Monorail update

[networkpro]

Glad to see coral on the express loop this morning.

 

[DznyRktekt]

Common theme in many threads by one poster: The details don't matter to me so they shouldn't to you. I don't notice or care.

 

[monothingie]

Holy moly...I think this thread is a great illustration of just how frustrating it can be spending time with our more stubborn family members during the holidays

So how bout that election?

 

[Minthorne]

If I ever care so much about how much others care about something so much on a online forum please put me in the funny farm.

And welcome back Coral.

 

[ShoalFox]

Good to hear the monorail is back at its full fleet of 12. The WDW monorail system is still great no matter how old some of the trains may be.

 

[MinnieM123]

I'm happy that there are people here who enjoy keeping up with the news about the monorail. It's always been a favorite attraction of mine.

I'd just like to thank @NeonNinja for sharing the positive news with us about Coral.

 

[donaldtoo]

I'm happy that there are people here who enjoy keeping up with the news about the monorail. It's always been a favorite attraction of mine.

I'd just like to thank @NeonNinja for sharing the positive news with us about Coral.

It's not an attraction, it's "attractiortation"...!

 

[Disone]

Good heavens I wasn't aware that people had such a deep connection with a colored stripe on the side of a train. Especially, like I stated just above they could have taken any one of the trains and painted that on the side. But, OK, if it means that much to y'all. I'm so sorry if I hurt feelings. I'll remember in the future that people have a connection to it. Yes, I know it has been out of service for a year, because I have read the posts, however, I have never once looked at the trains to see what color the stripe was because they all went to the same places regardless of the color. One is no more important then the other and honestly I never noticed the different colors until it was brought up by people on the boards. I never could figure out what difference it made. I've heard it mattered, but, no one has given me a good reason why. I realize that one was out because of an accident. Why aren't we letting people know each time a bus breaks down and is out of service for a few months. Because, it doesn't matter, that's why. Wasn't that the one that ran into the back of the tow vehicle? Anyway, if people want to get all upset about my opinion of the situation then so be it. I cannot help that. But, really some of the responses were over the top. Oh, well... what every keeps one's ship afloat.

I don't think it's specifically the color that people are excited about. It's the fact that the monorail Fleet is back up to 12 operating trains. All 12 are in operating condition. There are lots of people who are monorail fans. This is exciting to them. The monorail is an icon of the Walt Disney World Resort. So it isn't specifically that monorail Coral is back per say.

It really isn't all that different from the steam trains. It's very exciting when Lilly Belle was returned into service.

They're only 4 steam engines and each one is unique. There are only 12 monorail trains and each one is unique in that it has its own color. But they're over 400 buses and most of them are identical. The analogy just isn't the same.

 

[backwoodsfarm]

Was this the monorail that had the front glass busted out? What other upgrades ect. Was done to it while it was being fixed, and lastly what took so long?

 

[Disone]

Was this the monorail that had the front glass busted out? What other upgrades ect. Was done to it while it was being fixed, and lastly what took so long?

Correct, it is the monorail that had its nose severely damaged. When significant damage like this happens to these monorail spare parts are not on hand. They have to be custom-made.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Great news. Glad we are back up to capacity.

 

[wickey's friend]

At the risk of being stoned ( ). . . we LOVE the monorails. My family always calls out what color goes by. They are our 'friends."

Having said that, I have a question - are they now running the monorails all day again? The last two times we've gone, you couldn't get to the TTC from MK, say after lunch (or first thing in the morning), except by ferry. Thanks.

 

[nace888]

That wasn't really my point. I know that is how they were identified. And for many that is important. For me it is not. It is a monorail train to me. The color of the stripe has absolutely no significance anymore then the numbers on the buses. I never noticed the colors before I read about it on the boards. I didn't care then and I don't care now other then being upset that we cannot have a particular color because that was the color of the stripe on the train for the 4th of July tragedy as if the color had anything whatsoever to do with it.

I am sorry if I upset a lot of people by my expressing what little significance it has to me. Yes, I understand that it was brought back after a lengthy absence, but, to be honest if the headline read, Damaged Monorail returns to service, it would have actually made a more significant impact ON ME as mentioning a color. What color are the wrapped ones, underneath I mean, and does it matter really? Let's say you know... what earth shattering thing does it signify? That is all I am saying. I love the monorails as much as everyone else... I just don't worship them and that was my point. I'm also sorry that people cannot take a small amount of differing opinions without getting all offended. As an old friend of mine used to say, "you go to your church, I'll go to mine". I know it probably came across as my putting people down because of it, but, that was never my intention. It was to express, without doubt, that I PERSONALLY, cannot and don't feel that way about it. To me it is a Utility/Attraction. One that after all these years to still be in like new condition when if we thought about it, they have millions of miles on them and it is total wonderment to me how come the same people cannot accept the realities of time and usage. Even new things will break and actually are more likely too. The constant talk about lack of maintenance is almost hilarious. Does anyone really think that those "machines" would still be a dependable as they are after all these years without constant and thorough repair and upkeep. In my opinion, we just all need to get a grip on some of the stuff that happens there. We are sometimes expecting somethings that just are not attainable. Just because we like to believe in the "magic" doesn't mean that it exists in a parallel universe where daisy's grow in mid-air. WDW is located right smack dab on planet earth and there is nothing that alters the laws of probability. It simply amasses me just how many think that because it's Disney none of that stuff applies.

