Monorail Evac Aid

[board57796]

I was actually there when the Monorail fire happened. We were driving back from the Magic Kingdom and the monorail was stopped on the rail that goes to Epcot next to the road and they had ladders up to it and people were out on the roof. I don’t remember seeing anyone walking the rail and why would they if there were ladders to the Monorail. Seems like it would be an unsafe walk for that far on that high and narrow of a platform with it raining (since the fire was from a storm that lightning hit the monorail). Hopefully they turned off the high voltage.

The fire was actually started because one of the guide wheels (the wheels that are mounted horizontally, to keep the train on the beam) went flat, and was dragged along the entire Epcot beam until catching on fire, and the pieces of rubber fell onto the fiberglass fairings covering the wheels, which in turn caught on fire.

After that, we had "Alison" systems installed which monitor tire and axel issues, as well as information on our touch screens that we can access pressure, temperature and other informations for each individual wheel on the train.

 

[Timon]

I don’t remember seeing anyone walking the rail and why would they if there were ladders to the Monorail. Seems like it would be an unsafe walk for that far on that high and narrow of a platform with it raining (since the fire was from a storm that lightning hit the monorail). Hopefully they turned off the high voltage.

I agree and I was there, too, and while some guests may have slid down to the track (extremely dangerous) I doubt anyone walked the mile or so back to EC Station especially since the non burning end pointed to TTC. The reports I've read say a rubber guide wheel locked up and caught fire from the friction not lightning. Those Mark IV's didn't have the temperature sensors, roof hatches, extinguishers, phones like today's trains. Some of those guests must have worked for Ringling Bros Circus to escape the way they did. FYI Disney Central shops built a new body for Silver after the fire.

 

[tikiman]

The fire was actually started because one of the guide wheels (the wheels that are mounted horizontally, to keep the train on the beam) went flat, and was dragged along the entire Epcot beam until catching on fire, and the pieces of rubber fell onto the fiberglass fairings covering the wheels, which in turn caught on fire.

After that, we had "Alison" systems installed which monitor tire and axel issues, as well as information on our touch screens that we can access pressure, temperature and other informations for each individual wheel on the train.

I can believe that. After all the info we got was just after it happened so maybe at that point it was speculation of lightning hitting it to cause the fire. We left the next day so we did not get any further info as to what happened and I had almost forgotten about it until now. That and the hostage at the Boardwalk was the only newsworthy thing to happen when I have been at Disney World.