Monorail is out of service

[Goofyernmost]

What is the one requirement for an electric train?

You seem to be obsessed with riddles instead of straight up facts. Electrical problems may or may not be maintenance based, however, the mules are diesel, I think I read someplace so that they didn't have to rely on electricity.

 

[Figment2005]

You seem to be obsessed with riddles instead of straight up facts. Electrical problems may or may not be maintenance based, however, the mules are diesel, I think I read someplace so that they didn't have to rely on electricity.

The trains didn't have any juice, that is why they were down. They towed one train with the tractor over to Epcot so they could open that line.

 

[articos]

I often wonder if anyone who was on the creation team in the late 60's and 70's factored in the cost of ridiculous amounts of maintenance that would eventually catch-up years later. Between the Monorails, attractions, hubs, buses, etc, the expense has got to be insane. I know they must have to a certain extent but its seems everything needs a refresh nowadays.

Yes, that was factored in. What wasn't factored in was the growth of the resort, the use of the trains 12-15 hours a day and today's maintenance schedules being cut back from what was originally intended and recommended, especially as the trains aged. As to the cost, back in the early years, transportation had their own budgets cut out in a different way than today's operating units are allocated.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The trains didn't have any juice, that is why they were down. They towed one train with the tractor over to Epcot so they could open that line.

So the problem was with the rail and not the trains? Why are we talking about train maintenance then? Something went wrong, wiring, transformer, animal created short circuit, lightening strike... something that took longer then usual to repair, is that about it? How would towing a train to Epcot get the power back to the line again?

 

[CDavid]

So the problem was with the rail and not the trains? Why are we talking about train maintenance then?

When we speak of neglected maintenance with the monorails, the beam is part of that (among other things). Even new trains won't work on tracks which have been neglected to the point of failure.

 

[Goofyernmost]

When we speak of neglected maintenance with the monorails, the beam is part of that (among other things). Even new trains won't work on tracks which have been neglected to the point of failure.

Totally agree, however, do we know that the problem was caused by lack of maintenance or by a natural occurrence of things just failing to do what they are designed to do? In other words.. unanticipated breakdown.

That has been my point since the beginning of this thread. I doubt that many of us are electrical engineers and just know what happened or what could have been reasonably done to prevent it. But, we sure can jump quickly on the lack of maintenance band wagon. There's not much to a monorail system. Beams and wiring. If the beam broke it would have been news all over the world. If it's electrical during an electrical storm even as far away as 10 or more miles, then all this would be is an unfortunate situation that, I assume, since there haven't been any post saying that the Monorails are still not running, that it is nothing more then the constant hyperbole that is constantly spit out on the boards, to fulfill individual agenda's.

It's a shame that all the people that claim that they "love" Disney so much that the feel obligated to be vocal about what they consider to be lowered standards, cannot take the time themselves to try and discover the realities that can either be the fault of neglect or something that is totally out of Disney controls.

 

[Figment2005]

So the problem was with the rail and not the trains? Why are we talking about train maintenance then? Something went wrong, wiring, transformer, animal created short circuit, lightening strike... something that took longer then usual to repair, is that about it? How would towing a train to Epcot get the power back to the line again?

Epcot wasn't affected and had power.

 

[NelsonRD]

One thing I always wondered, was I during a tour I believe, it is claimed the Monorail run on 40 VDC. We can obtain 40 VDC from batteries very easily, sustainable to at least limp a train back to the station. Wouldn't take seem like a viable option during a power failure to get the trains safely back to the nearest station on battery power? Has this been discussed before?

 

[chiefs11]

One thing I always wondered, was I during a tour I believe, it is claimed the Monorail run on 40 VDC. We can obtain 40 VDC from batteries very easily, sustainable to at least limp a train back to the station. Wouldn't take seem like a viable option during a power failure to get the trains safely back to the nearest station on battery power? Has this been discussed before?

600 Volts, not 40V.

 

[NelsonRD]

600 Volts, not 40V.

Thanks for the correction - however, still obtainable using batteries.

 

[Monorail Lime]

Thanks for the correction - however, still obtainable using batteries.

Not realistically with current technology. The 85 kWh battery pack in the Tesla Model S weighs half a ton and only provides 375 volts. Scale that up to 600 volts and enough kWh to move a monorail and you'd have a battery pack far too heavy and unwieldy for the Mark VI chassis.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Epcot wasn't affected and had power.

That doesn't surprise me, since the entire property wasn't in the dark. But, why, I'll ask again would they need to tow a train to Epcot for? Didn't they already have two on the rails. OR did they just tow it to the Epcot rail to get it back to the barn?

 

[NelsonRD]

Not realistically with current technology. The 85 kWh battery pack in the Tesla Model S weighs half a ton and only provides 375 volts. Scale that up to 600 volts and enough kWh to move a monorail and you'd have a battery pack far too heavy and unwieldy for the Mark VI chassis.

Not sure I agree. I am suggesting a limp mode - short distance, no AC to get the train safely back to the station. Also, I do not know the current required to run the monorail electric motors, but you can scale the voltage up to 600 volts using transformers without adding more batteries. It is not a direct proportion as you suggest with the Tesla comparison.

 

[Monorail Lime]

It seems I was wrong and battery backup monorail isn't so far-fetched after all. The city of Dallas has new trolleys that can run short distances on battery @550 volts.

http://transportationblog.dallasnew...efore-downtown-oak-cliff-service-begins.html/

 

[Figment2005]

That doesn't surprise me, since the entire property wasn't in the dark. But, why, I'll ask again would they need to tow a train to Epcot for? Didn't they already have two on the rails. OR did they just tow it to the Epcot rail to get it back to the barn?

One train stayed on Epcot over night, without power it is impossible to bring a second train over to open. Hence, they towed a second train to the working beam so it could open.

 

[Figment2005]

Not sure I agree. I am suggesting a limp mode - short distance, no AC to get the train safely back to the station. Also, I do not know the current required to run the monorail electric motors, but you can scale the voltage up to 600 volts using transformers without adding more batteries. It is not a direct proportion as you suggest with the Tesla comparison.

Not to mention it takes close to 1100 amps to even get a train rolling. Batteries are not an option.

 

[Goofyernmost]

One train stayed on Epcot over night, without power it is impossible to bring a second train over to open. Hence, they towed a second train to the working beam so it could open.

OK, gotcha! But, just for clarification. Was the train itself the problem or the beam. I'm thinking, by what you have side that, it was the beam.

 

[Figment2005]

OK, gotcha! But, just for clarification. Was the train itself the problem or the beam. I'm thinking, by what you have side that, it was the beam.

Definitely beam.

 

[NelsonRD]

Not to mention it takes close to 1100 amps to even get a train rolling. Batteries are not an option.

Without giving this a lot of thought, and being uneducated on the electronics of the monorail, the claim that it takes 1100 amps to get the train moving is under normal operating procedures I would assume. Therefore, reducing the amount luxuries, such as AC, audio, and not providing power to each drive motors, I still think a limp mode is possible. The train may not reach 45mph, may start out much slower, and not be in a nice AC environment, but it would beat being stranded.

 

[articos]

Without giving this a lot of thought, and being uneducated on the electronics of the monorail, the claim that it takes 1100 amps to get the train moving is under normal operating procedures I would assume. Therefore, reducing the amount luxuries, such as AC, audio, and not providing power to each drive motors, I still think a limp mode is possible. The train may not reach 45mph, may start out much slower, and not be in a nice AC environment, but it would beat being stranded.

That's what the tractors are for, though.