But, enough of that. If people think that I am a tottering old fool for my way of thinking, then so be it. I wasn't even planning on coming back on this thread, as was so nicely suggested to me, but, I have to much respect for you to not at least attempt to explain my opinion. However, I do not want to be part of this discussion any longer so I will stay away.

If I may, I want to speak a moment on this.
I may be bringing up an old post, but I'd like to make a point, if I may.

#1, your "precious" Pink or Purple monorail obviously meant something to you, and those colors were RETIRED for a very valid reason. That was their way of paying respects, that's all that's needed to be said there.

#2, as people said, it's a hobby, it's something people enjoy. Some people like them for their colors (I like the shades of blue on Blue and Teal), some people like their look.

#3, these trains are quite iconic, even with starting in Disneyland. As you see, monorails have been a Disney thing since Disneyland opened. These monorails even have an iconic look, with the point that all Disneyland monorails have stayed within the Disney look, for instance...

Mk I, Mk II, Mk III have all looked identical, just tweaks through the generations. Obviously these stayed at Disneyland.
Mk IV was the look of the generation, with the design of the "Learjet" look at WDW, and boy did they look sharp, even to this day. It's very clear that this one was the first for WDW, and even though they were an older model, they were pretty cool.
Mk V was back at Disneyland, and that was the fresh look from the Mk III showing homage to the new Mk IV Monorail that was at WDW. I thought it was a nice touch.
Mk VI came back to WDW, known as the ones we love today. They are larger and more improved than the Mk IV, but seeing them side by side in pictures is pretty cool. Someone even has here a picture of a Mk IV with a "Mk VI silhouette" in it for testing.
Mk VII is not the last in line for Disney monorails, but is the last for now, and the most recent. Those beautiful color shifting trains pay a modern homage to the old Mark I-III trains, with a new modern look.

#4, if you hadn't noticed, a lot of people have followed the Disney Monorail History quite religiously, and that's just what they do. YOU may not identify it except as a mode of transportation, but many of us enjoy them regardless.

#5, did you know that since July of 2009, we've followed the history of them even more? Since that sad day, we've seen trains come and go. Pink and Purple were retired out of respects, and when the trains came back, there was Teal (blue delta) and much later on (due to lack of parts) Peach. We've then seen (by my memory) Lime have an accident from a tractor rolling down the hill at the Contemporary, then Coral have an issue with a tractor.

We don't just follow the accidents, we follow many other things. Some of us are train lovers, some of us are strictly monorail. SOME monorail pilots got there just for their love of monorails. Each person has their own differences, each person has their own preferences.

Did you know Red was (or is I don't remember) the fastest on the beams? Or that Black was the slowest (if I'm correct)? Even though each train is made identical, these trains are unique. Each train has a "personality" about it. The kids notice the colors too. Many children have lost things, and parents don't notice the train colors, but the kids do.

While I understand your viewpoint on this, that's no reason to come into a thread that the MAJORITY enjoy just to try to put them down. Just saying.

And to give you an idea, you should see the monorail pictures I've drawn. One of my favorites are in my avatar.

 

[P_Radden]

If I may, I want to speak a moment on this.
I may be bringing up an old post, but I'd like to make a point, if I may.

#1, your "precious" Pink or Purple monorail obviously meant something to you, and those colors were RETIRED for a very valid reason. That was their way of paying respects, that's all that's needed to be said there.

#2, as people said, it's a hobby, it's something people enjoy. Some people like them for their colors (I like the shades of blue on Blue and Teal), some people like their look.

#3, these trains are quite iconic, even with starting in Disneyland. As you see, monorails have been a Disney thing since Disneyland opened. These monorails even have an iconic look, with the point that all Disneyland monorails have stayed within the Disney look, for instance...

