Monorail Automation Testing

[Disone]

experienced contractor struggling usually means difficult or meddling customer

Impossible. We all know Disney is the best company to work for and work with. Clearly a case of Thales just completely dropping the ball. Riiiiiight. More seriously, there are two major differences I can think of that *may* be factors in the difficulty of automating WDW's system. Vancouver does not have gates at their stations and unlike WDW's beam's, that tracks can be switched very quickly. This allows for trains to pretty much switch tracks at normal transport speeds where as at WDW, not just he train being added or removed, but the entire litterally slows down to super slow crawl.

 

[danlb_2000]

This is bordering on insanity though, that permit was pulled 3 years ago. Do they file extensions to these permits @danlb_2000 ?

The permit expired October of 2014, but as long as they completed installing everything that was covered by the permit then they wouldn't need an extension.

 

[wdisney9000]

But it has happened... when the monorail caught on fire and burned up on the beam.. that was how people got away. But AFAIK it was the guests doing it on their own anyways until the fire dept got there and pulled them off.

The tires have been known to get overheated and burn.. its a fire hazzard when a tire gets dragged from brake or tire failures.

I'm definitely glad they have escape hatches. But the post I was replying to implied that having monorail pilots on board would also aid in rooftop rescue scenarios. Your story seems to prove that guests would do it on their own. And for the record, I'm not opposed to have pilots. I want them to stay. But I'm confused as to what the automation is accomplishing that yields a net gain

 

[ford91exploder]

Impossible. We all know Disney is the best company to work for and work with. Clearly a case of Thales just completely dropping the ball. Riiiiiight. More seriously, there are two major differences I can think of that *may* be factors in the difficulty of automating WDW's system. Vancouver does not have gates at their stations and unlike WDW's beam's, that tracks can be switched very quickly. This allows for trains to pretty much switch tracks at normal transport speeds where as at WDW, not just he train being added or removed, but the entire litterally slows down to super slow crawl.

Well going by Thales history on similar systems and their defense contract issues, I'd say Thales and Disney deserve each other...

 

[Figment2005]

I'm definitely glad they have escape hatches. But the post I was replying to implied that having monorail pilots on board would also aid in rooftop rescue scenarios. Your story seems to prove that guests would do it on their own. And for the record, I'm not opposed to have pilots. I want them to stay. But I'm confused as to what the automation is accomplishing that yields a net gain

There is a kit under the seats of both cabs that contain instructions, note taking materials, rope for repelling down the front of the train, and rope for retrieving items from the ground. Think about the worse case scenario with an emergency situation that requires evacuation on the express beam just outside of the contemporary. If there is a fire and the train must be evacuated, yes guests could evacuate onto the rooftop on their own, but they would not be able to safely repel down the front of the train onto the beam to get inside the hotel without the presence of the pilot.

The automation is an efficiency upgrade. The positioning system in use right now is going to be 45 years old tomorrow and is in desperate need of replacement. Many problems that cause long down times are due to this ancient system. The new one accurately tracks the position of the trains on the system, and central will know exactly where they are at any one time, can control how far they go, move them through switches, etc. The pilot is there to close the doors, dispatch the train, take the train to and from the shop, handle any bypass situations, and be the face of the system for the guests.

 

[flynnibus]

You could have given each train an iphone and 'find my phone' if all you needed was location awareness...

And it's amazing how Disney finally gets interested in this 'efficiency' upgrade after the high profile incidents and multiple train accidents. Yes, I'm quite convinced that's what finally got Disney thinking 'you know, we really need to address those customer complaints about holding situations on the beams'... *puke*

 

[lazyboy97o]

And it's amazing how Disney finally gets interested in this 'efficiency' upgrade after the high profile incidents and multiple train accidents. Yes, I'm quite convinced that's what finally got Disney thinking 'you know, we really need to address those customer complaints about holding situations on the beams'... *puke*

My understanding was that the Feds told Disney to implement these upgrades following the fatal collision in 2009. Though as recent events show such demands do not mean much.

 

[LongLiveTheKing]

The automated monorails will only be for select times per day. Monorail pilots will still very much be necessary.

Exactly. There's no way an automatic train would be nearly as safe for normal boarding and disembarking guests, much less the handicapped.

 

[danlb_2000]

Exactly. There's no way an automatic train would be nearly as safe for normal boarding and disembarking guests, much less the handicapped.

Even if the train was automated you will still have CM's on the platform. They could signal when the guests are all loaded and the train can depart.

 

[monothingie]

Ok got a picture of the logo on blue. Any idea of who these guys are?

 

[Rteetz]

View attachment 166273 View attachment 166272 Ok got a picture of the logo on blue. Any idea of who these guys are?

@articos said on the first page it's a tribute to longtime WDW transportation executive Jim Vendur.

 

[LongLiveTheKing]

View attachment 166273 View attachment 166272 Ok got a picture of the logo on blue. Any idea of who these guys are?

 

[monothingie]

But it has happened... when the monorail caught on fire and burned up on the beam.. that was how people got away. But AFAIK it was the guests doing it on their own anyways until the fire dept got there and pulled them off.

The tires have been known to get overheated and burn.. its a fire hazzard when a tire gets dragged from brake or tire failures.

Y?ou are absolutely right. The monorail pilots are probably not trained for rescue operations. They probably have awareness training about what to do on board in the event of an emergency (turn systems off, operate fire extinguisher, make emergency announcements) But i don't believe that they are trained to perform rescue operations.

 

[Nubs70]

If you cannot automate the monorail system in 3 years, you suck. You are a failure and should be fired.

 

[monothingie]

If you cannot automate the monorail system in 3 years, you suck. You are a failure and should be fired.

Ok, not defending Disney, but you have to design a system and incorporate it into a monorail vehicle control system that is 25 years old, using infrastructure that is 45 years old, all while being kept in service from 7AM-12AM on average every day of the year, maybe leaving 6 hours a day to work on it.

 

[Disone]

Ok, not defending Disney, but you have to design a system and incorporate it into a monorail vehicle control system that is 25 years old, using infrastructure that is 45 years old, all while being kept in service from 7AM-12AM on average every day of the year, maybe leaving 6 hours a day to work on it.

Or buy 12 new fully automated trains?

 

[PhotoDave219]

If they're still going to need pilots, and they're only going to use automation for select times per day, why waste the time and expense on this project? Seems like a waste of resources to me.

Because there was an accident a few years back and someone was killed.

 

[Disone]

Because there was an accident a few years back and someone was killed.

My assumption is the automation is for all day. Pilots will remain but more in the role of conductor. I did hear once that they will take over the train for the purposes of adding it to or taking it off a main line. But aside from that the trains will be automated once on one of the main lines: Epcot, Express and Resorts.

 

[Figment2005]

My assumption is the automation is for all day. Pilots will remain but more in the role of conductor. I did hear once that they will take over the train for the purposes of adding it to or taking it off a main line. But aside from that the trains will be automated once on one of the main lines: Epcot, Express and Resorts.

This

 

[lazyboy97o]

Or buy 12 new fully automated trains?

This falsely assumes the automation is entirely confined to the trains themselves.