Driver killed in monorail crash....

[SandrA9810]

I've ridden the monorail several times around for the heck of it. I've ridden around to Epcot to sit up front, and then go back to the TTC where are car was. But that's not something they allow at night time when they're trying to clear out for the night. At night time (like the last few runs of the night) and during extreme busy times, they've denied allowing any one up front. So that's probably the reason why the kids were not sitting in the cab with the driver.
Several sites have said that the driver has worked at disney for a few years now and transfered into monorails just last october. So he wasn't entirely new to the system like some CP's are.

I wish I was there to see them taking the monorails off the beam. And it's amazing they can still get those things to move crunched together like that.

Do you think they'll replace the front cabs and continue to use both trains or are they both going to the monorail graveyard like the one from the crash in 85??

 

[seashoreCM]

Did I just read that this was a backing collision, not a rear end collision?

>>> sit and let himself get hit

The circumstances are so unusual of your train sitting in the station and another train is coming backwards at you that by the time you realized you would be hit it is too late to throw your train into reverse also and get out of the way.

The rule is needed, have someone in the back cab of the train while backing. Actually I forget whether the trains have controls at both ends, and if they do, the rule should be you make the back end the front end and go there to drive (the process is called "changing ends").

 

[CrzyGmer789X2]

I woke up this morning and saw it on the news, I feel so blessed to not have been there, since I was at the TTC ~1:30 AM (half hour before.) I didn't read all the pages (actually in the airport waiting to board the flight home) so this probably was addressed, but SpectroMagic had showings at 10:30 PM and 12:30 AM, so that's why the monorails were running so late.

 

[Kathy Z]

My heart and prayers go out to Austin's family and friends. And to the the other driver involved in this sad incident. It was past 2:00 pm before I first heard of this as my DH was checking the news on his iphone at the conclusion of our Sunday dinner out. It's true you never know what the future will hold. Reports like this do put a perspective on things.

PS My avatar is of our granddaughters with us in the front car of the monorail from the Poly to MK on May 18th. I'll reserve decision about future front car requests (if they're even offered) until after we get the full story.

 

[Robo]

The rule is needed, have someone in the back cab of the train while backing. Actually I forget whether the trains have controls at both ends, and if they do, the rule should be you make the back end the front end and go there to drive (the process is called "changing ends").

That can't be done...

if the train is not already sitting in a station.

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

im stunned!!! my thoughts go out to that poor family. i think we will for sure be rethinking riding up front.

 

[CLR4321]

The rule is needed, have someone in the back cab of the train while backing. Actually I forget whether the trains have controls at both ends, and if they do, the rule should be you make the back end the front end and go there to drive (the process is called "changing ends").

I agree 100%. If the accident was caused by the control center giving one monorail the OK to reverse, which in turn caused the accident, having a driver on both ends would eliminate this. If the driver on the "end" of the train saw another train there...with or without control center's ok, they would know not to drive that way. I used to ride the MARTA trains around when I lived in Atlanta, and even they had controls on both ends of the train (when the driver got to the end of the line, he would walk down to the other end of the train and drive it the other direction). Also having 2 CM's on each monorail would be helpful.

 

[moburg]

Several sites have said that the driver has worked at disney for a few years now and transfered into monorails just last october. So he wasn't entirely new to the system like some CP's are.

If the PP's info is correct, the deceased driver was not at fault. His train was stationary. Again, if the PP's info is correct, the fault belongs with the control center operators/managers. They cleared Pink to back up into the station where Purple was sitting.

 

[Robo]

I used to ride the MARTA trains around when I lived in Atlanta, and even they had controls on both ends of the train (when the driver got to the end of the line, he would walk down to the other end of the train and drive it the other direction).

Unless they ALWAYS have a driver in both control cabins,

that can't be done...

if the train is not already sitting in a station.

 

[darthjoey]

The monorail trains only have exterior doors, not interior ones, so one could not walk from one end to the other.

