Rumor New Monorails Coming Soon?

ShoalFox

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
If Bombardier is indeed building a new fleet, I would hope all the problems they had building NYC's new R179 subway cars don't carry over...
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
I'm not familiar with the SkyTrain system, but a quick google search seems to show it as not even being monorail. Perhaps I missed something?

But yeah, basically your just talking about a number/name. The point is the 200's were designed around the Disney system, the 300's were designed with a more ground up approach. They made the beam and trains larger with a walkthrough design. All these projects are pretty much custom projects. Some people seem to have the idea you just call up Bombardier and order trains off the shelf. In any case if or when Bombardier makes new trains for Disney (assuming Disney doesn't change out the whole system) it will be closer to the 200's. Can they call it 300, sure. They could even call it 400 if they want.
I guess Bombardier could go with a 300-based design, but it would likely not result in the big advantage of a walk-through design. The 300s already have a low-profile bogie design and I can’t imagine Disney would be interested in financing the design of an even lower-profile design.
 

NormC

Well-Known Member
The current Mark VIs and the Innovia 200s both run on a 26 inch wide beam. The Innovia 300s run on a 27.2 inch wide beam.
The width of the current Mark VIs is 8'-4 1/2" wide, the Innovia 200 is 8'-8" wide, and the Innovia 300 is 10'-4" wide.
The height of the Mark VI is 10'-5 1/2", the Innovia 200 is 11'-2", and the 300s are 13'-4"
As mentioned in an earlier comment the 300s are basically 2' wider and 3' taller than the current Mark VIs.
A 300 won't fit into the stations either in height or width, the beams are 1.2" too narrow, and the 300's skirt width is too wide for WDW's existing station skirt troughs.
A modified 200 is a much more logical assumption. If there were no station dimensions to contend with, a stock 200 could be plopped down on the existing beams tomorrow. The issue is going to be with station clearances, platform elevations in relation to the train's floor elevation, and train lengths. When the Mark VI's were brought online, all of the stations' floor elevations had to be raised approx 6".

Exactly. A 300 would not fit under the balcony at the Contemporary either. A 200 is a close fit there. If there was a pigeon on the roof it would be knocked off.
 

Robbiem

Well-Known Member
Body shells are relatively easy to change on modern trains. Here in the uk bombardier have scaled down their trains to fit on the London tube so making a wdw sized monorail with either the 200 or 300 is possible it just depends on how much the design changes will cost. For voltage most kit is built for 750 volts but can run at lower voltage- trains on the tube generally run at 650v using 750v kit. The tube also uses dc power with converters to run with ac motors on the trains. As for signaling new trains can be fitted with most control kits in factories making it a lot easier. The cityflo system was abandoned by London Underground without installation because of problems with bombardier and seltrac is its replacement (its already used on other lines here). No system is perfect but seltrac is quite good although it has a much higher capacity than WDW would ever need as its design is for mass transit with multiple trains per hour (the tube runs 30+)
 

sy278

Member
Back to the Monorails I think it is most likely that a modified 200 from Bombardier will be used, I also suspect Disney will be negotiating a fast track on these getting built.
 

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
This must feel like a coup for the Transportation team.. First they get new bendibusses, then the buses get new paint jobs, stops get video screens and a bigger terminal at MK, then new Trams come along, a new gondola system is being installed and now the pièce de résistance... New Monorails!
You might call this the squeaky wheel finally getting greased...
 

Rteetz

Well-Known Member
This must feel like a coup for the Transportation team.. First they get new bendibusses, then the buses get new paint jobs, stops get video screens and a bigger terminal at MK, then new Trams come along, a new gondola system is being installed and now the pièce de résistance... New Monorails!
The Minnie van project has been a big one as well.
 

Rteetz

Well-Known Member
That had ulterior motives though. Present transportation replacement is concentrating on life expired issues and lack of reliability / capacity.
Very true just pointing out that it’s been a projecting taking the time of Disney transportation.
 

msg7

Well-Known Member
Just watched a few YouTube videos... Does anyone else think there is a chance that they will bring the "sorcerer class bus" concept unveiled at D23 a few years back over to the monorail? I like that concept for busses but NOT for monorails.....
 

Bigart

Active Member
For anyone interested in dimension comparisons, here are a few more of the spec pages from the TGI 1987 Mark VI contract specification booklet. The current double beams are 12' apart center to center, so yet another issue with the wider 300s would be their much closer proximity to each other during passing. Compare these dimensions to those of the 200 and the 300 series.


IMG_8902.jpg
30739833_10215598474371899_4979084212486275072_n 2.jpg
 

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