Monorail Accident

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board57796

New Member
Regarding the radio traffic after the collision, I have heard that there was a long period of static on the radio (several minutes) and they believe it was caused by one of the mics in either Cab 1 of Purple or Cab 6 of Pink being keyed down in the collision.
 
JML42691

JML42691

Active Member
One thing that has still been on my mind and I don't recall seeing here is how did they remove the trains from the track and where are they now? Did they tow the trains in their entirety back to the shop, did the remove the entire trains via a crane and transport them via trucks, or did they remove the damaged cars and tow what was left?

Or am I missing something huge here and are the trains still at the Concourse station (I assumed that when they said that the system was open they meant all 3 lines which would imply that the entire Epcot line would be cleared). I was under the impression that they removed the trains from the site late Sunday night/early-Monday morning in the dark of night away from the view of the public.
 
Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
board57796 said:
As of now, no trains are to be driven in reverse, except to reposition if you missed your mark slightly while parking. This means that to take a train off the Epcot beam, the train will switch ends at EPCOT Station, drive counter-clockwise through the teardrop, back towards TTC (in the opposite direction of normal travel, but the pilot will be facing forwards) then through the switches. Obviously, this will take more time than the system that had been in place, as no trains may be between TTC and EPCOT as the train returns in the opposite direction.

No switches are to be done in reverse as of now. Don't know if it is permanent or not.
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Board,

I think I mentioned it somewhere way back in this thread, but I think it may have been before you started posting, so you may have missed it.

Would a two-person reposition be considered (or even possible) for instances that (up until now) required a direction change mid-beam? (Such as removing a train from the Epcot beam)

To remove a train, you'd have a driver in each cab. The first driver would pull out of Concourse like normal. When they reach the hold point beyond the switch, they would stop and carry out the train reboot that would then allow the driver in the "rear" cab to then drive the train forward (from their perspective) through the switch. Once the train got to the Express station, they could stop and the now-unnecessary second pilot could hop out, and the train continue driving forward in whichever direction is necessary.

How long does this cab-change reboot take? Also, can the reboot be done out on the beam? I envision it's essentially the same procedure that the driver of Pink would have done when they reached the MK station, but rather than it being one person walking from one end of the train to the other while in a station, it'd be two drivers.

While slower than the practice of driving backwards around the spur, it would seem this would be faster than the new "no backwards" rule you described, because it would eliminate that cruise "the wrong way" around the Epcot beam. The pause to reboot the train would have to take place anyway, but this way other beam traffic can continue on as normal.

(I'd also think that after an accident like this, where one train was backing up along a beam they shouldn't have, the visual of a train driving the "wrong way" through Epcot might spook some of the more observant Guests who hadn't heard about the new policy... I know that *I*, for one, would notice a train driving the wrong way through Epcot...)

-Rob
 
R

robbwilder

Member
board57796 said:
It all depends on many things, most importantly if Epcot was "clear" or not, meaning clear of Guests. If it was, then Purple had two options:

1) Power down at Concourse for the night
2) Deadhead, then ave the switch realigned so Purple could cross over it, then be reversed in a similar manner that Pink would have.

If Epcot wasn't cleared, Purple would probably have made a couple more laps, then done one of those two.

At that time of night, we do not take people TO Epcot, only back FROM Epcot
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The other thing to remember is that Orangle or Coral was on the tracks way behind purple. What happened with that driver. Coming out that morning we could see that monorail parked on the rails. How did that driver get out? Did he park there and wait for someone to get them or can the monorails be run automated at all? Also, if not automated how did a driver get Back into Orange/Coral
 
DznyGrlSD

DznyGrlSD

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
I just want to give a BIG HUG and thank you to all of the information current and former rails CMs have given to us. The information is much apprecaited.

I am a former CM, I didn't know Austin but when you work for Disney it's like being one big family and this whole situation has me very emotional. I have cried several times for Austin and can't imagine how his co-workers are dealing with this.

Does anyone know if the pilot of Pink is doing ok? I can't imagine what he is going through right now...
 
Hoop Raeb

Hoop Raeb

Formerly known as...
One question that's out of my mind is that if Epcot was clear of people or not. If it wasn't, wouldn't have Pink gone back there since it was already going that way? And now someone's saying Orange was behind Purple on the Epcot line. Doesn't sound like that train had any passengers on that one.

Leads me to believe Epcot was clear.
 
PhotoDave219

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
jvrabel said:
One question that's out of my mind is that if Epcot was clear of people or not. If it wasn't, wouldn't have Pink gone back there since it was already going that way? And now someone's saying Orange was behind Purple on the Epcot line. Doesn't sound like that train had any passengers on that one.

Leads me to believe Epcot was clear.
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I looked back through the Sentinel's Photo gallery. Look at Photo 16, taken Sunday while the system was down.

Based on that photo, Orange appears to be on the "Return to TTC" side of the tracks, just outside/in the vicinity of Epcot's auto plaza.
 