 

[monarchsfan16]

I may be remembering physics incorrectly, but when a moving object hits a stationary object, doesn't the object that is hitting tend to be pushed under the object that is receiving the impact?
I ask because if you look at the pictures, it appears that pink is slightly elevated. If that's the case, pink probably didn't back into purple (blue?). If I'm remembering physics wrong, well my theory is shot to hell.

Regardless, what a tragedy

 

[moburg]

Did I just read that this was a backing collision, not a rear end collision?

>>> sit and let himself get hit

The circumstances are so unusual of your train sitting in the station and another train is coming backwards at you that by the time you realized you would be hit it is too late to throw your train into reverse also and get out of the way.

The rule is needed, have someone in the back cab of the train while backing. Actually I forget whether the trains have controls at both ends, and if they do, the rule should be you make the back end the front end and go there to drive (the process is called "changing ends").

They would have to place CM's in both ends at all times. There is no path from one end to the other inside the train. How about video at each end that can be seen from the other end??

 

[Baron Hardup]

I would have thought they had a camera in the rear of he monorail for something like this.

 

[blinkangel44]

Ok first off ..calm down.. its ok I edited it..

NO I havent sat and read every single word in these 16pages

I have been a CM I understand where they are coming from, but this video is no secret.. I do not have the video playing its a LINK.. so thanks.

I am quite calm, just greatly saddened by this tragedy. I just wanted to let you know what happened so you didn't get into any trouble... I could tell that you hadn't sat thru and read all 16 pages, so I thought I'd just let you know . There was actually a separate thread with just the link for the video, but it has been taken down. I watched the video and personally didn't have a problem with the links being here on the DISboards. It definitely isn't a secret... if people want to watch it, they can search for it in Google or something... it seems to be all over the news. Just respecting the wishes of the mods!

My thoughts are with everyone involved... both drivers, the passengers, the witnesses, the families... what a tragic ending, especially on a holiday

 

[copperbrick]

Maybe I'm being too critical, and forgive me if I am, but the DISad that appears shortly below the accident / death notice really turned me off.

 

[Robo]

They would have to place CM's in both ends at all times. There is no path from one end to the other inside the train. How about video at each end that can be seen from the other end??

I would have thought they had a camera in the rear of he monorail for something like this.

I'm thinking they will NOW!

 

[joepic]

I just can't grasp the reality of this happening.

Each Monorail's emergency braking process is tested twice daily - in the morning before the first station, and mid afternoon. I'm so surprised that MAPO failed.

My thoughts are that the driver must have fallen asleep, and somehow held down the MAPO override button. (if the pilot has not responded to the MAPO warnings, the train will cut off the pilot's control and engage the emergency brakes. It's apparently fool proof)

I can't imagine what could have happened. God bless his family. Was this a College Program student? Being that he was 21 and attending school?

Also, good thing there were no passengers riding in the front as well.

 

[CLR4321]

They would have to place CM's in both ends at all times. There is no path from one end to the other inside the train. How about video at each end that can be seen from the other end??

They don't have video cameras on the rear of the monorail for the driver to see, even though monorails regularly back up? WOW. Ok, well I change my theory. They should have cameras! WTH! Ok Disney does about everything right, yes. But i am shocked they do not have cameras on the back.

 

[copperbrick]

Maybe I'm being too critical, and forgive me if I am, but the DISad that appears shortly below the accident / death notice really turned me off.

Weird . . . after I posted this, the ad disappeared almost immediately. I had clicked on a link that said "report" but it started asking me for a bunch of info, and I got out of it. Not sure what happened, but I am glad the ad is gone . . .

 

[mescad]

I may be remembering physics incorrectly, but when a moving object hits a stationary object, doesn't the object that is hitting tend to be pushed under the object that is receiving the impact?
(

I've never heard of the physics principle that you are referring to (which doesn't mean it doesn't exist), but I would guess that since the end of a monorail is shaped like a ramp, it would tend to push an approaching object up, rather than down. Based on where the accident occurred, it seems like up would have been the path of least resistance for the moving train.