|
Written by Louis A. Mongello
|
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please collect your belongings and watch your head and step. Please assist small children by the hand."
- In December, 1989, the Walt Disney World monorail system was upgraded, with the addition of new, Mark VI monorail trains. Each train contains six cars, which are taller than the previous model, and increased capacity by 30%.
- Every car has 124 tires on it, has improved air conditioning, door systems and better safety features.
- Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort, and Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort & Spa are the only hotels with monorail stops.
- Although the original "Mark IV" trains used in Walt Disney World when the resort opened in 1971 were built by the Alweg Company, the new fleet, the "Mark VI" monorails were built by Bombardier, the largest mass-transit manufacturer in North America.
- Although the monorails have a maximum speed of approximately 50 MPH, they routinely do not travel at more than 40 MPH.
- In 1971, the Walt Disney World Resort opened in Florida with a fleet of Mark IV monorail trains. Since that time, the entire fleet has been replaced with newer, Mark VI monorails. What happened to the "Mark V" series? They were introduced in Disneyland in the 1980s, so when the Walt Disney World system was updated, they were actually the "Mark VI."
- The Monorail beams, which are made of concrete with a special polystyrene core to lighten their weight, came by train from Oregon. The monorail trains themselves were designed in California, but built in Orlando by the Martin Marietta Corporation.
- When Las Vegas monorail system between the MGM Grand and Bally's Resorts opened in 1995, it used two refurbished Mark IV trains that once ran at Walt Disney World. In just a few years of operation, the system had carried more than 40 million passengers along its short track. The old Mark IV cars have since been replaced with updated trains.
If you would like to contribute to this entry, or have photos you would like to share to be used here, please send your trivia or contact us using the contact form here |
