Epcot Monorail Being Evacuated

[GrumpyFan]

The monorails are programmed so when power is lost, it does an emergency stop. This is a safeguard for many things. There is a way to release the brakes, but without power and potentially not enough air pressure remaining, you cannot (fully) re-apply them if you needed to. So in this scenario, it was best to just let the train be and get the Guests off. Last thing you need is the train to roll while doing an evac via ground equipment.

I'm not sure how feasible this is, but it seems like they could use an emergency generator/engine on-board that would enable the train to move along at a slow speed, just in case of situations like this, where it might be necessary to move just a short distance to get to a safe evacuation point. Is this reasonable? I want to say I've heard of such systems on other transit systems like this, but I don't recall where.

 

[Monorail_Red]

I'm not sure how feasible this is, but it seems like they could use an emergency generator/engine on-board that would enable the train to move along at a slow speed, just in case of situations like this, where it might be necessary to move just a short distance to get to a safe evacuation point. Is this reasonable? I want to say I've heard of such systems on other transit systems like this, but I don't recall where.

I'm sure it can be done but I don't see the need nor is it cost effective. The tow tractors act as the emergency generator and engine on-board. Doing this will add a lot of weight (and additional upkeep) to the train for something that will be rarely used. Its not like every train loses the ability to move under its own power on a daily basis. Even with just the 3 tow tractors, some get used more than others. So potentially such a system would only be used a few times per year per train (give or take a few incidents). Just my .02

 

[Wall-e]

I believe (although this is an assumption, based on the pictures I have seen and my experience doing a car-to-car evac drill), that any Guests who transferred via the roof did so after RCFD had arrive and secured the Guests to the rail running on top of the trains, which is there for that specific reason.

Looking at the pictures and knowing that section of track, much of the train was on a curve which is surrounded by spur beams on either side. Most likely the scissor lift truck wasn't able to reach those particular cars due to the beams being in its way. I would guess what they did is position the scissor lift at the first car, which was easily accessible, then unloaded the Guests from that car, and then brought any Guests in other cars to that car via the roof hatches (again, after being secured), to then have them take the lift down.

Again, this is just speculation, but with some previous experience behind it. In addition, the Guests aren't actually up on the roof in the middle of the cars. What they do is take the Guest out of the hatch at the end of the car, they crawl over the gap between the cars, then immediately down the nearby hatch of the next car, then the Guests walk through the interior of the car, over the center bench, to the hatch at the far end, and repeat that procedure until they are in the desired car. You aren't walking the length of the Monorail on the roof. Most of the transfer is done within the car interior, with brief portions outside, to bridge the gap between cars.

Thanks for that info. But in the event of immediate danger such as fire, where the rcfd is not on scene yet, what is the protocol for small children? Aside from sheer will, determination, and survival instincts how do you crawl from one hatch to the other with a child safely?

 

[Bluewaves]

Thanks for that info. But in the event of immediate danger such as fire, where the rcfd is not on scene yet, what is the protocol for small children? Aside from sheer will, determination, and survival instincts how do you crawl from one hatch to the other with a child safely?

Its the same as if you were on an airplane that crashed and you had to evac out a slid or on to a raft, parent takes care of themselves and their child, what would you do if your car crashed with you and your child inside of it?

You pop the hatch inside your car and hope for the best

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Are the monorails equipped with evacuation slides like airplanes have?

It seems like it would be a much safer and faster evacuation system in the rare circumstance that the tractor can't reach the monorail or in a real emergency situation such as a fire.

 

[peachykeen]

Are the monorails equipped with evacuation slides like airplanes have?

No, they are not.

 

[Bluewaves]

Are the monorails equipped with evacuation slides like airplanes have?

It seems like it would be a much safer and faster evacuation system in the rare circumstance that the tractor can't reach the monorail or in a real emergency situation such as a fire.

Slides would be extremely dangerous, the voltage in the beam bus would likely fry you to a crisp, hence the current system of evacing on to the beam

 

[Wall-e]

Its the same as if you were on an airplane that crashed and you had to evac out a slid or on to a raft, parent takes care of themselves and their child, what would you do if your car crashed with you and your child inside of it?

You pop the hatch inside your car and hope for the best

We can't really compare those situations with a monorail evac. I would be perfectly fine sliding down an inflatable slide or opening the trunk of my car...however I would not be so comfortable crawling across the top of a thirty plus foot monorail roof with a two year old in my arms. Try doing that on your living room floor and let me know how it goes.
So, no, IMO there is not much of a similarity between the scenarios you have described. While I'm sure it would be a harrowing event, I've lived through enough near death experiences to know I would do everything I could to protect and secure the safety of my child/children.

 

[Victor Kelly]

I want to see pics and video of the evac, not somebody's word on what happened. I am sorry but the hatch seems like a last resort in the event of fire. The doors undoubtedly have a manual release and you can get a bucket up to the doors.

 

[nace888]

Uhm, wasn't it RED that this happened to, not Gold? :S

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Slides would be extremely dangerous, the voltage in the beam bus would likely fry you to a crisp, hence the current system of evacing on to the beam

I hadn't even thought of the power rail, isn't that below the fins though?

