Work Tractor Collides with Monorail Lime

[wdw71fan]

Keep in mind the isn't the first time a tractor has collided with one of the trains.. .There was promo footage being shot from a tractor a few years back.. that one hit a train as well

 

[NormC]

When the "uninformed public" makes a stink, maybe something will happen.

Is that what makes the monorails stink?

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

I don't want to steal someone else's pictures, but on this site you can see photos from 1991 when a work tractor and monorail collided during a film shoot. A surprising amount of damage for what was likely a minor fender bender as they were probably both moving and in the same direction. If this was stationary being hit by a moving one the damage is likely worse. From this though we can see just how easily the cosmetic shell of these trains shatter.
http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/monorailaccidents.htm

I've never seen the pink/purple monorail accident photos and I kinda wish I hadn't clicked that link.

That's a helluva lot of damage. Holy crap.

Cab from teal is being swapped onto lime tomorrow night.. it will then enter the paint shop.. and be re striped as lime.. teal with then be repaired at a flower pace... There is some morbid irony to the whole thing.... The cab being moved to lime will be one its 3rd train in 5 years....

Thanks for reporting back to us what's going on.

 

[WDWFanDave]

I've never seen the pink/purple monorail accident photos and I kinda wish I hadn't clicked that link.

That's a helluva lot of damage. Holy crap.



Thanks for reporting back to us what's going on.

I just tried the link...tells me it's no longer available...

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

I just tried the link...tells me it's no longer available...

Oooohhhh, that's interesting. It's not up now. It was just a few hours ago!

 

[lazyboy97o]

I just tried the link...tells me it's no longer available...

Oooohhhh, that's interesting. It's not up now. It was just a few hours ago!

Still working for me.

 

[note2001]

Do you have a source or citation for that? Not doubting you, I just think that would be an interesting read.

I'm looking to download that and several other reports I worked on for them "back in the day". (I was not a part of the Disney research, I only heard what a great job it was from others who were) Have not found any of them yet, which really doesn't surprise me since their library of reports was huge it would have been a large undertaking to put them all into digital form. I'll try looking with another search engine later today. Google doesn't catch everything, and that DOT search engine is less than useless.

 

[flynnibus]

Given what is being reported here (none of which is official), we can assume that Monorail Lime will get patched up fairly quickly and guests will be none the wiser. And aside from Jason reading about it here, it shouldn't make the news (especially when there is no photographic proof of the accident - at least by the public).

This, in my opinion, bears no correlation to how the rails are run. A work tractor was driven into an unloaded, parked monorail. Why? We don't know. But it was done outside the Operations of Monorails. An outside source hit a monorail, just like if a tow truck backed into your car while it was parked innocently in a parking lot.

It's all about scrutiny tho... Remember all the extra attention the Buses were getting after the kid on the bike ran into the bus and died? After that, it doesn't matter WHO is responsible, or WHY an accident happened, every bus issue was making the news. It doesn't matter if it's the Navy, your local bus system, or Disney... that's the news cycle.

As for 'no proof', it's simply an issue of putting Disney directly under the spot and asking them... did this happen? They may dodge the question, but they won't outright lie because they don't want the mess of getting caught in it.

I don't think anyone is saying the accident is the SAME as what happens in normal operation... but its still an accident in this department regardless.

 

[flynnibus]

I believe you have more to fear from your local subway system than Disney's monorails. Case in point: US DOT S&S division actively studied WDW's monorail system for months to use as a model to gauge city subways against.

How many years ago?

 

[Matt_Black]

I'm looking to download that and several other reports I worked on for them "back in the day". (I was not a part of the Disney research, I only heard what a great job it was from others who were) Have not found any of them yet, which really doesn't surprise me since their library of reports was huge it would have been a large undertaking to put them all into digital form. I'll try looking with another search engine later today. Google doesn't catch everything, and that DOT search engine is less than useless.

Ah, back in the analog era, huh?

 

[note2001]

How many years ago?

I interned for the DOT back in 88, and consulted with them on and off for a few years after that. I was told (over an over) that the Disney 'train' research was done just over a year prior to my internship.

It is older research, but given the age, standards and operation of my local (Boston) subway and train systems my bet is Disney still leads in safety. The one model that surpassed Disney's standard was DC, which I have never been on to compare.

