The Monorail Track

[mickey04]

First, let me start off by saying that I love the monorail. However, one thing that I've noticed (as I'm sure many of you have too) is the poor condition of the beams and track. They look very dirty and just plain old. Well, for a while I thought there was nothing they could really do about it, I mean the monorail's in operation most of the day.

But when I visited WDW last week, the track was clean and white in front of the MK. It looked beautiful. Does anyone know how exactly they go about cleaning these, and more importantly if they are planning to do the rest of the track, and if they have ever done this before. I mean, it made such a difference- they looked brand new.

Any comments would be much appreciated.

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by mickey04
First, let me start off by saying that I love the monorail. However, one thing that I've noticed (as I'm sure many of you have too) is the poor condition of the beams and track. They look very dirty and just plain old. Well, for a while I thought there was nothing they could really do about it, I mean the monorail's in operation most of the day.

But when I visited WDW last week, the track was clean and white in front of the MK. It looked beautiful. Does anyone know how exactly they go about cleaning these, and more importantly if they are planning to do the rest of the track, and if they have ever done this before. I mean, it made such a difference- they looked brand new.

Any comments would be much appreciated.

WDW has a "tractor" sometimes refered to as an MRV (Monorail recovery vehicle) that is powered by a diesl motor. after the system is shut down for the night they kill the power to the buss bar, bring out the MRV and with a power washer run the track and power wash every inch of beam way. I dont know how often they do the cleaning, and how many feet they can do a night. so I can't tell why some seemed to be clean to you and some was still dirty, seems like there in the middle of a cleaning cycle. I do know that they inspect the beam way for safety, I think every night or at least weekly to insure the beam in in good repair, I do know that when I was there in 93, I did noticed that some parts of the beamway were wearing from 23 years of use, but overall I see the beamway is in good condition for concreate. That leads me to a question for Fantasia boi, as to how many years was the beams designed to last, the original system around the Lagoon is 32 years old and the epcot loop is 22, will they have to shut down the Monorail in 21 to replace 50 year old beams, thats not something I'm looking forward to tee occurring durring a possible truo there.

 

[mickey04]

Wow, that surprises me because in all the years I've been going to WDW, those beams have always looked pretty bad. And for all the track, the only clean part was in front of the Magic Kingdom. All the rest looked the same. They can't clean it very often. If they do, its not very powerful and something else must be done to that MK area. I too would like to know how long those beams are meant to last, good question.

 

[mikedvcmember]

the problem is that concrete is very pourus (sp)? meaning that it gathers all the dirt and dust in the air. Also when it rain it gathers water and it turn to mildew wich one again after time will turn blackish brown. just look at the concrete that your house is on looks the same old. so the only way to clean it is to power wash it and to bleach it. very slow and time consuming that is why they only do a little at a time

 

[SirNim]

I'll bet you that in the future, perhaps 20 years from now, or sooner, Disney will replace the monorail beams completely... And will take down the concrete and in its place install a very durable, strong, yet lightweight metal alloy compound for use for the monorail. But that's just my vision of the future

 

[WDW1971]

Actually, I bet that concrete can last a very long time. They're sufficiently designed with a lot of rebar reinforcement within. They're extremely expensive to construct. If Disney had used some sort of metal alloy, it probably would have had to be replaced by now.

I'm not saying the beams will never need replacing, but you have to think that the engineers designed the beams for easy replacement in the event that a structural fault is ever found in them. They'd probably still require some down-time, though.

 

[Figment1986]

I heard that those beams will last 50years befor ehtye will need to be repalced. Of coarse then disney will take chances and wait longer and then get cheep fixes, then repalce beams with cheeper beems, which will fail before another 50years.

At least my imagaination thinks disneyish, LOL

^50 Years i belive.

 

[Invero]

In guest traffic areas (MK, TTC, Epcot, and near the resorts) they have started to pressure wash the beams. I got to see it one night, but unfortunetly, I didnt have my camera. Actually, it wasn't the Work Tractor doing the work, but rather a truck with a cherry picker. I'm imagining the pressure washer had some sort of abrasive cleaner chemical in it.

In addition to pressure washing the beams, a little over a year ago, they began resurfacing some of the Express beam. They'd mill the beam down about 1-2" and then resurface it. Just to give you an idea about how solid that concrete is... it took about 3-4 hours just to mill ONE FOOT of concrete. So for a few days while they were milling on the overnight, we'd have these huge potholes in the beam... LOL... not very fun to drive over.

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by Fantasia Boi
In guest traffic areas (MK, TTC, Epcot, and near the resorts) they have started to pressure wash the beams. I got to see it one night, but unfortunetly, I didnt have my camera. Actually, it wasn't the Work Tractor doing the work, but rather a truck with a cherry picker. I'm imagining the pressure washer had some sort of abrasive cleaner chemical in it.

