castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
No I don’t think everything has the same shelf life, but the steam trains are a perfect example of transport that can last over 100 years with proper maintenance.
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Please fix the monorail!
- Thread starter TQQQ
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Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
Proper maintenance being the key phrase, there’s no reason the monorails couldn’t last 100 years either (other than money), they’re the equivalent of a classic car at this point, they’ll last forever as long as they can find the replacement parts, don’t mind paying the premium price for those parts, and have the maintenance staff to maintain them.
They’ve gotta be near the cheaper to replace age though, I’ve replaced a few cars over the years because I was spending more every month keeping them running than the payment would be on a new car.
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
"Name one".......
You are going to have to pay development costs for the antique tooling that will need to be reproduced and once you convince them to put aside huge projects to make way for your 12 trains it would be far in excess of the number you have been throwing out plus what do you get when it is done? What is different from what they have now?
esskay
Well-Known Member
. Also we all know that they ideally do need to be replaced - nobody is disputing that. What we're saying is that with proper maintenance that replacement doesnt actually have to be right now, even if we want it to be.
There are litterally planes doing daily service that were built in 1935. That's 88 years ago. Thankfully theres also TONS of evidence. Go check out Buffalo Airways and Ice Pilots (which incidently is a great tv show).
You're again plucking figures out of thin air. How do you know how much a totally bespoke monorail costs to build in 2023? And once again, how do you solve the issue that only 1 company owns the rights to the design that would need to be used for Disney's beam?
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Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Metal fatigue can cause a plane to fall out of the sky. Trains, on the other hand, might stop on the rail, but the stop is a lot more sudden with the plane. Basically not a good comparison. And yes, if people wanted to sink enough money into them they can indeed run forever. Every single part of a monorail train can be replaced new. Every single part!
By the way there are a whole lot of B-52's still in service that were built in the 50's and 60's. Every machine can have every single part replaced, if the desire is to do that.
Everyone might be in agreement that they would LIKE to see the monorails replaced, but not everyone feels that they need to be replaced. One has to be careful what they wish for because to want the monorails replaced can easily become monorails replaced with something else. Can everyone say Gondola?
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Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Well, they'd know wouldn't they? A simple internet search will tell you something a whole lot different then that. Europe had them years and years before Disney did in fact that is where Walt got the idea for them. There never were many places that had as many trains, so they kept the old ones running. I think I read somewhere that there are places in this country alone that are still running the original trains from WDW. I wonder if that is true?
Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
The WDW trains were running between MGM and Ballys in Vegas but were retired way back when they expanded the monorail.
I’m starting to worry your earlier post (about the gondolas) may be on to something, if WDW wanted new trains they could find someone to make them (even if they aren’t standard), the fact they keep putting it off has me worried they are more concerned with long term operating costs than short term train replacement costs.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Well, that was kind of the feeling I was getting for a while now. Pretty much ever since they gondola system was installed. I hope I am wrong about that possibility, but it is hard to tell with today's Disney. I like the Monorails a lot, but I think that the shine has worn off and frankly, I enjoy the gondolas much more. Just like the monorails they are both a mode of transportation and an attraction all in itself. They have had the Monorails in WDW for 50 years now and they have never caught on nationally. Neither have the gondola's as a flat surface transporter, but economically the don't even compare. I'd bet that the maintenance cost prediction doesn't even scratch the surface of what that involves with the Monorails even on a good day.
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
monorail81
Well-Known Member
That’s some funny stuff right there.
networkpro
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
The Wuppertaler Schwebebahn has been in operation since 1901 and still has some original cars for special occasions, but they replace the everyday cabs every 20 or 30 years.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I don't think the gondolas are a true option. There are serious problems with expanding them over longer distances (they're too slow), and they have operational issues that the monorails do not. Disney certainly doesn't want to rely heavily on a transit system that can't run for portions of basically every day in the summer (and sometimes in the spring/fall too).
That doesn't mean I think they intend to keep the monorails around forever -- just that gondolas are unlikely to be an eventual replacement.
You mean like the B-52. The last one was built delivered in 1962 and is now expected to be flying for 100 years.
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As long as the frame is in good shape, they can probably replace every part with modern equivalents and keep them running for many more decades.
You don't need the original model motors, new modern motors would work. Same with every part on the train. May need to make minor modifications to mount new equipment but it would work.
If you wanted to change the look, it would not be that hard to make a new fiberglass outer shell.
The beams would be a bigger concern. Ground erosion could cause shifting and cracks which could become a real issue.
You don't need the original model motors, new modern motors would work. Same with every part on the train. May need to make minor modifications to mount new equipment but it would work.
If you wanted to change the look, it would not be that hard to make a new fiberglass outer shell.
The beams would be a bigger concern. Ground erosion could cause shifting and cracks which could become a real issue.
JMcMahonEsq
Well-Known Member
Agreed. While I love the look and feel of the monorails, when looking at them objectively, they are absolutely terrible. They are based on proprietary designs, not owned by Disney. They are not off the shelf equipment, which makes replacement difficult. They are static transportation models, meaning they are built in point to point Transporation, unable to be scaled or to reaction to guest demand. Electronic buses that can be shifted on a daily basis to meet demand would be a more efficient use of resources and easier to maintain/replace.
Nothing wrong with a duct tape monorail...Oh well. I guess WDW must make do with their duct tape monorails
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
It’s around $100m per mile - so Epcot to DAK would be $300-500 m depending on route. Plus trains.