 

[note2001]

Ah, back in the analog era, huh?

Haha, yup. You'd be surprised at how much of that research they did is still applicable today. For example: 5 mph automotive bumpers I believe are still standard. Sounds to me like Disney needs to incorporate a similar bumper system into their design verses the flimsy, albeit cool, nose cone. Might have prevented or reduced the severity of at least 2 incidents we can think of. Have they learned anything from these cases?

 

[Goofyernmost]

I believe that the brakes could fail on the tractor. Generally, those things stop on a dime. I'd be interested to see a picture. It's not the first time a tractor hit a train, either. Let's try not to blow this TOO much out of proportion.

To late for that. It amazes me how little knowledge most people have about the subject, but, it doesn't stop them from condemning and entire operation because of what was probably operator error or just, sometimes it happens, mechanical failure.

Does the State of Florida have its own state-level OSHA type agency or are they inspected by the federal OSHA?

There is nothing about this that would bring in OSHA. It's no different then any accident on the highway. Sometimes crap happens. With the Monorail system, factoring the number of miles that they put on a day, it amounts to writing on the head of a pin. It's that small.

Let's just buy new monorails... Make those equipped with the the automatic workings

It's hard to improve on a shut down, stationary object no matter how much one pays for it. A brand new monorail train would still have been a victim of this type of thing.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Is that what makes the monorails stink?

That would be the savage guests.

 

[SoupBone]

To late for that. It amazes me how little knowledge most people have about the subject, but, it doesn't stop them from condemning and entire operation because of what was probably operator error or just, sometimes it happens, mechanical failure.


There is nothing about this that would bring in OSHA. It's no different then any accident on the highway. Sometimes crap happens. With the Monorail system, factoring the number of miles that they put on a day, it amounts to writing on the head of a pin. It's that small.


It's hard to improve on a shut down, stationary object no matter how much one pays for it. A brand new monorail train would still have been a victim of this type of thing.

I'm not visualizing what the "tractor" looks like nor can I see the area this took place, but if the tractor was worker operated loading equipment, it certainly could fall under OSHA's jurisdiction. You must have a better idea than I do about where this took place if you can state that with authority.

 

[Timekeeper]

An outside source hit a monorail, just like if a tow truck backed into your car while it was parked innocently in a parking lot.

Well that's an odd analogy. The "outside source" here was literally sharing a single beam path, and it only needs to accelerate and decelerate. I imagine that there aren't a lot of steering options available to any vehicles operating on any rail or track system. A more appropriate analogy might be "just like if a tow truck backed into your car while it was the only car innocently parked in an otherwise empty MK parking lot."

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'm not visualizing what the "tractor" looks like nor can I see the area this took place, but if the tractor was worker operated loading equipment, it certainly could fall under OSHA's jurisdiction. You must have a better idea than I do about where this took place if you can state that with authority.

Well the tractor was on the line which meant that it was part of the monorail operation and not an outside thing and just like any moving vehicle, short of tying it to the rail, is a free moving entity and only a safety hazard in the same sense that operating a one's car falls under. So yes, I made an assumption, but even if the brakes had failed it is a mechanical malfunction and not necessarily a general safety issue. OSHA would not be involved unless it showed gross negligence on the part of the company. I don't see how this falls into that category. As in, "I warned them about the brakes and they made me go out there on the rail anyway".

 

[lazyboy97o]

Well the tractor was on the line which meant that it was part of the monorail operation and not an outside thing and just like any moving vehicle, short of tying it to the rail, is a free moving entity and only a safety hazard in the same sense that operating a one's car falls under. So yes, I made an assumption, but even if the brakes had failed it is a mechanical malfunction and not necessarily a general safety issue. OSHA would not be involved unless it showed gross negligence on the part of the company. I don't see how this falls into that category. As in, "I warned them about the brakes and they made me go out there on the rail anyway".

I think there could be an issue regarding the types of brakes. Unfortunately the Walt Disney World Monorail System was designed more for ideal conditions and I could see that sort of thinking impacting the brake design on the tractors.

 

[Timekeeper]

Well here's an ironic photo

I guess I could have photoshopped it to make it look more "lime"

 

[WeekendGM]

Delta missing under windows of Lime, Teal, Coral