Monorail, March 1983
Oh yeah, it's the sleek Mark III Monorail, right after it got a coat of Simonize car polish. You know what they say: "Monorail wise - SIMONIZE". Both of today's scans are from 1983, which is typically a bit later than what I tend to share, but they are great nevertheless.
Let's start with this shot of the Green Monorail, or "Big Greenie" as I like to call it. Bubble dome! I realize that it doesn't look very green, but it was a sort of "olive" tint (I'm sure General Motors would come up with a much more poetic name for the hue, like “Zombie Green”), and the warm afternoon sunlight did funny things.
Next is this Skyway view looking down on the Sub Load queue, and the Monorail queue. It's a busy day for March - just a regular Saturday, perhaps? Or maybe it was St. Patrick's Day. Just two years after these photos were taken, the Mark III Monorail trains were phased out one by one, stripped to the chassis, and rebuilt as Mark V trains.
I'm still out of town... thanks for checking in!
16 comments:
I've always liked the Green Monorail. It was running all three days when we were there in 1975. We were camped in the trailer park northwest of the Park (I think Wookiee World is there now). It's where Chuck peered over the fence to see, IIRC, a Peter Pan ride galleon backstage. We took the Green Monorail into the Park, from Disneyland Hotel, a couple times while we were there. And yeah, that Monorail is sort of an olive green, like pimento-stuffed olives that have been in the fridge for six years.
The late afternoon lighting in the second photo makes it look like a 1950s kodachrome slide. There's a lot to see in this picture: Besides the Subs (It appears that almost all of then have been put into service), and the Red Monorail, there are a couple of Autopia cars, and a red PeopleMover train. Oh, and a red Mickey-ear balloon! (And a couple of trashcans.)
Nice pics! Thanks, Major.
The rear nose cone of the red Monorail appears to contain two gentlemen who are a little too dressed up for DL in the 1980s. I bet they were employees. I bet they were "corporate." Maybe they were even surveying Tomorrowland, and pointing out the various attractions that they were planning on ruining. I was told by many Tomorrowland employees in 1982 and 1983, that after the New Fantasyland was completed, that Tomorrowland was next on the list for a "redo." At least, that's what they had all been told. And I think Mike has confirmed that, but I forgot the reasons why it was derailed. Probably Eisner! That's okay, by postponing the redo of Tomorrowland, we were able to keep most of the 1967 New Tomorrowland look for another 15 years! Too bad the 1998 New Tomorrowland plans weren't derailed!
Thanks, Major!
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When at Disneyland, I was excited whenever Monorail Green was in operation. It seemed a rare sight to me. The Mark III Monorails were the best IMO. Thanks, Major.
JB, good memory! It was the Drum and Eagle float from America on Parade rather than a pirate galleon, but I'm touched that you remember.
I don't recall ever seeing "Big Greenie" in operation. That doesn't mean I didn't - it just didn't leave an impression (please don't be disappointed in me, Ken). That shade of green was nearly identical to our 1972 AMC Ambassador station wagon. If only the Monorail had fake wood paneling...
Note that both the Monorail and the PeopleMover in the last shot are red. That means something. But what?
Thanks again, Major! Hope you are enjoying your trip!
Monorail Green was my favorite. As Chuck noted, that dark green was a popular color for cars. We had a Fairlane truck and a Thunderbird in the early 70’s, both in that metal flake green. The green monorail just felt right.
While both the monorail and the PeopleMover are red in pic 2, the Autopia vehicle is green. Is this some kind of code? Morse Colors?
We also get a great view of that weird folded-plate roof over the station. It looks like a coating not a membrane. I know Space Mountain used a liquid-applied coating on the “mountain” dome, but the station is much earlier date. WED trying new things to bring us the future.
Thanks Major, have a good trip and drink plenty of water.
JG
JG, you made me take a closer look at the Monorail station roof. It looks like it drained towards the center. I am assuming there were downspouts inside the support posts. Is that common?
@ Chuck-
"JG, you made me take a closer look at the Monorail station roof. It looks like it drained towards the center".
Yes, indeed... LOOK HERE.
However, of more interest might be why [sometime between 1968 and 1969] the roof was re-designed.LOOK HERE. Maybe Mike knows what happened...
Nanook & Chuck, yes the roof drainage is internal through pipes hidden in columns.
Also IIRC, the redesign was to accommodate the new longer trains, but I’m sure Mike will know for sure.
JG
Didn't know it was cricket season...that being said: some great shots of the Monorail: complete with Goodyear ramp and Monorails that made design sense. Note: when design is good, it is timeless. I don't really have any memories of being taunted by the colors of Monorails...but I do like that green color: more a sparkly empire green. I like how the rivets stand out, and the curved windows are so cool. The door going into the front cone and pilots seat is also noteworthy. Sitting up there in the dome was the coolest thing ever: watching the pilot do his thing, and having chats as he navigated his way to and from the Hotel. I remember specifically him saying that the speed that the Monorail went is not even close to what it COULD do if you opened the throttle. Today's Monorail is a transportation system more than "scenic". Most of the time you are shrouded in trees and "don't look backstage" blockades, etc. Half the fun was SEEING all of that stuff! Note that I say "him" as the pilot: no girls allowed in Retlaw. If you check out Chucks posts you can see the guys: note: same height, same build...and that's what they all looked like. The train was also Retlaw of course, but with different "casting" requirements. That butterfly design roof was popular in the 50's/60's/etc. I checked out a recent photo, and it seems that the support is the same: and it's interesting that the frame exceeds the roof. There are some nice deign elements in the railing as well. The sub guys also have the old Navy style costumes: which I much prefer to the cartoony ones. Not everything has to be "whimsicalized"....I just made up that word. There is a bullet trashcan on the station platform: I like that color: kind of a mustard green: or could just be the sunlight. The guys on the Monorail could very well be execs. One is giving me Ron Dominquez vibes: but I don't remember that belly on him....he is leaning back though....the other one looks like Tom Tancredi from Entertainment. Perhaps both are from entertainment as the offices are right there above America Screams. It seems better if you needed to get to the hotel to take the Monorail...especially in the back where there is almost always an empty seat...rather that get your car...drive around...etc. That would take some time even in those days. We took the tram a lot: but we were coming from City Hall....not Tomorrowland. This was a very excellent Disneyland! Thanks Major.
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