Originally Posted By Darkbeer <a href="http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/1930415/1/97741378/Original" target="_blank">http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/ga llery/1930415/1/97741378/Original</a> OK, it is a Cell Phone Camera, but it shows the Monorail in refurb up north from today, Sunday 9/24/06.... Have to laugh, talking to my girlfriend about this photo in the last few minutes, she said she heard my Canadian accent come out... (My Dad was born in Poland, but went to college in Toronto, Canada, and my Mom also went to the University of Toronto (she was born in Toronto, but her parents came from England).... My dad got a job thru the Department of State in the mid-50's, and I am a native American (born in 1960), but still have the accent because of living with my parents Thanks again to RobsMustang for the photo....
Originally Posted By Roger55 I thought they are only re-using the chasis and drive mechanism? I wonder if the shells of the passenger cars are being used then? From concept pictures, the front and rear of the monorails look new. Thanks for the photo. Interesting...
Originally Posted By monorailblue Let's hope to high hope they don't re-use anything! The current Chassis are already decades old, having been re-used from the Mark III trains. Egads! I thought and hoped that this was a complete rebuild! What a disappoitment!
Originally Posted By Darkbeer Here are some new photos from RobsMustang, this time with a REAL camera. Looks like at least the Nose and Tail cone will be new... <a href="http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/1932640" target="_blank">http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/ga llery/1932640</a>
Originally Posted By Darkbeer RobsMustang just sent me three more, which I have added to the link above (total of 6 photos now).
Originally Posted By hopemax LOL that monorailblue posted in this topic, since when I first read the headline, I thought that is who would be in the photo, and the topic would be heading to Community.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I'm really glad to see that the train is getting worked on. That said, I agree that the trains need to be built from scratch, as they are quite old, and I've heard that running them in shuttle mode (during DCA construction and more recently for Nemo) really wears them down a lot faster than usual. Hopefully they are just using Mono Blue as a guide line for how to build a new train. If they followed fairly closely to the original chasis design, using modern materials, I have faith that they would be able to survive for a very long time, but I doubt that the current ones could last another decade.
Originally Posted By ChurroMonster Building from scratch would be cost-prohibitive. The manufacturer of the trains already said no and trying to find another contractor would be futile. The trains are being extensively refurbished and much is being replaced, i.e: the nose and tail cones. Let's wait until the trains reappear before we cast judgment, kay?
Originally Posted By monorailblue "i.e.: the nose and tail cones." Those items hardly constitute extensive refurbishment. The chassis of the trains have already run for 3 decades. They have been overlaid with at least 3 different drive systems, and at least 2 new safety systems in that time. They were in ghastly shape in every way even in 2000 when I was still there. The original "reports" when Orange had been taken away were that WDI was going to reverse engineer and design trains from scratch--which is essentially what they did in the late 1950's. It is unfortunate that they will be recycling (yet again) hardward that is so long past its prime.
Originally Posted By poco2 Darkbeer do you know where abouts in Port Coquitlam these are being refurbed? I would love to take a drive over and take a quick peek.
Originally Posted By mickeycanuck Pretty sure that's Amec Steel on Kingsway, a bit remote for me to bother taking a look.
Originally Posted By FormerDiz ""i.e.: the nose and tail cones." Those items hardly constitute extensive refurbishment. The chassis of the trains have already run for 3 decades. They have been overlaid with at least 3 different drive systems, and at least 2 new safety systems in that time. They were in ghastly shape in every way even in 2000 when I was still there. The original "reports" when Orange had been taken away were that WDI was going to reverse engineer and design trains from scratch--which is essentially what they did in the late 1950's. It is unfortunate that they will be recycling (yet again) hardward that is so long past its prime." The Mark III chassis was new when it went online in 1968. It was only overlaid once with the Mark V body. The chassis itself should be ok to hold a new body as long as they check for stress fractures. No sense building a whole new frame if the one you have is in ok condition. I have a feeling the reason Orange and Blue were the first two trains to go is because both of those trains had unfortunate mishaps and would need the most chassis inspection. Blue derailed and Orange was driven at full speed in park by a careless cast member on his last day. Both those situations could do damage to the existing chassis and would probably need the most inspection.
Originally Posted By monorailblue ^^^ Yet, as I said, each has been overlaid again and again with differing drive systems including wildly differing brake controls, hardware, software and wiring. (You seem to attempt to discredit me by pointing out only one "body" change since 1968. The body is not the chassis in any form, and nothing I've posted isn't true.) The trains, all of them, are in bad shape. There isn't a 1968 car on the road that has suffered the wear and tear that these trains have. You, FormerDiz, may think otherwise, but this is very bad news. (Also, for the benefit of those who wouldn't know, FormerDiz's explanations about "unfortunate mishaps" are so cursory as to reveal that she/he has no idea what she/he is talking about. If she/he had any idea how many times the trains were brought into the park in P4, she/he would not pretend to know of the "one bad time" a train was "damaged" by reckless "speed." I suspect she/he has read things--nothing more.)
Originally Posted By FormerDiz Um, Blue, I was there. I don't know why you're so combative and dismissive but you're really coming off as a jerk. Many trains have come "in park" at P4 but were slowed down either by the cast member or a power cut. The incident with Orange (that I was there for) was quite different. The lead was not paying attention and the driver made it all the way around the park at P4. Calm down, don't be so uppity.
Originally Posted By FormerDiz And for the Blue derailment, I was on Autopia at Y utility, about to bump to back bridge (line 3, Y, BB rotation) when Rick on back bridge radioed me to get the lead and to hold all cars because Blue was resting on the train tracks. Please don't assume that I just "read things".
Originally Posted By Darkbeer New photos from Saturday, September 30th... <a href="http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/1952093" target="_blank">http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/ga llery/1952093</a>
Originally Posted By avromark Could they be reserse engineering Blue, or perhaps running some kind of tests for new parts? Perhaps using it as a test rig? Or does it look more like a refurbishment?