PKD

PKD

Active Member
whylightbulb said:
I apologize if this has been posted already. The Sentinel has posted a video of Austin that was taken by a family a week before the accident. Their story is quite touching if you get a chance to read it on the page. Here is the link http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...ail-austin-wuennenberg-070709,0,2265988.story
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convrsboy said:
Here is a sweet video of Austin driving a family on MonoRail Red

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...ail-austin-wuennenberg-070709,0,2265988.story
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Yep, posted it yesterday afternoon. Shows how CM's all over property create magic & memories daily for guest. Even the littlest things are a big deal to a 5 year or an adult!
 
wdwmomof3

wdwmomof3

Well-Known Member
whylightbulb said:
I apologize if this has been posted already. The Sentinel has posted a video of Austin that was taken by a family a week before the accident. Their story is quite touching if you get a chance to read it on the page. Here is the link http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...ail-austin-wuennenberg-070709,0,2265988.story
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Thank you for the link. That was a very touching story and my heart goes out to everyone who has the pleasure of knowing him, especially his friends and his family.
 
SusanAnne

SusanAnne

Active Member
I am so thankful for the family that shared the video of Austin, making thier vacation so great. It really showed how he took the time and showed how he cared about his guests. What a great guy! I am so saddened for the loss of this young man.
 
EPCOT Explorer

EPCOT Explorer

New Member
jvrabel said:
One question that's out of my mind is that if Epcot was clear of people or not. If it wasn't, wouldn't have Pink gone back there since it was already going that way? And now someone's saying Orange was behind Purple on the Epcot line. Doesn't sound like that train had any passengers on that one.

Leads me to believe Epcot was clear.
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Yes, I read on another site, that pink had the last people from EPCOT.
 
D

Digger R US

New Member
thanks for the info

board57796 said:
To be honest, I have never in my stint in rails heard that alarm before, and that kind of scares me. I know its NOT from power being killed (much higher pitched) and its not a MAPO alert (they wouldnt be that loud, and sound much different.)

All I can think of is its maybe some sort of fire alarm someone pulled to attract emergency services to the site.

Edit to add: That video really shakes me up, not just because the fact that someone has just died there. But because, that was my workplace. We always ran such a tight ship there. In that video, SO MANY things are happening that are totally foreign to us. Apart from the obvious, two trains smashed together, guests are scrambling out of doors opened under Emergency circumstances, loud sirens are blaring that, most likely, none of us have heard before; gates are flung open and Guests are crawling up on them. Monorails is, obviously, not supposed to be like that, and I hate seeing my coworkers (I know both people in that video) being thrust into such a foreign situation. I can't really explain it farther, other than it is deeply disturbing to me, as a Monorail CM, to watch and listen to.
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Me too, the video is very shocking, that's why I wondered about the alarm. It is one of those sounds that you can not get out of your head. In my disaster training, we have always been taught that you have no idea how people or even yourself will react in an emergency. The two cast members in the video that you mention are obviously in shock as is everyone there. I feel that they are trying to to do their best to get a handle on the situation and take appropriate action. Thanks for the insight.
 
hardcard

hardcard

New Member
goes without saying, but pink and purple are now in the shop... Purple is in Bay 7, the rear doors were open on Bay 7 yesterday... You could see the non-crushed nose ... Which means they likely pulled them via tractor through the poly, floridian and mk stations on their way back to shops.. Thats the easiest way to get the trains in that position.. (damaged nose facing towards the main bay door)


that would make it a LOT easier to move the head cab from one train to the other via service tractors..

Speaking of which, the tractors were moved all the maint beam yesterday.. they've been parked in the same spot for a while now... they are finally in a different 'order' on the beam :)
 
B

board57796

New Member
hardcard said:
goes without saying, but pink and purple are now in the shop... Purple is in Bay 7, the rear doors were open on Bay 7 yesterday... You could see the non-crushed nose ... Which means they likely pulled them via tractor through the poly, floridian and mk stations on their way back to shops.. Thats the easiest way to get the trains in that position.. (damaged nose facing towards the main bay door)


that would make it a LOT easier to move the head cab from one train to the other via service tractors..

Speaking of which, the tractors were moved all the maint beam yesterday.. they've been parked in the same spot for a while now... they are finally in a different 'order' on the beam :)
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So, you mean you could see the non-crushed nose of Purple from the bay doors that open to let the trains in? Because the trains can ONLY face out with Cab 1 being pointed out the door. Cab 6 is back in shop, which is not easily viewable as there are only small windows in that wall. So if you actually did see Purple, with its non-crushed nose pointing out towards the Magic Kingdom, that means it was its Cab 6 nose, and the only way that is possible is if it was reattached?

Cab 1 was crushed on Purple, so if the bay holding Purple had its door open, you should/would have seen the damaged nose. There is no way to get it so Cab 1 of Purple in towards the inside of shop, without taking the train off the beam....?
 
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board57796

New Member
Okay I reread what you wrote, you mean you saw Purple through the rear of the shop, right? There is one big bay door back there to lift large parts in.
 

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