maybe if disney spent the $$ to clean each train at night as the mark IV's were done they might not stink & look as bad.:fork:
The ones in the barn are supposed to be cleaned nightly. But it depends on your definition of clean.
Give it 5 years.
You'd think they'd invest in some Febreeze or something.
Good news is, carpet is slowly being taken out (maybe that's where the 'stank' stays in?) with the refurbed trains (see lime).
The carpet will be removed from them all once the Lime configuration is adopted to all of the trains. I can really tell the difference between a train with carpeting and those without. It's a major harbor of mold.
Never noticed the scent, maybe just the over-airconditioning.
Then again, while handling thousands and thousands of passengers both young and old everyday you don't exactly expect it to smell like a new car.
The air conditioning does give it a scent. Florida's humidity generates a stream of water in all 14 of the air conditioning units on each train. I really don't know how often the A/C systems are taken apart and heavily cleaned.
I would think that updating the current monorails to newer ones (while expensive) would ultimately be beneficial. Better technologies, better more streamlined air systems, and of course clean. Although, I haven't looked into what's currently going on in the world of monorails, so there may be more to a decision like that than what I know....
And to be honest, I've never really noticed the smells. But then I usually am not paying attention. :lol:
Well, the computer systems in them are top of the line. The only area they could be improved is in the suspension. The suspension acts differently in each train, so one that is working as-new would do an amazing job. But they are simply powered by air bags from the main air reservoir.
On that note, many transit systems I know of have subway cars from the first half of last century. Our bus system has buses twice Disney's monorail's age, so why do the Disney monorails age so poorley?
They are mostly fiberglass and carpeting in some. Ever been inside of a fiberglass boat cabin? They smell exactly the same. Mold get in the seals and the AC as well as the carpeting. But I do think that interior replacements should be on a regular schedule.
Theres rumours going around that with the new trains DLR in Calif are getting then the WDW trains will be updated shortly after. The CM who took us on our backstage tour was talking about it, it should be announced pretty soon he thought so fingers crossed.
I hope they do because they are now getting a bit bumpy and theres a few very evident bits of wear and tear inside and out of the trains so a new model will keep all us monorail fanboys/fangirls happy.
The CM doesn't have a clue. Many assume that WDW will get new ones now. But the reality is that DLR has a monorail for entirely different reasons. They can justify it as a TL attraction. A TL attraction that gets a lot of visibility in a park that survives off people who visit for the day. Plus, they only have 2 trains to replace, not 12. Unless DLR started refurbing platforms for a 6-car trains, then it will most likely remain a 5-car trains (and if the rumors are true, they will be new Mark Vs with aesthetic alterations) and thus WDW will have to wait for the MVIII. Unfortunately, Disney Transport is a lot lower on the totem pole than many would want to believe.
I agree, would be nice to see new ones. But I think that a good refurb on them would make a world of difference. Recently, all the electronics were replaced int hem all. Seems like a waste to just replace the trains. Instead, replace the air bags, seals, and refurb all the interiors.
maybe mother nature will help us & let lightning zap a train or 2 & fry the mapo systems.
not easy 2 fix from what i recall, maybe if the trains keep getting zapped they will get off their beat up, smelly, cheap behinds & buy wdw new trains.
The MAPO transmitters were knocked offline by lightning on the Epcot loop about a week ago. Was online in about 90 minutes.
And the guests can only smell as good as the attractions that they just came off.
But that only applies for Stitch's Great Escape.
(Just kidding)
Never expect it to smell good at park opening or at the fireworks exit.
