Disney Monorails

[jmills006]

Are the monorails operational from both cockpits or just one of them? If so, do they ever switch which side they use?

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Are the monorails operational from both cockpits or just one of them? If so, do they ever switch which side they use?

Fully operational from both Cabs. In fact, when you are riding on the Resort Monorail beamway, the Pilot is driving from Cab 6. The Express and EPCOT beamway trains are both driven from Cab 1. The direction is usually never changed for Guest service, but for various situations like taking the trains in or out of service, or if there an issue on the beam somewhere.

 

[Figment632]

Do they ever change the route of the monorails? For Example do they take one that makes the resort run and change its route to the Epcot route

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Do they ever change the route of the monorails? For Example do they take one that makes the resort run and change its route to the Epcot route

Yeah, sure, usually one goes back to Shop after the morning blow-in, in the afternoon they move one or two trains around the different beams, and they bring another one back out before the evening exit.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Fully operational from both Cabs. In fact, when you are riding on the Resort Monorail beamway, the Pilot is driving from Cab 6. The Express and EPCOT beamway trains are both driven from Cab 1. The direction is usually never changed for Guest service, but for various situations like taking the trains in or out of service, or if there an issue on the beam somewhere.

Always wondered why that is...Is there a reason?


And could you ride in the "front" of the Mono alone in that scenario?

 

[KYMouseFan]

Where is the Shop located?

 

[CaptainMichael]

Where is the Shop located?

Northeast of Mickey's Toontown Fair and Northwest of the Contemporary Resort.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Always wondered why that is...Is there a reason?


And could you ride in the "front" of the Mono alone in that scenario?

It's just the necessity of a system where you might want to drive the Monorails in either direction. It's easy enough to do, and allows for maximum flexibility in your operation. Instead of being forced to design beamways that are restricted to accomodate a train driving from one end.

And Guests aren't allowed to ride in the back Cab, even though it is mostly inactive, there are still controls that need not to be touched that could interfere with the operation of the train.

Where is the Shop located?

Monorail Shop is behind The Magic Kingdom, you can the spur line leading to it from the beamway between the Contemporary and The Magic Kingdom, near Space Mountain.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

And Guests aren't allowed to ride in the back Cab, even though it is mostly inactive, there are still controls that need not to be touched that could interfere with the operation of the train.
.

Ah, I thought so. Shame...That would be nice, not having to make awkward conversation with a tired CM when you are trying to oggle SSE and keep from screaming.:lol::lol:

In a Monorail car, you can't see SSE for a very long time, but you certnatly can dance around and scream..:lookaroun:lol:

 

[The_CEO]

Mr. Epcot is it true that the Contemporary is used for temporary storage in severe weather? Like Hurricanes? If so how many can it hold and has it ever been needed for such a thing?

 

[hawkwood]

I've never really paid attention before, but where is the "switch-off" for the monorails that branches them back to their terminal (or whatever it's called)?

 

[Rob562]

Mr. Epcot is it true that the Contemporary is used for temporary storage in severe weather? Like Hurricanes? If so how many can it hold and has it ever been needed for such a thing?

The Contemporary can hold up to 4 trains, parked nose-to-nose. In fact, I think there are photos online somewhere of two monorails parked in there during one of the recent storms.

The monorail barn only has room for 10 trains. So they routinely park two trains out in one of the stations every night (TTC or MK usually). But for the hurricanes they moved them inside and closed the hurricane doors in the beamway openings (and from what I've read, for the storm a couple years ago it was the first time those doors had EVER been closed, and they made a horrendous squeal/screech).

If they did, in fact, park 4 in the Contemporary, it may have been just as a precaution, in case something happened to the spur track in the storm and they were stuck with only two trains.

-Rob

 

[Rob562]

I've never really paid attention before, but where is the "switch-off" for the monorails that branches them back to their terminal (or whatever it's called)?

There are three main switch-points out in easily-viewable Guest areas. (There are a LOT of switches back by the storage barn).

