Originally Posted By oc_dean >>No trains running when the outside temperature is over 80 degrees << Well .. this is Southern CA where temps at 80 or higher is the norm throughout the year. So .. by that measure .. the trains will be offline more often than on. I rode Red on a nice mild evening this summer .. about 75 degrees. And it felt nothing less than 5 degrees warmer in there. Probably closer to 7 to 8 degrees warmer. And that was after night fall! >>No more than 15 people per car.<< There were about 5 or 6 people riding in with me .. So, that "people" and their own personal body heat factor didn't make any difference. It was uncomfortable. And if it felt that way in the EVENING .... I can just imagine what it is like at the limit of 79 degrees .. so with the sun out .. it's going to feel more like 85 to 88 degrees inside. 15 people .. or 2 people. The options are: 1. Design the windows no differently than they were for the Mark Vs (or for the Mark I-IIIs for that matter). 2. Add A/C units (Weight? No issue since the Mark Vs carried 24 per cabin, and they are loading only 15 for the Mark VIIs) And if anyone has looked closely at the seating configuration.... trying to seat 24 would be very tight, and highly uncomfortable. I counted about 16 spaces. 3. Close the monorail down, unless it's 79 degrees or less. That should be about 40 percent of the year. So, what's it going to be? Someone mentioned they are in the middle of redesigning the window configuration, but I'd love a confirmation on that.
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>Either way, now that it's getting cooler << HA! Have you ever heard of "Santa Ana Wind" season? Quite common here in Southern CA ... where winds pick up heat from the inner "California" deserts .. and blow right into the LA Basin. Today is a good example! And it runs into the final weeks of November. Even into December. Evenings may be cooler .. but the days can be between 80 and 90 degrees. Cool weather begins in Jan. And even then .. this January was pretty warm! I'm really bummed about the Monorails. I thought we were in an era (beyond the shortsighted Eisner/Pressler/Braverman years) ......... and yet .. moments like this (the design of the trains) is just one of "Huh?" moments.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>Well .. this is Southern CA where temps at 80 or higher is the norm throughout the year.<< No, not really. Here's the historical weather stats for Anaheim: <a href="http://www.eachtown.com/wx_records.php/cityid/2707" target="_blank">http://www.eachtown.com/wx_rec...yid/2707</a> As you can see, only three months (July, August and September) have average high temperatures approaching 80. The AVERAGE temperature for these three months is 69.5, 70.2 and 69.3 respectively.
Originally Posted By oc_dean But I have to say ... so called "averages" .. and the real thing on a day by day blow .. can be two different things. I grew up on the Buena Park/Anaheim border from 1965 to 1988 .. and at this time ... there are days where they can be pleasant. But the Santa Ana winds .. which are common from Sept to early Dec... heat up OC! I remember some very miserable Sept, Oct, and November days in some of my classes in my Anaheim schools. I can talk from experience .. growing up 6 miles from Disneyland ... and they are plenty days that get to 80 or higher about half the time in the year. It's not just summer months. LOL .. I thought anyone who lives or has lived in So Cal long enough understands it's more like summer year round. (Unless you live along the beach, like my sister does in Fountain Valley. Big difference from the beach cities and the OC interior like Anaheim.) I think our warmer weather is part reason (LOL) we have 17 million people living in the region.
Originally Posted By oc_dean But I'll say this .... I'm amazed at how pleasant the temps can be between Jan .. right up to July 1st. (Despite the occasional to sometime frequent Heatwave.) Suffice it to say .... It gets hot in the OC interior from July .. right up to December. With the ocasional "cool down". LOL Especially with the "Santa Ana" winds which easily extend summer right through the "so called" Fall months.
Originally Posted By oc_dean Here's an example .. from Mr. Dallas Raines on ABC7..... Anaheim today 100! Temps to go: 90s (Wed) - 80s (Thurs) 70s (Friday) .. and this Saturday (the coolest day of this week) at 68. But by next Monday .. temps start firing back up. Mid the following week. About 94 is estimated. But I suppose if you "average it all out" you get 75! ;-)
Originally Posted By oc_dean Anyone want to ride a Mark VII? DO IT THIS SATURDAY OR SUNDAY!! If it's 68 outside ... should be about 75 inside the cabins!
Originally Posted By believe They probably designed the M7 for colder climates. (oh yah, a Canadian company did the work). Very energy efficient since they won't need heaters when it's cold outside...
Originally Posted By oc_dean On the link that DL&Dug provided ... which _can_ be a useful tool .. shows the average high temps for Oct at 75.4. Right now (3:53pm - Tuesday October 1) 93! I betchya the only monorail running right now is the lone Mark V.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>Anaheim today 100!<<< I'll swap you, today it was 52 degrees in London.
Originally Posted By oc_dean ^^^^^ GIMME your Fall weather NOW! The heat right now in SoCal is OPPRESSIVE!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Ya, but we have had days of rain to go with it. Heck, I think we had maybe 10 days without rain all summer.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I would love some rain. I saw it rain on a fairly regular basis while I was gone for the summer, but I don't think I've seen it rain in LA since February. And I think we all know that means that in a couple weeks everything will be burning again, and people will be all scared, when it would be a lot easier to just live somewhere that isn't the desert.