Mk I, Mk II, Mk III have all looked identical, just tweaks through the generations. Obviously these stayed at Disneyland.
Mk IV was the look of the generation, with the design of the "Learjet" look at WDW, and boy did they look sharp, even to this day. It's very clear that this one was the first for WDW, and even though they were an older model, they were pretty cool.
Mk V was back at Disneyland, and that was the fresh look from the Mk III showing homage to the new Mk IV Monorail that was at WDW. I thought it was a nice touch.
Mk VI came back to WDW, known as the ones we love today. They are larger and more improved than the Mk IV, but seeing them side by side in pictures is pretty cool. Someone even has here a picture of a Mk IV with a "Mk VI silhouette" in it for testing.
Mk VII is not the last in line for Disney monorails, but is the last for now, and the most recent. Those beautiful color shifting trains pay a modern homage to the old Mark I-III trains, with a new modern look.

#4, if you hadn't noticed, a lot of people have followed the Disney Monorail History quite religiously, and that's just what they do. YOU may not identify it except as a mode of transportation, but many of us enjoy them regardless.

#5, did you know that since July of 2009, we've followed the history of them even more? Since that sad day, we've seen trains come and go. Pink and Purple were retired out of respects, and when the trains came back, there was Teal (blue delta) and much later on (due to lack of parts) Peach. We've then seen (by my memory) Lime have an accident from a tractor rolling down the hill at the Contemporary, then Coral have an issue with a tractor.

We don't just follow the accidents, we follow many other things. Some of us are train lovers, some of us are strictly monorail. SOME monorail pilots got there just for their love of monorails. Each person has their own differences, each person has their own preferences.

Did you know Red was (or is I don't remember) the fastest on the beams? Or that Black was the slowest (if I'm correct)? Even though each train is made identical, these trains are unique. Each train has a "personality" about it. The kids notice the colors too. Many children have lost things, and parents don't notice the train colors, but the kids do.

While I understand your viewpoint on this, that's no reason to come into a thread that the MAJORITY enjoy just to try to put them down. Just saying.

And to give you an idea, you should see the monorail pictures I've drawn. One of my favorites are in my avatar.

I thought I read on here that Black was the fastest? @MonorailRed can you confirm one way or the other?

 

[Goofyernmost]

If I may, I want to speak a moment on this.
I may be bringing up an old post, but I'd like to make a point, if I may.

#1, your "precious" Pink or Purple monorail obviously meant something to you, and those colors were RETIRED for a very valid reason. That was their way of paying respects, that's all that's needed to be said there.

#2, as people said, it's a hobby, it's something people enjoy. Some people like them for their colors (I like the shades of blue on Blue and Teal), some people like their look.

#3, these trains are quite iconic, even with starting in Disneyland. As you see, monorails have been a Disney thing since Disneyland opened. These monorails even have an iconic look, with the point that all Disneyland monorails have stayed within the Disney look, for instance...

Mk I, Mk II, Mk III have all looked identical, just tweaks through the generations. Obviously these stayed at Disneyland.
Mk IV was the look of the generation, with the design of the "Learjet" look at WDW, and boy did they look sharp, even to this day. It's very clear that this one was the first for WDW, and even though they were an older model, they were pretty cool.
Mk V was back at Disneyland, and that was the fresh look from the Mk III showing homage to the new Mk IV Monorail that was at WDW. I thought it was a nice touch.
Mk VI came back to WDW, known as the ones we love today. They are larger and more improved than the Mk IV, but seeing them side by side in pictures is pretty cool. Someone even has here a picture of a Mk IV with a "Mk VI silhouette" in it for testing.
Mk VII is not the last in line for Disney monorails, but is the last for now, and the most recent. Those beautiful color shifting trains pay a modern homage to the old Mark I-III trains, with a new modern look.

#4, if you hadn't noticed, a lot of people have followed the Disney Monorail History quite religiously, and that's just what they do. YOU may not identify it except as a mode of transportation, but many of us enjoy them regardless.

#5, did you know that since July of 2009, we've followed the history of them even more? Since that sad day, we've seen trains come and go. Pink and Purple were retired out of respects, and when the trains came back, there was Teal (blue delta) and much later on (due to lack of parts) Peach. We've then seen (by my memory) Lime have an accident from a tractor rolling down the hill at the Contemporary, then Coral have an issue with a tractor.

We don't just follow the accidents, we follow many other things. Some of us are train lovers, some of us are strictly monorail. SOME monorail pilots got there just for their love of monorails. Each person has their own differences, each person has their own preferences.

Did you know Red was (or is I don't remember) the fastest on the beams? Or that Black was the slowest (if I'm correct)? Even though each train is made identical, these trains are unique. Each train has a "personality" about it. The kids notice the colors too. Many children have lost things, and parents don't notice the train colors, but the kids do.

While I understand your viewpoint on this, that's no reason to come into a thread that the MAJORITY enjoy just to try to put them down. Just saying.

And to give you an idea, you should see the monorail pictures I've drawn. One of my favorites are in my avatar.