The first is between the MK front gate and the Contemporary. This switch moves trains from the spur that comes from the storage barn to the Express beam. It also can move a train from the Express to the Resort beam. (But a train has to be pulled out onto Express first. It can't go right from Spur to Resort).
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...0&scene=3928952&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

The other two switches are at either end of the link to the Epcot beam at the TTC. The first moves a train off of the Express beam onto this short link beam, and then the switch at the other end moves the train onto the actual Epcot beam. You can see this short connecting beam just north of the TTC station. It curves away from the Express beam and kinda parallels the Epcot beam. If you're on the Epcot line, you can see the beam coming in to your left and then just kinda ending.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...&scene=36374343&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1


And here's the storage barn north of the MK:
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...&scene=36379106&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

-Rob

 

[The_CEO]

The Contemporary can hold up to 4 trains, parked nose-to-nose. In fact, I think there are photos online somewhere of two monorails parked in there during one of the recent storms.

The monorail barn only has room for 10 trains. So they routinely park two trains out in one of the stations every night (TTC or MK usually). But for the hurricanes they moved them inside and closed the hurricane doors in the beamway openings (and from what I've read, for the storm a couple years ago it was the first time those doors had EVER been closed, and they made a horrendous squeal/screech).

If they did, in fact, park 4 in the Contemporary, it may have been just as a precaution, in case something happened to the spur track in the storm and they were stuck with only two trains.

-Rob

Thank you Rob!

 

[Rob562]

Found a post from Marni with a photo of two monorails parked in the Contemporary with the storm doors shut:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showpost.php?p=2367555&postcount=19

And FYI, the pic of monorails red and yellow nose-to-nose at the TTC isn't because of hurricane stuff (because half of each train would be sticking out of the station), but rather because they were doing work on one of the Epcot beam switches and had no way to get trains off the beam, so they kept three on there overnight. (One at Epcot, two at the TTC)

-Rob

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Ah, I thought so. Shame...That would be nice, not having to make awkward conversation with a tired CM when you are trying to oggle SSE and keep from screaming.:lol::lol:

In a Monorail car, you can't see SSE for a very long time, but you certnatly can dance around and scream..:lookaroun:lol:

Most of us are glad to have you in our Cab and chat you up! Just try to ask intelligent questions, no "Can it ever fall off?" or "Can I drive?"

Mr. Epcot is it true that the Contemporary is used for temporary storage in severe weather? Like Hurricanes? If so how many can it hold and has it ever been needed for such a thing?

The Contemporary can hold up to 4 trains, parked nose-to-nose. In fact, I think there are photos online somewhere of two monorails parked in there during one of the recent storms.

The monorail barn only has room for 10 trains. So they routinely park two trains out in one of the stations every night (TTC or MK usually). But for the hurricanes they moved them inside and closed the hurricane doors in the beamway openings (and from what I've read, for the storm a couple years ago it was the first time those doors had EVER been closed, and they made a horrendous squeal/screech).

If they did, in fact, park 4 in the Contemporary, it may have been just as a precaution, in case something happened to the spur track in the storm and they were stuck with only two trains.

-Rob

Correct! It's a rare treat for a Pilot to get to park a train in such a fashion. Most will go without ever having done it. Unfortunately, I never had the chance.

 

[ewensell3]

Most of us are glad to have you in our Cab and chat you up! Just try to ask intelligent questions, no "Can it ever fall off?" or "Can I drive?"

"Is this a water ride? Will I get wet?"

Or my favourite "How many inversions are there?"

Slightly apropos, are bus drivers/boat captains/monorail pilots still handing out transportation collector cards?

 

[Figment632]

Where is the Shop located?

If you take the 7 hour tour (which name escapes me at themoment) they take you past it. The building where they work on the trains in MK is around there as well. So is the dry dock and while we were on the tour the river boat that circles TS island was in dry dock, it was pretty cool

 

[CaptainMichael]

Slightly apropos, are bus drivers/boat captains/monorail pilots still handing out transportation collector cards?

I'll get back to you in two weeks. I don't see why we wouldn't.

 

[Figment632]

Is there going to be an upgrade to a new generation or marc of monorail anytime soon?