In addition to pressure washing the beams, a little over a year ago, they began resurfacing some of the Express beam. They'd mill the beam down about 1-2" and then resurface it. Just to give you an idea about how solid that concrete is... it took about 3-4 hours just to mill ONE FOOT of concrete. So for a few days while they were milling on the overnight, we'd have these huge potholes in the beam... LOL... not very fun to drive over.

wow Tyler, Thanks for the inside info. I never knew that they would think of milling the drive side of the beam, I can see how in this time that composit materials are available to resurface the beam, I thought the tractor did the power wash, The reason I thought this was I couldn't sleep one night on my last trip in late 93, so I decided to go for a drive and see what I could see happening under the cover of night and as I was driving down world drive I saw the old inhouse built tractor and I saw it creaping slowly down one of the beams on the epcot loop and spray comming from the tractor, so I thought they were power washing the beam, maybe they were inspecting the beam and air blowing the dirt off the beam , But that was ten years ago

 

[Invero]

Originally posted by jmarc63
wow Tyler, Thanks for the inside info. I never knew that they would think of milling the drive side of the beam, I can see how in this time that composit materials are available to resurface the beam, I thought the tractor did the power wash, The reason I thought this was I couldn't sleep one night on my last trip in late 93, so I decided to go for a drive and see what I could see happening under the cover of night and as I was driving down world drive I saw the old inhouse built tractor and I saw it creaping slowly down one of the beams on the epcot loop and spray comming from the tractor, so I thought they were power washing the beam, maybe they were inspecting the beam and air blowing the dirt off the beam , But that was ten years ago

They experimented with painting the beam... that might have been what you saw. (Either the actual painting, or the precleaning before the painting) It wasn't a very sucessful thing though. The rubber from the tires stuck to the paint more than the cement... The only painted section that I know of that still exists is over by the Polynesian. However, Im sure they will be pressure cleaning it soon, if they havent already.

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by mikedvcmember
the problem is that concrete is very pourus (sp)? meaning that it gathers all the dirt and dust in the air. Also when it rain it gathers water and it turn to mildew wich one again after time will turn blackish brown. just look at the concrete that your house is on looks the same old. so the only way to clean it is to power wash it and to bleach it. very slow and time consuming that is why they only do a little at a time

mike I see you from the snow belt like I am, I dissagree on the dirt on concreat, I have always found that in floridia and arizona where I have travled to often the concreate is much cleaner and brighter after ten or 15 years where here in chicago after about two or three bad winters the concreate is dark and dirter than in the south, up here we have to content with salt spray gradualy darking the patena of concreate here, Floridia only has to deal with mildew and not the salt

 

[mickey04]

Originally posted by Fantasia Boi
They experimented with painting the beam... that might have been what you saw. (Either the actual painting, or the precleaning before the painting) It wasn't a very sucessful thing though. The rubber from the tires stuck to the paint more than the cement... The only painted section that I know of that still exists is over by the Polynesian. However, Im sure they will be pressure cleaning it soon, if they havent already.

Wow, thanks for all the great info Tyler. One more question though, how long does the power washing keep the beams clean? I hope it last a while because the washing makes such a difference.

 

[Invero]

Originally posted by mickey04
Wow, thanks for all the great info Tyler. One more question though, how long does the power washing keep the beams clean? I hope it last a while because the washing makes such a difference.

Umm... till they get dirty again. :drevil:

 

[Figment1986]

Why try to paint the beems, (White paint i presume)

 

[Invero]

Originally posted by Figment1986
Why try to paint the beems, (White paint i presume)

They painted them to make them look better. But, it backfired on them. Just take a look at any painted section (MK switchbeam, Pylon 129-135 on Express/Resort)

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by Fantasia Boi
They painted them to make them look better. But, it backfired on them. Just take a look at any painted section (MK switchbeam, Pylon 129-135 on Express/Resort)

Are you refering to the switch beam that goes back to the car barn?

 

[Invero]

Originally posted by jmarc63
Are you refering to the switch beam that goes back to the car barn?

Yes. The switchbeam at pylon 60 (Between MK & Contemporary) leads back to the Monorail Shop. It's metal, and is painted.

 

[Main Street USA]

You know, some of you are talking about eventually having to replace these beams, but I really don't think that Disney would put up the money to do something like that. I'm pretty sure they'd do everything possible to rehab them in some form, and if that didn't work they might have to discontinue monorail use.

This is not something any of us want to even think about, I know. But, if you think about all of the threads about connecting the monorail to Studios and AK, this won't happen because of the extreme cost of new beams and new trains, and essentially what they'd be doing by replacing the beam is building a new monorail all over again.

 

[mickey04]

Originally posted by Main Street USA
You know, some of you are talking about eventually having to replace these beams, but I really don't think that Disney would put up the money to do something like that. I'm pretty sure they'd do everything possible to rehab them in some form, and if that didn't work they might have to discontinue monorail use.

This is not something any of us want to even think about, I know. But, if you think about all of the threads about connecting the monorail to Studios and AK, this won't happen because of the extreme cost of new beams and new trains, and essentially what they'd be doing by replacing the beam is building a new monorail all over again.

That's a very good point that I know I didn't even consider. I truely hope that never happens- it just wouldn't be the same without the monorail.

Anyone know how the beams at DL are holding up? They will be 50 in 2009.

 

[BalooChicago]

Originally posted by SirNimajneb
I'll bet you that in the future, perhaps 20 years from now, or sooner, Disney will replace the monorail beams completely... And will take down the concrete and in its place install a very durable, strong, yet lightweight metal alloy compound for use for the monorail. But that's just my vision of the future

Concrete is a very durable, strong, material. The Romans used it in the Pantheon, and it's still around almost two millennia later.