I understand that people have made a number of reasons for the significance of the colors, however, they do no more then identify a train just like a number would, but, nicer looking. We can Dramatize a color all day but that isn't going to mean that purple had anything to do with the tragedy and if we are going to start doing those things, I'd bet that many, many people have died in auto accidents involving red cars... should we retire the color red because of it? Of course not, because the color had absolutely nothing to do with the tragedy. A plaque perhaps or some other sort of remembrance is a tribute and a shout out to a life lost tragically. Retiring a stripe of color so that it is never seen again is the opposite of a tribute, it is an effort to completely forget about it. And except for a few of us... it has been. Hardly anyone even knows it ever existed and if it came back those same people would not even blink or have any clue that it related to something. We are so prone to place some sort of importance on probably the least important things.

 

[JoeCamel]

Sigh.........


Can anyone in the know comment on the state of the automation project? Are the trains being operated by the control system or is it still a work in progress?

 

[DznyRktekt]

Sigh.........

Agreed.

 

[Monorail_Red]

I thought I read on here that Black was the fastest? @MonorailRed can you confirm one way or the other?

To preface, I've been out of the department for over 6 years now so my info is a bit dated. But when I was there, like was already said each train had their own personality. These personalities can change slightly due to ongoing maintenance and various components being upgraded/replaced/etc. So what I experienced could be something totally different today. Its hard to say which one train is the fastest, because every train acts uniquely in each cab and each beam way has its own conditions to take into consideration. I've gotten Blue up to 42 MPH on the Epcot straightaway without assistance of gravity. But soon as they replaced the MCU in that cab it topped out around 38 MPH. Most trains could also get up to around 45 MPH coming out of the Contemporary on resorts. I recall Lime, Black and Blue being the peppiest trains.

 

[P_Radden]

To preface, I've been out of the department for over 6 years now so my info is a bit dated. But when I was there, like was already said each train had their own personality. These personalities can change slightly due to ongoing maintenance and various components being upgraded/replaced/etc. So what I experienced could be something totally different today. Its hard to say which one train is the fastest, because every train acts uniquely in each cab and each beam way has its own conditions to take into consideration. I've gotten Blue up to 42 MPH on the Epcot straightaway without assistance of gravity. But soon as they replaced the MCU in that cab it topped out around 38 MPH. Most trains could also get up to around 45 MPH coming out of the Contemporary on resorts. I recall Lime, Black and Blue being the peppiest trains.

Cool, thanks for the insight!

 

[montyz81]

That wasn't really my point. I know that is how they were identified. And for many that is important. For me it is not. It is a monorail train to me. The color of the stripe has absolutely no significance anymore then the numbers on the buses. I never noticed the colors before I read about it on the boards. I didn't care then and I don't care now other then being upset that we cannot have a particular color because that was the color of the stripe on the train for the 4th of July tragedy as if the color had anything whatsoever to do with it.

I am sorry if I upset a lot of people by my expressing what little significance it has to me. Yes, I understand that it was brought back after a lengthy absence, but, to be honest if the headline read, Damaged Monorail returns to service, it would have actually made a more significant impact ON ME as mentioning a color. What color are the wrapped ones, underneath I mean, and does it matter really? Let's say you know... what earth shattering thing does it signify? That is all I am saying. I love the monorails as much as everyone else... I just don't worship them and that was my point. I'm also sorry that people cannot take a small amount of differing opinions without getting all offended. As an old friend of mine used to say, "you go to your church, I'll go to mine". I know it probably came across as my putting people down because of it, but, that was never my intention. It was to express, without doubt, that I PERSONALLY, cannot and don't feel that way about it. To me it is a Utility/Attraction. One that after all these years to still be in like new condition when if we thought about it, they have millions of miles on them and it is total wonderment to me how come the same people cannot accept the realities of time and usage. Even new things will break and actually are more likely too. The constant talk about lack of maintenance is almost hilarious. Does anyone really think that those "machines" would still be a dependable as they are after all these years without constant and thorough repair and upkeep. In my opinion, we just all need to get a grip on some of the stuff that happens there. We are sometimes expecting somethings that just are not attainable. Just because we like to believe in the "magic" doesn't mean that it exists in a parallel universe where daisy's grow in mid-air. WDW is located right smack dab on planet earth and there is nothing that alters the laws of probability. It simply amasses me just how many think that because it's Disney none of that stuff applies.

But, enough of that. If people think that I am a tottering old fool for my way of thinking, then so be it. I wasn't even planning on coming back on this thread, as was so nicely suggested to me, but, I have to much respect for you to not at least attempt to explain my opinion. However, I do not want to be part of this discussion any longer so I will stay away.

I pretty much think you are a fool for actually taking the time to write so much about something you don't care about! Why do it if you don't care. pretty inefficient and ineffective use of your time if you ask me.