests.
monorail81
Well-Known Member
Agter speaking with a current pilot, 2-5 years minimum...
olinecoach61
Well-Known Member
Sounds great! Anything that improves the monorail is good. Now if we could get some new trains...
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
No, the lines would remain the same, trains would just travel in a different direction. What would be lost is the preview of EPCOT Center, as it would become a review for those leaving.
Rinx
Well-Known Member
No, what they are saying is to change the directions of the monorails. Express and resort beams would not change. Only their direction of travel will change.
Rob562
Well-Known Member
I don't see that a change to the direction of travel on the beams would be necessary if it's strictly from a "don't drive through a switch backwards" standpoint. Operational guidelines were changed after the accident, and trains aren't driven through a switch backwards now.
To remove a train from Epcot beam, they switch ends in the TTC Epcot station. (This means that the train has to park in the station for about 5 minutes while the train "reboots") They then drive it backwards out of the station (perhaps with a spotter in the non-driver cab that's going forward at that point). It's operating under normal MAPO at this point so there's no need to MAPO Override even though it's driving "backwards". When they're clear of the switch, the driver can then drive the train *forward* through the switch, over to the Express beam's TTC station using the MAPO override while they're on the spur beam.
The one problem is that this scenario requires two reboots of the train if it's then to go into normal operation on the Express beam (because once it's on Express, the cab that was active in the forward-direction drive over should now be the rear cab under normal Express counter-clockwise operation).The old now-deemed-unsafe practice of forward-then-backward across the switch would leave the cab active so that once the train was on Express it could immediately go into regular operation on Express.
If you change either the Epcot beam's direction or swap the MK beams or swap all three, there will still be instances where a train has to be reset before and/or after a beam change.
-Rob
To remove a train from Epcot beam, they switch ends in the TTC Epcot station. (This means that the train has to park in the station for about 5 minutes while the train "reboots") They then drive it backwards out of the station (perhaps with a spotter in the non-driver cab that's going forward at that point). It's operating under normal MAPO at this point so there's no need to MAPO Override even though it's driving "backwards". When they're clear of the switch, the driver can then drive the train *forward* through the switch, over to the Express beam's TTC station using the MAPO override while they're on the spur beam.
The one problem is that this scenario requires two reboots of the train if it's then to go into normal operation on the Express beam (because once it's on Express, the cab that was active in the forward-direction drive over should now be the rear cab under normal Express counter-clockwise operation).The old now-deemed-unsafe practice of forward-then-backward across the switch would leave the cab active so that once the train was on Express it could immediately go into regular operation on Express.
If you change either the Epcot beam's direction or swap the MK beams or swap all three, there will still be instances where a train has to be reset before and/or after a beam change.
-Rob
prberk
Well-Known Member
Exactly what I thought about. I think that would be a significant loss. It was designed so that you got a big preview coming in, building anticipation just like the boat or monorail ride into the MK does, but in this case, introducing you to EPCOT and everything it has to offer.
OFTeric
Well-Known Member
Funny thing when I first saw this thread, I pre-judged what everyone's response was going to be.
I was expecting a "Save the Monorail Pilot" theme to come up with people asking for the Monorail Pilot be added to the endangered species list. Instead it seems people are being very pragmatic. lol
But I still would like for someone to add the Monorail Pilot to the endangered species list.
I was expecting a "Save the Monorail Pilot" theme to come up with people asking for the Monorail Pilot be added to the endangered species list. Instead it seems people are being very pragmatic. lol
But I still would like for someone to add the Monorail Pilot to the endangered species list.
midwest_mice
Well-Known Member
I could see the automated monorails happening. In Las Vegas, they are all automated but they still need people working at all of the terminals. If Disney does go this route, it would be kind of neat if they threw in a static dummy of certain charecters in the cabins so it looked like they were being driven by them!
