# Seattle's Monorail Catches Fire



## steve_relei (Jun 1, 2004)

Yesterday, the monorail in Seattle caught fire (it looks like from a spark from the electrical wiring) with smoke filling the train. Pictures shown on TV were quite dramatic, as was the reporting. The fire happened just as the train left the Seattle Center Station and as it was coming out of the tunnel through the Empower Music Project museum. Dozens were evacuated--most by ladder trucks, others by a passing monorail train. At least nine people were taken to the hospital for smoke. No one died, fortunately. The trains will be out of service for an indefinite time period. People are wondering if this will ahve any effect on expanding the monorail--for which there is already funding available. Hopefully the service will be restored soon. The monorail was originally built and put into service in 1962 for the World's Fair--it was even featured in an Elvis Presley film.


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Jun 2, 2004)

Steve relei, I have some monorail memories, also. I was in Seattle some time after the World's Fair. I did ride the monorail. I think I sort of stumbled upon it, didn't really appreciate it for what it was until later. I remember also seeing "A Space Odyssey 2001" in Seattle which was a really bizarree movie for its time. 2001 seemed so very far, far away. But anyway, this about the monorail. Hope this doesn't set things back too much. Guess it is time for me to go back to Seattle again.


----------



## gswager (Jun 2, 2004)

I've rode it once several years ago, so is Space Needle. I'll have to look at my photo album to refresh my memory. It's rather a short ride. Seattleans are talking about extending the monorail line as a commuter line. Problem was eyesore... :blink: So much for liberalians.


----------



## steve_relei (Jun 2, 2004)

The monorail was also featured in the TV series version of "Starman" and numerous other movies and TV shows. It is a futuristic-looking train and works well in Science-Fiction settings. Of course, monorails aren't as favored as they once were. I remember a few years ago there being an argument in "Model Railroader" about whether or not monorails were real railroads. Some people thought of them as primarily amusement park rides. Me, I think of them as real railroads--in fact, the definition of a monorail is a railroad that uses only one rail, the train either sits on top of the rail (as in Seattle and Disneyland) or hangs from it (as the monorail in Stuttgart--featured in the movie "Fahrenheit 451"--again a testiment to the train's use in futuristic settings). On my model railroad, I would love to have my "limited" pull into Union Station and have its passengers be able to board a monorail train for the rest of the distance to their hotels and/or homes or businesses. Same thing in real life. I think that's part of what they have in mind in Seattle--using the monorail to connect from the Space Needle, downtown, and King Street Station (Amtrak and Puget Sounder) and the stadiums (Seahawk and SAFECO).

I, too, have read about people thinking of the monorail as an eyesore, saying it blocks views. View of what? Where it runs, it is primarily on city streets. People looking out of their office building windows see primarily city streets! Big deal! It's not like people have a panoramic view of the Water and mountains. They don't. Also, with the monorail above the street, it leaves more room to do more on the street level--more shopping, wider sidewalks, parking, trees, etc. Also, with the train above ground, there is nothing to get in its way--no traffic, no traffic lights. Travel time is faster. True, the ride is short, and it really doesn't go very fast, but it is fun and shows what is possible. Hopefully, this fire-incident won't set things back too much.


----------

