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The Proton
05-20-2006, 08:59 AM
On the 15th we were driving down from San Francisco to Palm Springs on I-5, and two cars of Monorail Orange went by on the back of a flatbed truck in the other direction!

The cars were the middle cars, had no running gear (appeared to be just shells), and the window glass was missing as well. Since they were going in the other direction it was too late to get a snapshot, but this would appear to support the rumor (fact?) that new Monorail trains are coming.

darph nader
05-20-2006, 05:13 PM
I would LOVE to have a monorail car.(rear of course,the doors would be on the correct side).I think that would make a very COOOLLL suv.But so far the lottery is not cooperating.:eek:

darph nader
05-20-2006, 05:16 PM
I would LOVE to have a monorail car.(rear of course,the doors would be on the correct side).I think that would make a very COOOLLL suv.But so far the lottery is not cooperating.:eek:

p.s. over 30yrs ago I worked at TTT Truck Stop ,when they were shipping People Mover cars to Fla.:cool:

deltachiborn
05-20-2006, 05:44 PM
They're in the process of reverse engineering the current fleet of monorails, since the company in Germany (Alweg, or whatever it's called now) refused to build a new fleet. Probably yet another falling out with Eisner, but I can't confirm that. They were probably on their way to some location or another to be dismantled piece by piece -- let's see them on Disney Auctions when they're done with them! I think my living room will fit!

chrisaustx
05-20-2006, 06:48 PM
Alweg has been gone for at least 30 years, yes WDI is building new trains, the contracts have already been signed. Expect the new trains to be on the track early next year. I am hoping to work on some aspect of the monorail job, but that won't happen until the end of the year. New monorail photos below:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h188/chrisaustx/monorail.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h188/chrisaustx/db_MarkVII_Monorail_art21.jpg

PapiBear
05-21-2006, 04:47 AM
They're in the process of reverse engineering the current fleet of monorails, since the company in Germany (Alweg, or whatever it's called now) refused to build a new fleet. Probably yet another falling out with Eisner, but I can't confirm that. They were probably on their way to some location or another to be dismantled piece by piece -- let's see them on Disney Auctions when they're done with them! I think my living room will fit!It was Bombardier (who built the WDW monorails as well as others around the world) who refused to get involved with Disneyland's monorail refurb, primarily because it would involve retooling and mostly because Disney was pretty slow in their payments to Bombardier. Personally, I'm really glad that WDI is doing this, though.

By the way, those monorail designs look AWESOME!!!!

darph nader
05-21-2006, 01:55 PM
It was Bombardier (who built the WDW monorails as well as others around the world) who refused to get involved with Disneyland's monorail refurb, primarily because it would involve retooling and mostly because Disney was pretty slow in their payments to Bombardier. Personally, I'm really glad that WDI is doing this, though.

By the way, those monorail designs look AWESOME!!!!

I thought it was Bombardier but I was'nt sure. I know how they feel though. My wife works on base(DM) and we have pretty much have full medical coverage.(if you can find anyone who will take it).OBTW you're med $ don't go to the doctors. It's ALL paper work & ceos. PM me and i'll give you some clues.

chrisaustx
05-21-2006, 08:52 PM
I found a blurb about the new monorail project:

Built by Burke Design & TPI Composites
Mark VII - 2007
Sleek/Retro Design
New seating configuration.
Designed and engineered in-house by Walt Disney Imagineering and Burke Design

Opus1guy
05-21-2006, 09:24 PM
I found a blurb about the new monorail project:

Built by Burke Design & TPI Composites
Mark VII - 2007
Sleek/Retro Design
New seating configuration.
Designed and engineered in-house by Walt Disney Imagineering and Burke Design

I know Steve Burke (not to be confused with former Disney exec Stephen Burke who now heads Comcast). He's a great engineer and really knows composite design. Doesn't surprise me Imagineering contracted him for this project, especially for hull design and structure. He used to work for TPI before splitting off on his own, but it seems they are both involved in the Monorail project...so they're back in the saddle together again, it seems. :)

Wouldn't surprise me if he was also somehow involved in the Submarine refurb in some way. He's got a strong naval background and used to work on the real things!

chrisaustx
05-21-2006, 11:23 PM
I did some research on TPI, they make bus bodies completely out of composites, no steel in the entire body. The manufacturing location is in Juarez, Mexico. So it is very possible we might be seeing some new monorail bodies driving up I-5 toward Glendale soon. TPI's train and bus website is at:
http://www.tpicomposites.com/index.php?id=1065

DaddyB
05-22-2006, 08:59 AM
It's an exciting time to be a Disneyland fan right now, isn't it? Optimistically speaking, we're heading into a new 'golden' age.

Frogberto
05-22-2006, 12:03 PM
...New monorail photos below:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h188/chrisaustx/monorail.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h188/chrisaustx/db_MarkVII_Monorail_art21.jpg


Umm, I have news for you. Those are not "photos" at all. They are concept art.

chrisaustx
05-22-2006, 01:28 PM
Photo as in, jpg file. The monorail bodies have not been built yet, the 2nd photo is of the construction plans, camera phone photo.

chrisaustx
05-22-2006, 02:30 PM
It's an exciting time to be a Disneyland fan right now, isn't it? Optimistically speaking, we're heading into a new 'golden' age.
Yes, the park is going back to the "good old days," when money is being spent on real improvements and old Disneyland favorites are being improved. I think the next thing we will see driving up I-5 will be people mover bodies, but that might be a few years away.

SactoGuy
05-22-2006, 03:26 PM
Actually i think the monorails were heading to the oakland musuem! They are housing the Disney art exhibit with all the conceptual art and stuff and I swear they were going to have a monorail car or something in the exhibit

chrisaustx
05-22-2006, 04:31 PM
My family went to the Oakland Museum, no monorail there. I am sure there will be new monorail sightings from Glendale by the end of Summer.