News Monorail Red in motion with guests on board and doors open

[s8film40]

Is it mold or rubber from the tires?

The tires actually do a decent job of cleaning that stuff off. If you look at the very top of the beam you can see a horizontal stripe as well as one a bit lower. It's a little dark from the rubber but is much smoother and cleaner looking.

I'm surprised they haven't build an engine that runs along the beams and power-washes them at the same time. Just like the street washers, but for beams.

Funny you should mention that, I was talking with one of the maintenance guys once and he was talking about this automated power washer they saw at a trade show. He wanted them to adapt one to be able to just go out and go in circles cleaning the beam at night. Apparently that idea didn't get very far, but it makes a lot of sense to me, especially considering when they do actually clean it they have to pay a cleaning crew to do it.

 

[Disone]

Have you seen the number of bags of mostly-water and their ample sizes that pile into a car on a daily basis?

Besides and automated washer car can make as many automated reloads as it needs to during the night and every night of the year to keep up with a regular cleaning schedule.

Agreed. I read a lot of justification here as to why the beams are in the condition that they are. However none of those justifications reasonably excuse why the beams are dirty now when didn't used to be.

They have occasionally pressure washed segments of the beams, especially the loop that runs through Epcot, etc.. However the mechanical process of doing that is incredibly cumbersome ( takes the longest garden hose you've ever seen)....

Cute but no. Not sure what you saw but a garden hose is not part of the process to pressure wash the beamways.

 

[peter11435]

However none of those justifications reasonably excuse why the beams are dirty now when didn't used to be.

Actually this has been addressed. As concrete ages it becomes more porous. Thus it holds on to more dirt and grime and dirties more quickly.

 

[msg7]

The tires actually do a decent job of cleaning that stuff off. If you look at the very top of the beam you can see a horizontal stripe as well as one a bit lower. It's a little dark from the rubber but is much smoother and cleaner looking.

Funny you should mention that, I was talking with one of the maintenance guys once and he was talking about this automated power washer they saw at a trade show. He wanted them to adapt one to be able to just go out and go in circles cleaning the beam at night. Apparently that idea didn't get very far, but it makes a lot of sense to me, especially considering when they do actually clean it they have to pay a cleaning crew to do it.

I was thinking this was rubber residue from the tires just because of the indentation!

 

[flynnibus]

I think the issue is water supply. The can only put so much water in a tank before they have weight issues in a localized segment of the beam. My sense is thats why I've only seen it done on segments of the beam within the park or stations where they could get a water truck below to feed water. Out on the open beam (especially at height) it's an issue

More steam... less water. 600v can power quite a heater

 

[larryz]

More steam... less water. 600v can power quite a heater

Yeah, but would you want to be spraying that steam onto the conductors carrying all that voltage at all those amps?

 

[Disone]

Actually this has been addressed. As concrete ages it becomes more porous. Thus it holds on to more dirt and grime and dirties more quickly.

Perhaps it was addressed to your satisfaction but it was not address to mine The mere fact that they can and have cleaned parts of the beam is indication that they can do better.

Sorry we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one Peter I'm not giving them a pass. I understand you are but I am not. There are parts of the system that have been cleaned near the TTC and also in Epcot, and they were not cleaned recently but they still look light years better than the parts and have not been cleaned at all.

 

[Disone]

Yeah, but would you want to be spraying that steam onto the conductors carrying all that voltage at all those amps?

The beams are powered off when they are cleaning them.

 

[peter11435]

Perhaps it was addressed to your satisfaction but it was not address to mine The mere fact that they can and have cleaned parts of the beam is indication that they can do better.

Sorry we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one Peter I'm not giving them a pass. I understand you are but I am not. There are parts of the system that have been cleaned near the TTC and also in Epcot, and they were not cleaned recently but they still look light years better than the parts and have not been cleaned at all.

I never said I was giving them a pass and I never denied that there are clean sections and dirty sections. Obviously they could and should do better.

You were asking why the beams are dirtier now than they used to be. I gave an explanation for this. The beams are older now so they get dirtier faster. So even if they were still cleaning them the same way and as often as they did years ago they would still appear dirtier between cleanings. The frequency of cleaning would need to increase as time goes by in order to combat the effects of age. Obviously this is not happening for one reason or another.