ETA: Looks like the WDW monorails have the power rail below the guide wheels and the fin, Disneylands power rail is above the guide wheels and completely covered by the fin.

 

[peachykeen]

Uhm, wasn't it RED that this happened to, not Gold? :S

No, it was Gold

http://www.veooz.com/photos/mHKRmBM.html

Picture isn't the greatest but I've seen other ones that clearly show it as Gold.

 

[nace888]

I hadn't even thought of the power rail, isn't that below the fins though?

It actually runs as such...

_____________________________________________________|__|________________________
WDW Monorail System (skirt)
_____________________________________________________|__|________________________
________________(power rail)_________________________(|)____________________________

There's a little shoe hanging from the skirt, so the line is actually a few inches lower than the skirt.

 

[nace888]

I hadn't even thought of the power rail, isn't that below the fins though?

It actually runs as such...

_____________________________________________________|__|________________________
WDW Monorail System (skirt)
_____________________________________________________|__|________________________
________________(power rail)_________________________(|)____________________________

There's a little shoe hanging from the skirt, so the line is actually a few inches lower than the skirt.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Thanks Nace, I was just noticing that in pictures when you responded. I'd never noticed DL and WDW had different systems.

 

[nace888]

No, it was Gold

http://www.veooz.com/photos/mHKRmBM.html

Picture isn't the greatest but I've seen other ones that clearly show it as Gold.

Oh that's quite awkward... I thought it was red... How dahell did I get red? O_O

Thanks Nace, I was just noticing that in pictures when you responded. I'd never noticed DL and WDW had different systems.

Just noticed my post posted twice! O_O But yep!! The power rails "rest" on the arches of the beams, XD

 

[Dwarful]

I for one would have had to wait until the doors opened....or they drugged me and pulled me through the hatch. My husband and daughters were both saying how cool that would be. Knowing the length of the ride of the monorail I take a gamble that I will arrive safely and can handle the ride. If it broke down and I was stranded indefinitely .....that might be an issue....including medically with no restroom available. (crohn's disease can rear its ugly head at the most inconvenient times)

I can handle things if I know a time period and can plan for it...for example I know how long it takes to get to the top of the St. Louis Arch in those tiny little egg shaped cars...but I would not have been happy to be one of the 240 people who were trapped in the Arch back in 2007 for 3 hours....including 80 people who were trapped in groups of 5 in those little egg shaped elevators with no air conditioning in July...in St. Louis...not a good place to be. The people at the top at least had air conditioning and a small amount of space to move around. Even then with being trapped for 3 hours only two people needed medical treatment and one of those was a diabetic.

I think the blurb from the kid about 'going to die' was simple teen dramatics. I also commend everyone involved with the rescue for handling it so well.

 

[peachykeen]

Thanks Nace, I was just noticing that in pictures when you responded. I'd never noticed DL and WDW had different systems.

Part of the reason, but not the only reason, that WDWs bus-bars (the metal bars carrying the current for the trains) are on opposite sides, as opposed to the same side in DL, is to reduce to potential for an electrocution if someone were to fall in the trough (the area that the train pulls into the station.) When the bus bars are on the same side, like DL, it is easier for that person to contact the positive and negative bars at the same time, completing the circuit and...well, you can imagine.

With the bars being on opposite sides, it is more difficult for someone to contact both at the same time. I still wouldn't want to touch one live!

I was in Shop once (where the bottom of the "skirts" of the Monorails are basically at your eye level, and a very cool place to see 10 lined up in a row) and helped a maintenance guy do something on the train I was about to take out. It required me grabbing onto one of the bus bars, and it took probably two minutes of him grabbing it himself to convince me it was OK. The power to that beam was off, obviously, but it was still freaky!

 

[Master Yoda]

Part of the reason, but not the only reason, that WDWs bus-bars (the metal bars carrying the current for the trains) are on opposite sides, as opposed to the same side in DL, is to reduce to potential for an electrocution if someone were to fall in the trough (the area that the train pulls into the station.) When the bus bars are on the same side, like DL, it is easier for that person to contact the positive and negative bars at the same time, completing the circuit and...well, you can imagine.

With the bars being on opposite sides, it is more difficult for someone to contact both at the same time. I still wouldn't want to touch one live!

I was in Shop once (where the bottom of the "skirts" of the Monorails are basically at your eye level, and a very cool place to see 10 lined up in a row) and helped a maintenance guy do something on the train I was about to take out. It required me grabbing onto one of the bus bars, and it took probably two minutes of him grabbing it himself to convince me it was OK. The power to that beam was off, obviously, but it was still freaky!

Please tell me that after all that convincing the maintenance guy screamed "BUZZZZ!!!!!" the second you touched the bus bar.

 

[peachykeen]

Please tell me that after all that convincing the maintenance guy screamed "BUZZZZ!!!!!" the second you touched the bus bar.

Oh absolutely. That is sort of the running joke in Shop. They do it to each other, and people still jump after years of it.