Rumor New Monorails Coming Soon?

T

Thelazer

Well-Known Member
Skipper2 said:
relatively minor engineering issue, not cheap mind you, but from an engineering stand point I imagine there are several ways around the size issue.
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Keep in mind, this is the same company that has a in house team that designed software and systems that control things FAR more complex than a monorail (think Test Track and Tower Of Terror) yet outsourced monorail automation to a system that took forever to dial in and added undue wear and tear to the breaking systems.
 
Skipper2

Skipper2

Well-Known Member
Thelazer said:
Keep in mind, this is the same company that has a in house team that designed software and systems that control things FAR more complex than a monorail (think Test Track and Tower Of Terror) yet outsourced monorail automation to a system that took forever to dial in and added undue wear and tear to the breaking systems.
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For good and bad, they can fix it or redesign it or replace it. But will they spend the money? Always the bottom line with WDI is the bottom line. Be it in-house or out it always comes down to money. If the monorails start costing WDW guests and room occupancy rates at the MK resorts the system will be fixed or replaced. Until that point I don't expect anything to change except for safety maintenance improvements and those are stopgap measures. I actually hope they in-house the cabin design for the new trains. Disney has unique requirements that the in-house WDI people truly understand.

Agreed that adding automation to analog systems already at or near the end of service life was another example of a stopgap measure that was ill thought out and reactionary. Although "operator error" is often cited for the accident that led to the loss of a young man, reality is that procedures for how to accomplish the task could have been better, and the exisiting ones better executed. So they decided to add the automation to remove the human component from the process and found that full automation wasn't quite what they bought. Cost savings? Maybe, Safety? Probably a little of both. Overall including the accident the monorail is a very safe transit system before and after the incident. Automation is nice and good safety feature but it will not and cannot forsee every situation or know how to react to what it does see in every case. Man in the loop with automation is a bettter answer. Luckily the Disney system isn't fully automated and people are still in the loop. A purpose built automated system will be better than a retrofit automated one every time. A fully digital automated & human assisted system will be a much better solution. Imagine a train in the barn actually refusing to leave the building because it fails a self test of its systems before an operator even gets aboard. This would reduce the incidence of in-service failures and decrease the number of put out guests. New trains that can actually go faster because the autmation allows for closer spacing, thanks to better power control and braking systems. I know our current ones can go faster btw. But never should we allow a fully automated system without multiple people having the ability to overide it on the spot. Boeing Max8
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Thelazer said:
Keep in mind, this is the same company that has a in house team that designed software and systems that control things FAR more complex than a monorail (think Test Track and Tower Of Terror) yet outsourced monorail automation to a system that took forever to dial in and added undue wear and tear to the breaking systems.
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Also keep in mind, I don't know who Disney employs now, but, considering the price cutting they do, I sincerely doubt that they still have people whose sole purpose is to engineer something that is require every 50 years of so. This isn't the small time Disney Company that had, repeat had, those people that were capable of doing that stuff. Of not only designing and engineering, but, actually could build, piece by piece, monorails. They job that stuff out now, as needed. However, if we want a relatively current example of the degree of engineering that Disney is currently capable of one need look no further then a certain strobing Yeti.
 
Rich Brownn

Rich Brownn

Well-Known Member
Skipper2 said:
I have been living in CFL for almost my whole life. Last 60mph at MCO was last month May 4 and with events in April as well. Drop it to 50mph and the number increases dramatically. It will be interesting to know what WDW will post as the max wind for operations. My bet is 35mph and no lightning. While overseas I got to ride gondolas in the Alps for skiing (Garmisch Germany), and the high winds there are no fun in my experience. The Alpine systems use twin cables in a side by side (about 2ft apart) and they still sway a lot despite a wide support platform from the twin cables. I don't get motion sick so no biggie to me, but for drunken skiers on the way off the mountain it can be interesting, never saw anyone lose it but there were concerned looks.

Still in CFL lightning is an almost daily event in the summer. I like the Gondolas but they are far from a panacea for WDW transport. The would not handle the nightly post parade/fireworks departure surge at MK if incorporated there. At least not without building a waiting line, especially since that surge is loaded with strollers for the sleeping kids that just had to stay for those events. I do not expect it to be any worse a wait than the ferry or monorail during that surge to be fair. During fair weather and normal crowd loads they will be a relief to the overall guest movement where they are utilized.

To add complexity to this subject. New monorails mean better reliability as well as potnetial for greater capacity due to design changes, consequently increasing max per hour numbers. Others have mentioned why the current Innova design wont work (beam width). This is just a relatively minor engineering issue, not cheap mind you, but from an engineering stand point I imagine there are several ways around the size issue. New trains might also require redesigns of load ques resulting in faster loads and another increase in capacity. Even the openings at the Contemporary could be massaged to accomodate larger trains if needed, not cheap but from a "it can be done" standpoint enough money can find a solution.

Not saying the house of mouse will be likely to spend it. What I know is they wont abandon the monorail without removing it altogether and that wont be cheap and would be a net loss/loss situation. The system is iconic and does make WDW money even if not in a easily calculated figure. In the end they will replace or overhaul the existing systems with new or fully refurbished trains. Long term they really don't have a choice and all of us here know it. Timing is the question. If a contract has been made for new trains I doubt the manufacturers personnel will have the same discipline as WDW and WDWI insiders have on info. IF contracts exist I expect we would know by now. So again timing. I bet delivery after 2025 IMHO with a contract announcement made after the anniversary. They run and most guests don't see what we see, and even the ones that notice don't raise too much of a fuss for WDW right now.

I hope I am wrong and we get them much sooner. :) Someone track down design/accountant people at Bombardier and Toyota, or Honda, etc and please find us a contract.
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When I worked rails, they shut down in thunderstorm (which i gather they no longer do?) We'd park two trains in TTC and one in each hotel and one at MK
 
s8film40

s8film40

Well-Known Member
Rich Brownn said:
When I worked rails, they shut down in thunderstorm (which i gather they no longer do?) We'd park two trains in TTC and one in each hotel and one at MK
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I spent about ten years in Monorail’s and I only recall one instance where management made the decision to shut down for a thunderstorm. Now there were plenty of instances where the thunderstorm made the decision instead.
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
s8film40 said:
I spent about ten years in Monorail’s and I only recall one instance where management made the decision to shut down for a thunderstorm. Now there were plenty of instances where the thunderstorm made the decision instead.
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You mean when it's pouring rain and nearby thunderstrikes, there *isn't* a huge demand for for people to walk to train stations or hang out under tiny bus ports to use the transportation system?!!
 
s8film40

s8film40

Well-Known Member
MisterPenguin said:
You mean when it's pouring rain and nearby thunderstrikes, there *isn't* a huge demand for for people to walk to train stations or hang out under tiny bus ports to use the transportation system?!!
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Yes the demand goes way down during a heavy thunderstorm, however there are always some who will expect to use the monrails during a storm. As for the shutdowns in my experience they were almost always due to lightning causing power outages.

On a side note those heavy storms were my absolute favorite times to drive! There’s nothing quite like driving a train at 40 mph while you literally can’t see anything at all.
 

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