 

[Disone]

I never said I was giving them a pass and I never denied that there are clean sections and dirty sections. Obviously they could and should do better.

You were asking why the beams are dirtier now than they used to be. I gave an explanation for this. The beams are older now so they get dirtier faster. So even if they were still cleaning them the same way and as often as they did years ago they would still appear dirtier between cleanings. The frequency of cleaning would need to increase as time goes by in order to combat the effects of age. Obviously this is not happening for one reason or another.

I don't mean this as snarky but I think you missed the point of my question. I wasn't questioning that older concrete is harder to clean. I think everyone knows that and so does Disney. However despite knowing that I believe they have made the decision to clean the concrete less frequently and possibly not at all(in some areas). And that is really the problem. I could be understanding if it was a little bit dirtier because it's older. But it's a lot dirtier because it's just not being cleaned it to the same frequency that it used to be.

In short it's not they didn't increase the amount of times they clean it as it as aged, they've pretty much given up on cleaning it.

 

[s8film40]

I never said I was giving them a pass and I never denied that there are clean sections and dirty sections. Obviously they could and should do better.

You were asking why the beams are dirtier now than they used to be. I gave an explanation for this. The beams are older now so they get dirtier faster. So even if they were still cleaning them the same way and as often as they did years ago they would still appear dirtier between cleanings. The frequency of cleaning would need to increase as time goes by in order to combat the effects of age. Obviously this is not happening for one reason or another.

I’ve never noticed a regular pattern to cleaning the beams. It’s usually years between cleanings and I’ve always gotten the impression it was kind of a special project someone decided on at the time they’ve done it. Maybe it’s more regular now?

 

[peter11435]

I don't mean this as snarky but I think you missed the point of my question. I wasn't questioning that older concrete is harder to clean. I think everyone knows that and so does Disney. However despite knowing that I believe they have made the decision to clean the concrete less frequently and possibly not at all(in some areas). And that is really the problem. I could be understanding if it was a little bit dirtier because it's older. But it's a lot dirtier because it's just not being cleaned it to the same frequency that it used to be.

In short it's not they didn't increase the amount of times they clean it as it as aged, they've pretty much given up on cleaning it.

I think there have always been some areas they barely bothered to clean while other areas that took priority. I don’t think we can really say how frequently they cleaned it in the past compared to now without some inside information. When it was new it’s possible it could go years between cleanings while now it looks dirty after months.

Looking at this picture from 1978
http://www.disneypix.com/MagicKingdom/Entrance/1978/EN0378-01.htm

Compared to this picture from 2012
http://www.disneypix.com/MagicKingdom/Entrance/2012b/EN1112-005.htm

I’m not really sure you can say it looks much different.

Photos courtesy of Disneypix

 

[peter11435]

I’ve never noticed a regular pattern to cleaning the beams. It’s usually years between cleanings and I’ve always gotten the impression it was kind of a special project someone decided on at the time they’ve done it. Maybe it’s more regular now?

Correct. I’m fairly certain it has always been years between cleanings.

 

[Nubs70]

More steam... less water. 600v can power quite a heater

Add a little tri sodium phosphate to the water

 

[Figment2005]

It is mold.

It's carbon buildup from the DC motors and brakes.

 

[JoeCamel]

It's carbon buildup from the DC motors and brakes.

You don't live in Florida?

 

[s8film40]

It's carbon buildup from the DC motors and brakes.

I don’t know, I think that might contribute but it’s probably a mix of that dirt mold and other stuff.

 

[Figment2005]

I don’t know, I think that might contribute but it’s probably a mix of that dirt mold and other stuff.

Have you seen the side of the train after a week? It's got black all over it. This is from the brakes and resistor banks on top of the trains. The same dust transfers over onto the beam over time. There is probably some dirt and other contamination but it is primarily dust from the trains.

 

[Figment2005]

You don't live in Florida?

I do and I'm also very familiar with the trains.

 

[Creathir]

I do and I'm also very familiar with the trains.

Any idea Figment why an automated beam cleaning device was not developed?