Monorail accident as well yesterday [Nov 18th].

[Terra]

Disney wasn't having a good day yesterday. At least no one was on board at the time!
http://www.wesh.com/news/disney-mono...alted/36527276

[BrerGnat]

This whole monorial automation thing seems to be a bad idea. Brake sensors failing is a huge issue.

[Ed]

The brake sensors did not fail. The monorail was being towed, and the hitch, or tow bar, between the monorail and the tow vehicle broke. Just like when an automobile is being towed, the motors would not be running, the brakes would be released, and the monorail would be "in neutral". When the hitch broke, the monorail continued forward by its own inertia and hit the tow vehicle.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

The brake sensors did not fail. The monorail was being towed, and the hitch, or tow bar, between the monorail and the tow vehicle broke. Just like when an automobile is being towed, the motors would not be running, the brakes would be released, and the monorail would be "in neutral". When the hitch broke, the monorail continued forward by its own inertia and hit the tow vehicle.

But the question that needs asked was why was the Monorail being towed in the first place? Was it brakes?

[Ed]

But the question that needs asked was why was the Monorail being towed in the first place? Was it brakes?

That part hasn't been divulged by Disney, and probably never will.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

That part hasn't been divulged by Disney, and probably never will.

I would think that the NTSB and/or OSHA would compel an answer to be given, which would eventually be made public.

[Ed]

I would think that the NTSB and/or OSHA would compel an answer to be given, which would eventually be made public.

I doubt NTSB will get involved. Their website says "The National Transportation Safety Board was established in 1967 to conduct independent investigations of all civil aviation accidents in the United States and major accidents in the other modes of transportation. " This incident was clearly not a "major" accident. The train was carrying no passengers, the relatively minor damage was limited to the vehicles, and there were no injuries. There was no derailment or anything else that might have posed a danger to the public.

Same thing with OSHA. No indication of gross negligence, no injuries, property damage only, nothing to indicate violations of safety requirements.

To draw a parallel, neither agency gets involved when a city transit bus with no passengers and no injuries gets into a minor fender bender with another vehicle.

[Terra]

I doubt NTSB will get involved. Their website says "The National Transportation Safety Board was established in 1967 to conduct independent investigations of all civil aviation accidents in the United States and major accidents in the other modes of transportation. " This incident was clearly not a "major" accident. The train was carrying no passengers, the relatively minor damage was limited to the vehicles, and there were no injuries. There was no derailment or anything else that might have posed a danger to the public.

Same thing with OSHA. No indication of gross negligence, no injuries, property damage only, nothing to indicate violations of safety requirements.

To draw a parallel, neither agency gets involved when a city transit bus with no passengers and no injuries gets into a minor fender bender with another vehicle.

Yes thankfully it was not major and no one on board or hurt!
I just hope when there are people sensory brakes don't default. I'm not a fan personally or relying on all of this new "let technology" do all the work without human involvement. Now of course there is always human error as well.
I'm sure [or at least I hope] Disney will have a back up [human] system.
I wonder if one day they will be completely pilot-less and fully automated. [Yikes!]

[joonyer]

Yes thankfully it was not major and no one on board or hurt!
I just hope when there are people sensory brakes don't default. I'm not a fan personally or relying on all of this new "let technology" do all the work without human involvement. Now of course there is always human error as well.
I'm sure [or at least I hope] Disney will have a back up [human] system.
I wonder if one day they will be completely pilot-less and fully automated. [Yikes!]

Even though it makes us feel uncomfortable letting machines and computers be in control, the number one cause of automobile/transportation accidents is human error, lapse of judgment, attention etc.
Driverless cars would be much safer, even if they do give us the creeps.

[BrerGnat]

Even though it makes us feel uncomfortable letting machines and computers be in control, the number one cause of automobile/transportation accidents is human error, lapse of judgment, attention etc.
Driverless cars would be much safer, even if they do give us the creeps.

That's true. Google's self driving cars have proven that they are better at avoiding obstacles in the road, particularly children.

[Ed]

I wonder if one day they will be completely pilot-less and fully automated. [Yikes!]

Have you ever noticed the drivers of the "monorails" at Orlando International Airport ? If you haven't, there's good reason for that - - there aren't any ! They are totally automated, and the only time they have had an accident was when a human was operating them in manual/maintenance mode.

[joonyer]

Have you ever noticed the drivers of the "monorails" at Orlando International Airport ? If you haven't, there's good reason for that - - there aren't any ! They are totally automated, and the only time they have had an accident was when a human was operating them in manual/maintenance mode.

The trains at the Atlanta airport are the same way. No drivers.

[Polynesian Dweller]

Have you ever noticed the drivers of the "monorails" at Orlando International Airport ? If you haven't, there's good reason for that - - there aren't any ! They are totally automated, and the only time they have had an accident was when a human was operating them in manual/maintenance mode.

Not really a good comparison. First, not a monorail they are teams. But the most important difference in this discussion is that there are is only 1 vehicle per track. Thus, there is no need to maintain distances between trams which is the hardest thing to program. They just have to program to move and then a sensor to begin braking at the end

Also it's, pretty hard to have accidents when there is nothing else to hit. The only accident was when the train was being manually operated with a friend on board who shouldn't have been there.

[Terra]

Even though it makes us feel uncomfortable letting machines and computers be in control, the number one cause of automobile/transportation accidents is human error, lapse of judgment, attention etc.
Driverless cars would be much safer, even if they do give us the creeps.

That is true.
My fear is more irrational. I'm just a control freak! It's one reason I hate to fly. It's a phobia really. In my mind I think if I'm not actually driving or flying it then something could happen that no one else sees.
I know! Totally irrational. But sometimes it's almost debilitating. I refuse to fly anymore. It's crazy :/

Yeah the tram at MCO does make me a bit nervous I won't lie. But knowing we can't crash into another vehicle helps.

[TheDuckRocks]

During our stay in the past 2 weeks they have been doing scheduled maintenance to the monorail line from MK to Epcot. This was from about 3 to 6 PM. The final monorail run from Epcot at about 3 would head out to MK and be stopped at the Travel Center where you would have to get off and walk over to the ferry dock and take the ferry the rest of the way to MK. After all the CMs left the monorail the tow thingy would come out and get it and tow it out of the way for the work to be done to the rails. No bad brakes, no people on board.

[Bay Lake]

Have you ever noticed the drivers of the "monorails" at Orlando International Airport ? If you haven't, there's good reason for that - - there aren't any ! They are totally automated, and the only time they have had an accident was when a human was operating them in manual/maintenance mode.

I believe the Vegas Monorail is human-less