Monorail Automation Testing

[Disone]

Trains are not cars. INNOVIA 200s are not significantly different from the Mark VIs upon which they are based. New trains won't fix anything, they'll just temporarily mask these same problems.

By temporarily do you mean 10 or 15 years 99%? Because the current fleet was certainly excellent for about that time frame. Why would you trains not be excellent all over again? Could they not go with the fully automated versions of INNOVIA 200 that Las Vegas uses?

 

[lazyboy97o]

By temporarily do you mean 10 or 15 years 99%? Because the current fleet was certainly excellent for about that time frame. Why would you trains not be excellent all over again? Could they not go with the fully automated versions of INNOVIA 200 that Las Vegas uses?

New trains don't fix the culture that allowed the current fleet to deteriorate. And automation is not some built in function that is just turned on. The whole automation system has to be built out just as is happening.

 

[Disone]

New trains don't fix the culture that allowed the current fleet to deteriorate. And automation is not some built in function that is just turned on. The whole automation system has to be built out just as is happening.

OHHH. Yes. esp the culture part. Totally agreed.

 

[danlb_2000]

Well that was insightful:/ care to elaborate? I was speculating but one thing I will say, the automation is not meant to be part time and only during part of the day. That part is not in correct. That part I am sure of.

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

 

[flynnibus]

A company like Tesla doesn't take their system and apply it to a 25 year old Buick and hope that it works properly. The current trains weren't designed for this application. This is probably why you see the increased level of reliability issues cropping up (beyond standard age, wear and tear.)

The NYC project that automated the line got entirely new trains. WDW does not have that.

But lets be real.. most of the I/O that the automation system would rely upon is not the 25yr old buick... it would be new sensors added.. and new interfaces driving the existing controls.

The huge variety in the safety controls are dealing with the 'its not working as expected' scope. Getting sensors to act reliably, getting signals reliably, and what the system does during those periods.

One would assume any new automation wouldn't be relying on the old mapo system because of its limitations as a simple block system.

 

[montyz81]

But lets be real.. most of the I/O that the automation system would rely upon is not the 25yr old buick... it would be new sensors added.. and new interfaces driving the existing controls.

The huge variety in the safety controls are dealing with the 'its not working as expected' scope. Getting sensors to act reliably, getting signals reliably, and what the system does during those periods.

One would assume any new automation wouldn't be relying on the old mapo system because of its limitations as a simple block system.

What I am curious about is how much has it cost Disney to retrofit the old trans and mapo system vs the cost of building new trains with the system already integrated?

 

[Disone]

Thanks Dan, but I already saw that post. It is not the answer I was looking for. It does not pass the logic test that Walt Disney World is spending hundreds of millions of dollars and years implementing A system that they're only going to use for a few hours a day. Clearly others strongly disagree and feel that they very much know that this is the case. Okay let's wait and see.

 

[lazyboy97o]

What I am curious about is how much has it cost Disney to retrofit the old trans and mapo system vs the cost of building new trains with the system already integrated?

There is little cost difference. The automation system isn't built into the new trains as a factory option like cruise control. And since there has been no total shut down new trains would also have to work on the legacy MAPO system.

 

[IanDLBZF]

Quick update: a full test will be occurring tomorrow, on all three beams.
http://www.wdwthemeparks.com/news/2017/02/06/full-monorail-automation-test-begins-februray-7th

 

[Rteetz]

Quick update: a full test will be occurring tomorrow, on all three beams.
http://www.wdwthemeparks.com/news/2017/02/06/full-monorail-automation-test-begins-februray-7th

You're welcome

 

[thehowiet]

How far behind schedule is implementation at this point? it feels like this has been an active project for quite some time now.

 

[Biff215]

How far behind schedule is implementation at this point? it feels like this has been an active project for quite some time now.

Take this for what it is, but we took a Wishes fireworks cruise back in 2014. The driver (boat not bus) was throwing out interesting facts, including some that surprised me but came to fruition (plunge pools at bungalows for example). He talked about the monorail automation as there was some work going on around the waterways at the time. He said it was scheduled to be completed in 2017. I nearly laughed at this as I was well aware of the project thanks to here, and three years sounded crazy at the time. Of course they had the setback last year, but maybe they're actually not that far off schedule.

 

[mcrgw29]

2015 became their goal once 2014 failed. Rumor is that it was supposed to be completed in just over a year. 2015 failed and new dates showed up multiple times in 2016. All of those ended up failing and it was pushed into Jan.2017. That seems to have failed as well and the new date is tomorrow. This is appearing to be less of a test and more of a permanent thing starting tomorrow.

 

[Monorail_Red]

From what I understand today is more than just a test.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Replacement of the existing fleet seems more a matter when not if, in light of current age and lack-of-maintenance. Automation of either seems be a red herring.

 

[montyz81]

How did the tests go. did they take passengers?

 

[montyz81]

Replacement of the existing fleet seems more a matter when not if, in light of current age and lack-of-maintenance. Automation of either seems be a red herring.

It just seems odd that they wouldn't replace the entire fleet now with automation in place on the new fleet. I get the sense that the expense to retrofit may not have been worth it in the end.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It just seems odd that they wouldn't replace the entire fleet now with automation in place on the new fleet. I get the sense that the expense to retrofit may not have been worth it in the end.

Automation is not some standard feature that only exists within the trains.

 

[thehowiet]

Automation is not some standard feature that only exists within the trains.

Does this mean that new trains are still a possibility? Is this project with the current fleet an intermediate step towards new trains to run on the system once the automation is all worked out?

 

[mcrgw29]

How did the tests go. did they take passengers?

Yep, they've been running with guests for the last few tests. Today sounds like it was Express and Resort lines with the Epcot line joining tomorrow. They had some trouble but it still sounds like this is far less of a test and much more of a now permanent thing.