Originally Posted By submarine-maniac It rained in May...like memorial day weekend. I remember here in Corona we had tornado warnings that weekend. Which is very very very unheard of in SoCal.
Originally Posted By ImaginingDisney >>>>> They probably designed the M7 for colder climates. (oh yah, a Canadian company did the work). Very energy efficient since they won't need heaters when it's cold outside... <<<<< The Cabs, Guest areas are recycled from the MKV, only the NOSE CONE and TAIL CONE is new design. The only change with the Cabs was the windows and seating. They added Vents in the roof hatches to force some air inside but at a cost of looks as it takes away from the sleekness of the train. I dont recall the MKV having all this controversey about temps as one is still running. But that will not be for long, the MKV's are more or less, GONE. If they cannot solve this heat problem with the MKVII, this is not only a bad mark for DiSney and the Imagineers but for the monorail industry as DISNEY's monorails have been looked at as a leader for a long time. Almost everywhere you look the WDW Monorails are commented on about the 99.9% reliability, and now here comes DL MKVII that has to be shut down when it gets warm outside...... Now doesn't that make you want to take a second look and say "WHAT THE HUH?" ID " The monorail will not be running to day as the air temp is expected to be 81F"
Originally Posted By oc_dean Today, the 7th, it was another terribly hot day. I think the high for Anaheim was around 93. So .. I doubt the Mark VIIs were out. But after reading Lutz's newest update .... the Mark VIIs will "go under the knife" and get the kind of window design that the Mark I through V have had. With the windows sliding down. Just too bad it's not going to happen now .. but well into the winter. So, I predict they cut up the monorails in January/Febuary. Until then ... we are going to still have temps over 80 between now and December 31. So, the lone Mark V will have to hold up!
Originally Posted By oc_dean "MONOFAIL" <a href="http://miceage.micechat.com/allutz/al100708d.htm" target="_blank">http://miceage.micechat.com/al...708d.htm</a>
Originally Posted By oc_dean I bet this whole Monorail saga is also having an effect on the new Peoplemover designs. *All these new regulations, keeping people's dang arms, legs, heads from sticking out. * Window designs * finding ways of strapping people down I bet you all the designers are going through engineering gymnastics to come out with a design that keeps the lawyers happy!
Originally Posted By ImaginingDisney >>>>> I bet you all the designers are going through engineering gymnastics to come out with a design that keeps the lawyers happy! <<<<< Boy! Can you imagine the clammour that is going on now? Even for recycled cars and new Nose and Tail cones, the monorails had to cost millions and hit the rail with an incredible problem right from design. I like this comment from MiceAge.... >>>>> With the usual fall heat waves that Southern California gets, that has meant the three new trains sit there in the roundhouse on warm days, while the lone remaining Mark V train has struggled to keep up with the demand. It doesn't help that the Mark V was on its last legs months ago, and it's a minor miracle the old girl can still make it around the beam. <<<<<< I had read that the MK V was breaking down so much that it was spending more time down than on the beam. I can only assume the remaining (soon to be a MK VII ) monorail was the best of what was left of the MK V train fleet. >>>>> But while Imagineers and TDA safety experts argue over who is to blame, the line of cranky hotel guests gets longer. Let's just hope they learn their lesson on reinventing the wheel, and by next summer the windows have all been replaced on the new trains. <<<<<<< I don't think there was any re-inventing the wheel at all. Even with the MKVI at WDW, the monorail fleet design was upgraded to a more commercially acceptable design. It made the monorails look bigger, bulkier but luckily, no major problems as with MK VII. And all this came up because they did not want, or could not, upgrade the rails' electrical supply to add additional Air Con units??? Isn't this National Enquierer material??? My understanding of the beams powering system is the beam is powered in sections, that means they can have multiple power supplies at various sections throughout the beam. If these individual power supplies, or the supply to the power supplies, is deficient, It could be an EXTREME cost to try to upgrade to a suitible system. This could include having to replace the copper electrical rail along the beam that feeds the monorails. WHAT A NIGHTMARE THAT COULD BE, and HOW LONG would the MONORAILs be OUT OF SERVICE to replace all that copper rail???? WOW, night mare in DL. It is not a surprise that the MK VII has the windows that open from the bottom, it is INDUSTRY STANDARD for AIR CONDITIONED BUSES!! Some buses have the windows that have the little slider windows at the bottom but that would not help this particular air movement problem anyway. Too bad they can't invent an AirCon Compressor that turns from a wheel off the beam, when the train moves, the compressor would run, the new, non areodynamic air scoops could take the place of the fans needed to blow the cold air into the cabs. Obviously, there would be a power usage, but it would be more like that of the regenerative electric cars, when coasting, the force to run the ac would be negligable. When at the station, building AC vents would be aimed at the Non aerodynamic air vents to force air into the MKVII cabs when passengers board and unboard. LOLOL a wild pipe dream, perhaps but better than nada! Just my thoughts guys, but after sitting back and thinking about it, This is not a problem that will go away quietly and if there is anyone directly involved in the change that created this problem, I would not want to be him/her, or THEM. ID
