Fourth of July Monorail Incident

[Switchbeam 9]

The slick swept-back modern look of the ends of the train comes at a price. Nothing to stop it until the chassis of both trains came together about right where the cab wall is.

I saw this post on another board. Could faulty brakes have contributed to the scenario?

A guest posted they had just ridden on the pink monorail in the front all the way around the MK loop a few days ago (Sunday June 28th). They said the brakes did feel odd when coming into the resorts. They did not feel smooth and always jerked a great deal on and off. Even another guy commented to his friends that it felt like it needed to be serviced. Could be nothing, but as many times as this person has ridden the monorails, it did feel odd, every time they would come into a resort and brake.

Wow, what a shame to think that 15mph could do that much damage.

It's normal for brakes to make noises at times and feel like they are slipping. It's dynamic braking trying to smoothly transition to pneumatic braking. A trick to stop faster is when pneumatic brakes start activating, to feather the MCU up to neutral and then back to B4 braking. Instead of a gradual shift, it will be much stronger.

E-stop simply won't do that. It will go straight to pneumatic at ~80psi. Never ever seen or heard of an e-stop failing. They are tested every time a train is brought out of shop and again during the two daily MAPO checks.

Person on the platform can also force nearby trains in e-stop by activating the kill packs. Even a train in MAPO override will go in e-stop once it hits the dead zone. Trains not using override will stop within 2 holdpoints of the station.

BTW If low air reservoir pressure was an issue, the train automatically e-stops at 90psi. ~135 is ideal for the main reservoir. In addition, the braking system and propulsion system (propulsion controls dynamic braking) are divided into 2 separate computers called group A and group B, alternating axles..

[CujoSR]

I'm glad our SGTers are OK. My heartfelt sympathys go out to the family, friends, and fellow Cast members.

Anybody else find it a bit morbid for the Sentinel to be asking for photos and video of crash?

[DragonFox98]

BW and Doc - I'm so glad you guys are okay. Please know that the CMs family and friends are in my thoughts. Please know that we're here for you if you guys need any support.

Take care

[Monorail_Red]

Anybody else find it a bit morbid for the Sentinel to be asking for photos and video of crash?

Yes, I do.

[GuestJockey]

This is absolutely tragic. My heart goes out to all of our WDW brothers and sisters and to the pilot's family and friends specifically.

I will say this, the CM on the platform (from what I saw in the video) was holding it together way better than I ever could have. This is just heartbreaking for everyone involved. And yes - how scary to think that the fact that the family had a stroller with them is the only reason they weren't in the nose cone with the driver.

[Cranbiz]

Now I know what was going on this morning. Wouldn't you know, I got a call from my Disney nut brother about what happened, Of course, I had no clue as I just got up after working to 3:30am.

My sympathies to the families of all involved.

I was heading for Magic after floating at Studios all night right about 2am and got passed at Vista and Bonnet Creek by an unmarked cruiser with lights and siren. I thought that was odd and when I got to the TTC area and saw the alpha units and more security vehicles that I have ever seen before in one place. Never in my life did I think monorail accident. I figured it was an out of control tourist group - No, I'm not picking on them, we had a tourist group incident at Studios earlier last night.

Thought it was strange that Magic was running buses to the TTC too.

I'm at Magic tonight, with luck, I'll run into BW (no pun intended)

[February]

Oh my god.

I can't believe this happened.

I finally get my aphakia glasses and can see something after all this time and when I go on CNN i see a headline that is beyond my worst nightmares. An image my mind couldn't possibly even create because it's just so horribly unimaginable. I wish I was still too blind yet to have seen that picture. I will never forget the image now.

I am so glad that all of our SGT monorail folks are okay (St. March's first question was to ask me, oh my god could it be Wallaby?) and I just burst into tears as I went looking for more information.

I am so sorry for the family of the pilot who was lost and for the family who was on the train and all who had to witness it. It is just something so wrong something that never should happen to or be seen by anyone.

Many of you know what Monorails mean- what they symbolize to me. They are a symbol to me of so much more than just a train or even of Walt Disney World- they are the symbol that represents to me the few happy memories scattered across a sea of unhappy ones from my childhood. With the exception of a few with my grandparents that happened here at home, ALL of my good childhood memories are WDW related- and in my mind and heart this has always been represented by Monorails.

My entire kitchen is decorated in Monorails. My house has monorails all over it.

Monorails and their pilots have been dear to me since I was too young to speak. Since I took my mother's empty egg cartons and drew stripes down the sides and put my Mickey Mouse Club Weebles in them, with my sisters cutting a hole in a box for me to drive it through so I could play "Contemporary Resort and Magic Kingdom"

I am absolutely crushed over the loss of this young pilot and the sight of those two trains like that.

This is something you should just never see. Never ever ever.

My heart is broken at the sight of it.

There shouldn't have to be a Guardian Angel to watch over Monorail pilots but it seems that there will be one now.

I was reading on Click on Orlando a comment left by a former monorail pilot that said that all pilots in training are told that the cabs are designed to collapse- whereas the passenger cabins will not and so if there is an impact they are warned they will die to protect their guests and given the option to leave the program.

I remember dreaming all of my life of becoming a Monorail pilot until I found out about the walking on the beam thing and knew I wouldn't be able to do it (not fear, balance issues)

The man's comment referred to the pilot who perished as a hero.

I think all Monorail pilots are heroes.

Can't see the screen for the tears anymore have to go for now. My heart is with all of you, our beloved CM's on this saddest of days.

love
Bru

[Rosie]

My heart and prayers go out to our Disney family and friends. The cast member on the platform is to be commended for his professionalism at the scene.

Rosie

[darph nader]

I showed the photos to the baker earlier,and her comment was "Oh Shit".
I can see the point of asking for videos,to try an assertain any clues leading up to the incedent.
Hopefully,some asshole won't put it on you-tube. :mad:

(man there's alot of people online here now)

[Saint March]

This is just one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen. Disney is woen through the tapestry of my life, and the monorails represent transportation connecting all those different parts. Bru has decorated our whole kitchen in monorail.

i'm just dumbfounded as to how this could have even happened. There are so many layers of protection both human and mechanical between these trains. How could they ALL have failed at the same time?

Some things should just never happen.

I wish all my best to the family. It just doesn't seem possible that someone could be lost on the monorail like this.

I hope the next generation of monorails has a crumple zone, THEN the pilot cab, THEN the passenger trains. If that means no more cab rides for the guests, oh well.