Monorail Rumors?

[chartle]

Would the bus come more often?

I guess it could but the point is most people would just stay on the bus for maybe 5 to 7 more minutes vs getting off the bus, getting in line for the monorail and then taking the monorail over to the MK.

As most people know its the transfers that take time, once on a vehicle and going to your destination everything is around 15 - 20 minutes, assuming no break downs.

 

[cxcelica]

Just wanted to say this is a very informative and interesting thread. Seems like a few posters have some serious engineering and transit system knowledge.

Keep it up.

 

[Emma1987]

At one time there was a rumor that Disney was looking at using this companies idea:

http://taxi2000.com/

Minority Report! lol

 

[manning]

Typical light rail might move three buses worth I think.

Trains also can't typically handle grades like a car can. So if the rails are going over the bridge, the runup/rundown is going to be pretty long. And then you've lost a lot of the savings you had by putting it on the ground in the first place.

Bridges for the cars could handle bigger grades, but you wouldn't want bunch of them on the bigger roads. And road bridges would be more massive.

We're talking light rail hauling people not heavy freight. Almost all rail right away were built in the days of steam. Engines today are vastly more powerful and efficient. I had an uncle who was an engineer. He said when they had to climb some grades with a steamer they had to get an assist from a diesel. There are new types of motors out there now that will make the most powerful diesel look like a weakling.

 

[doconeill]

We're talking light rail hauling people not heavy freight. Almost all rail right away were built in the days of steam. Engines today are vastly more powerful and efficient. I had an uncle who was an engineer. He said when they had to climb some grades with a steamer they had to get an assist from a diesel. There are new types of motors out there now that will make the most powerful diesel look like a weakling.

There are more factors that just engine power when it comes to taking inclines. Traction, for one.

 

[manning]

There are more factors that just engine power when it comes to taking inclines. Traction, for one.

You use a wheel something like this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber-tyred_metro

 

[Prock]

We're talking light rail hauling people not heavy freight. Almost all rail right away were built in the days of steam. Engines today are vastly more powerful and efficient. I had an uncle who was an engineer. He said when they had to climb some grades with a steamer they had to get an assist from a diesel. There are new types of motors out there now that will make the most powerful diesel look like a weakling.

Exactly we're talking about light rail here, a light rail doesn't have near the tractive force of a normal locomotive, which is crucial to climbing steep hills. And diesel locomotives use those new types of electric motors.

If disney adds anything to the transportation system, it would be new boats around MK, replacing the monorails/ fixing the system, and adding new busses. The cost of extending the monorail is sky high, but the cost of adding a light rail would also be incredibly high. And if you added bridges to avoid all crossings for it, well with the added costs to build those bridges it would probably be cheaper to just extend the monorail.

But do you know what would be cheaper, and much more versatile than either adding onto the monorail or installing a light rail?

Add more busses! You simply can't beat them for moving people from place to place.

 

[doconeill]

You use a wheel something like this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber-tyred_metro

Ah, yes...but then you gain a lot of the advantages - and disadvantages - of a bus. Might as well keep the bus.

Also, those systems are not terribly common, and only in use in a couple places in the US. You lose the cost advantage of stock trainsets, etc.

 

[manning]

Ah, yes...but then you gain a lot of the advantages - and disadvantages - of a bus. Might as well keep the bus.

Also, those systems are not terribly common, and only in use in a couple places in the US. You lose the cost advantage of stock trainsets, etc.

Maybe you will but then again you won't. One thing is for certain, we both won't know until it happens..or not. We also don't know what the cost trade off is. May not be prohibited. The monorail runs on..rubber. Wear rate depends on how the rubber is formulated. Also all wheels would not have to be rubber. Just enough to gain traction on inclines. Different ways to design it.

 

[jade1]

Maybe mentioned, but the buses are bad for ECV's (and strollers) compared to monorails etc-much quicker to just drive into one of the many cars. Seems to be more and more ECV's and strollers (leave the kids sleeping).

 

[Figment632]

Never going to happen!

 

[KYMickey]

Ah, yes...but then you gain a lot of the advantages - and disadvantages - of a bus. Might as well keep the bus.

Also, those systems are not terribly common, and only in use in a couple places in the US. You lose the cost advantage of stock trainsets, etc.

They actually are quite common in any new system! It's only the older systems, which most American Systems are, they use steel wheels! Almost every new system built in the last 30+ years uses rubber tires.

 

[doconeill]

They actually are quite common in any new system! It's only the older systems, which most American Systems are, they use steel wheels! Almost every new system built in the last 30+ years uses rubber tires.

Given how few new systems have even been built in the US, that's not saying much...

 

[KYMickey]

Given how few new systems have even been built in the US, that's not saying much...

That's why I said the older systems are in America! The newer ones being built elsewhere in the world mostly use rubber tires.

 

[doconeill]

That's why I said the older systems are in America! The newer ones being built elsewhere in the world mostly use rubber tires.

I don't know offhand how many systems have been built worldwide in the last 30 years...but one counter-example I can think of offhand is the Docklands Light Railway in London.

But overall, there don't seem to be very many intra-city/metro systems that use rubber tires still. Most are in Japan and France (probably the pioneer and still largest rubber tire metro system). Most systems are shuttle/people-mover type systems.

_IF_ Disney were to do something like this, it would more likely be a hybrid system with guided busways, but allowing the flexibility to re-route. But I can't see the expense of creating the busways, etc. to basically do what they are doing now.

 

[anthony2k7]

Ah, yes...but then you gain a lot of the advantages - and disadvantages - of a bus. Might as well keep the bus.

what about a guided busway then??
http://www.baulderstone.com.au/index.php?page=projects&id=1266

there's a few in development in the uk i believe.

not really sure of the point of them though lol

 

[doconeill]

what about a guided busway then??
http://www.baulderstone.com.au/index.php?page=projects&id=1266

there's a few in development in the uk i believe.

not really sure of the point of them though lol

I mentioned them...primarily, they for the drives to not need to steer while in a dedicated right of way - guides control the bus to go straight or around curves. But it allows the flexibility to operate on non-dedicated rights of way as well. Plus, with a restricted guideway, you have the potential for high platforms like a train.

In my previous post, I thought it could be possible if they converted at least the large-volume stops to guided busways to utilize high-platform loading, but at non-platform locations the bus needs a way for guests, including those with ECVs and wheelchairs to get to the ground level. That might be too much to accommodate on a bus.

And I just don't think the limited benefits outweigh the cost. There really isn't a reason for buses to have dedicated rights of way aside from the stops.

 

[mattincanberra]

What about these pods that are in use at London Heathrow's Terminal 5? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byk8LcPovOQ&feature=fvwrel

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

What about these pods that are in use at London Heathrow's Terminal 5? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byk8LcPovOQ&feature=fvwrel

I can'y see any kind of pod system working do to the volumne of people. At night you would not get home to the next day. Unless the pods were the size of busses. But then you still need a person to help elderly and disbled.

 

[manning]

I can'y see any kind of pod system working do to the volumne of people. At night you would not get home to the next day. Unless the pods were the size of busses. But then you still need a person to help elderly and disbled.

Nothing to say they couldn't be enlarged. Interesting to watch.