1985 Monorail Fire!

[FlyingMouse]

On June 26, 1985, a fire engulfed the rear car of the six-car Mark IV Silver monorail train in transit from the Epcot station to the Transportation and Ticket Center.[9] The train was carrying 240 passengers, 40 of whom were in the burning car.[10] This fire predated onboard fire detection systems, emergency exits, and evacuation planning. Passengers in the car kicked out side windows and climbed around the side of the train to reach the roof, where they were subsequently rescued by the Reedy Creek Fire Department.[9] Seven passengers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation or other minor injuries.[11] The fire department later determined that the fire started when a flat tire was dragged across the concrete beam, heated due to friction, and ignited.[12]

wiki, or not, this explanation sounds more reasonable than 4 or 40 or 240 people marching along the Monorail beam to a station. Hanging out on top of the Monorail waiting to get rescued sounds right.

[DisBeamer]

wiki, or not, this explanation sounds more reasonable than 4 or 40 or 240 people marching along the Monorail beam to a station. Hanging out on top of the Monorail waiting to get rescued sounds right.

Yeah, that article also has the references to the Orlando Sentinel articles about it, which I'm going to assume had the gist of it right since it would have been a fairly big local news story, I'd guess.

It's still surprising to me that they didn't have any fire detection on board in 1985. Or emergency exits, for that matter. Seems like the fire department/code would have had something to say about that sometime before then ... I guess that's one of the perks of Reedy Creek doing it's own thing? *ponder*

[js3901]

It's still surprising to me that they didn't have any fire detection on board in 1985. Or emergency exits, for that matter. Seems like the fire department/code would have had something to say about that sometime before then ... I guess that's one of the perks of Reedy Creek doing it's own thing? *ponder*

actually it's not that surprising. the only reason that things like the fire detection and emergency exits are made/installed is if they felt that the product warranted it (ie - previous problems). when the fire happened, there had not been an incident like this to any monorail in the fleet. the trains had been running for about 14 years at that point with no problems. no reason to think they'd need the added equipment/costs.

[jcodirewolf]

actually it's not that surprising. the only reason that things like the fire detection and emergency exits are made/installed is if they felt that the product warranted it (ie - previous problems). when the fire happened, there had not been an incident like this to any monorail in the fleet. the trains had been running for about 14 years at that point with no problems. no reason to think they'd need the added equipment/costs.

Yep they say the life safety code is written in blood.

This is what someone in that time frame (most likely a bit after) claimed the plan was. It was posted by a guy who was a monorail driver.

What is the complete evacuation procedure for when a monorail is going up in flames? You mentioned that you move the passengers onto the roof, but then what?


The truth? You're supposed to take a rope from the cabinet under the driver's seat, attatch it to a clip on top of the train near the nose. Repel down the windscreen to the beamway. Attatch the other end of the rope to a clip near the headlight. The passengers are supposed to follow you down the windshield and walk down the beam to a station. They don't figure you'll be wanting to save any handicapped guests, I guess. In fact, for $5.25 an hour, most pilots probably wouldn't get out on the roof anyway and have said so. I would because I'm me, not because of any S.O.P.. The whole thing is nuts considering that a full car's load of people couldn't get on the roof all at once anyway (not enough space/handholds).

johno

[DisBeamer]

Hmm. Looking at it that way, I guess I can see how it wouldn't have been developed, but that doesn't make it not surprising to me that there weren't more stringent procedures for safety of what's essentially a 'public vehicle' as late as 1985. But I don't know that much about safety codes so perhaps it's not to someone who does.

Can't say as I'd blame the drivers for not wanting to go the extra mile to save people for $5.25 an hour and risking their lives in the process. I'm glad there are (I assume? >.>) better procedures in place now.

[snugglyevil]

Here is an interesting tidbit on it and other monorail incidents.

http://www.mcjackie.com/monorail.html

I vaguely remember being in Disney during the 1985 fire but was over in Epcot....nursing sunburn. LOL

[YZFDonor]

Sorry to jump on an older thread but I just saw this one...

I was THERE at EPCOT that night. We were staying in Fort Wilderness (as usual until 1996). We had to ride parking lot trams back to the TTC (when they actually still used it). I have every Orlando Sentinel from the next day until I was too far away from Orlando to buy one. I am not sure but I think I sent Steve my newspaper scans about this. Would love to tell anyone who cares more about it.

wp

[DisBeamer]

Sorry to jump on an older thread but I just saw this one...

I was THERE at EPCOT that night. We were staying in Fort Wilderness (as usual until 1996). We had to ride parking lot trams back to the TTC (when they actually still used it). I have every Orlando Sentinel from the next day until I was too far away from Orlando to buy one. I am not sure but I think I sent Steve my newspaper scans about this. Would love to tell anyone who cares more about it.

wp

Oh, cool. Did you actually see anything of the monorail while they were hauling you back to the TTC? Did they tell you why they were using the trams?

[YZFDonor]

Oh, cool. Did you actually see anything of the monorail while they were hauling you back to the TTC? Did they tell you why they were using the trams?

The Monorail was still on the beamway. As I was leaving EPCOT, they were running the two other EPCOT Monorails on some sort of reduced power or something... VERY slow. They pulled one out of the EPCOT station once it was empty using the rear car as driver and pulled another one in and offloaded. Once they had done that they stuck them both in the station nose to nose (about 5 feet apart) and shut it down. During our Tram ride, we passed the burned Monorail while the Fire Dept was still picking people out of the front cars. The Castmembers did an EXCELLENT (not good enough word actually) job entertaining us. We had yelling and singing "fights" between trams and when we came down the ramp onto World Drive at what felt like 8MPH, with a police escort, everyone fell silent. This was the first time we knew WHY the Monorail wasn't operating. It is a scene I will never forget.