BIKE: Las Vegas monorail shut down

[Nawdry]

Since monorail technology has been a topic of debate on this list, it is 
significant that in Las Vegas a relatively simple vehicle malfunction has 
led to the shutdown of the entire monorail system since last 
Wednesday.  The shutdown - coming at a time of surging market demand from a 
mammoth trade convention - apparently may extend through the Labor Day 
holiday and possibly beyond.

I believe this incident thoroughly corroborates many of the weaknesses of 
automated monorail technology which I have been pointing out for some 
time.  See relevant articles below...

LH


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http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2248279&nav=168YQUBe

KLAS-TV Las Vegas
September 2, 2004

Las Vegas Monorail Shuts Down

Kyle Zuekle, Photojournalist

The Las Vegas Monorail has hit a major mechanical snag that shutdown
the system on Wednesday. An independent safety team will be evaluating
the incident.



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http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=2248463&nav=15MVQUJO

KVBC-TV News - Las Vegas
September 1st, 2004

Las Vegas Monorail Shut Down After Tire Falls Off


This week, the Las Vegas Monorail has been getting its biggest test since
opening two months ago, with ninety thousand conventioneers in town for
Magic, the Men's Apparel Guild In California show. But things came to a
crashing halt today, literally.  News 3's Tom Hawley reports from Sky 3
with details.

The monorail mishap happened just after the system opened at eight this
morning, when a northbound train just east of Harrah's Hotel suddenly lost
a tire, which plummeted into the parking lot below.

This is not the first problem the trains have encountered. A drive shaft fell
from a train back in January, which resulted in a three day delay in testing
while a safety attachment was installed.

Then last month, an operator accidentally opened the doors on the wrong
side, sixty feet of above the pavement, while the system was briefly in
manual mode instead of its normal computer operation. The worker
responsible was suspended.

Today's problem left those on board briefly stranded, before the train
limped to the next stop at low speed. As of this hour, the entire monorail
operation is closed down.

The company that runs the monorail says it will be closed until at least
tomorrow, maybe longer, depending on how long it takes to identify the
problem and make sure it won't happen again.



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http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2248279&nav=168YQUBe

KLAS-TV Las Vegas
Sep. 1

Mechanical Failure Shuts Down Monorail


(Sep. 1) -- The Las Vegas Monorail temporarily stopped operations today
following a mechanical situation in which a tire assembly disengaged from
one of the cars. The train was traveling north, approximately 1,000 feet
west of Koval between sands and Flamingo about 8 a.m. No one was
injured.

As part of their stringent safety procedures, the monorail immediately
ceased operations. An independent safety team was consulted and they
will evaluate the incident and make recommendations to the Las Vegas
Monorail as soon as possible.

The monorail will resume operations only after this safety team and the
Las Vegas Monorail determines that the system is ready to continue to
operate safely.

It is anticipated that the monorail will be out of service at least until
Thursday, Sep. 2.

Eyewitness New will bring you the latest developments.



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http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Sep-02-Thu-2004/news/24677663.html

Las Vegas Review-Journal
Thursday, September 02, 2004

LV monorail shuts down in midst of trade show hubbub

By OMAR SOFRADZIJA
REVIEW-JOURNAL

-----------------------------------------------------------------
[PHOTO]
The entrance to the Las Vegas Monorail's Convention Center station is
blocked Wednesday after the rail line was shut down because of a
mechanical failure.
Photo by Craig L. Moran.
-----------------------------------------------------------------


The Las Vegas Monorail took a pratfall on its biggest stage to date
Wednesday when a tire fell from one of its trains, leading to a systemwide
shutdown during one of the valley's largest annual conventions.

Monorail officials were waiting until today to decide when to reopen the
4.4-mile system, after getting a second opinion on why a 20-inch, 60-
pound rubber tire broke off a train around 8 a.m.

Monorail officials say they doubt it's related to a January incident in which
a drive shaft fell from one of its trains during testing.

"It appears these are isolated incidents," said Todd Walker, a monorail
spokesman. "One of the reasons we have safety investigations is to
reaffirm that. We want to ensure that this doesn't happen again, and it's
not associated with anything that's taken place before."

The northbound train was between Flamingo Road and Sands Avenue at
the time the tire fell, landing in an unoccupied parking spot in a lot owed
by Harrah's. No one was hurt, monorail officials said.

The shutdown forced thousands of conventioneers to find alternate ways
to and from the Men's Apparel Guild in California -- or MAGIC -- trade
show, which ends today at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Conventions are expected to produce the monorail's core riders. Up to
40,000 daily riders were expected this week, and MAGIC was expecting
90,000 conventioneers in town.

"It's unfortunate timing that this incident happened at all, particularly
during a major citywide trade show," said Terry Jicinsky, senior marketing
vice president for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

"Hopefully, they'll be able to communicate that it's a new product, and with
any new product there's growing pains," Jicinsky said. "Hopefully, it's a
one-time episode."

There were two separate investigations into the incident: an initial
assessment by the monorail's contracted operator, Montreal, Canada-
based Bombardier Inc., and another inquiry by McLean, Va.-based
monorail consultant Booz Allen Hamilton, Walker said.

The latter group was bringing in its own technicians to look at the train's
mechanical systems and Bombardier's maintenance standards, Walker
said.

"We want somebody else with different eyes, and outside of us and
Bombardier, to take a look at it," Walker said.

The monorail wasn't the sole way for conventioneers to get around.
Around 85 buses already were shuttling between hotels and the
Convention Center, in addition to the usual mix of taxicabs and
limousines.

Officials expected the other forms of transportation to absorb stranded
monorail riders.

"The monorail was never meant to replace any of those," Jicinsky said. "It
was meant to augment (existing transit)."

Spare buses were being pressed into service, an exact number of which
was not immediately available.

"We don't anticipate it'll be a huge hassle. This is the first time the
monorail was available," said Ernae Mothershed, a show spokeswoman.
"We've held the show for 15 years without it."

Conventioneer Bill Nelson of Lakeland, Fla., said he had planned to take
the train to the Convention Center that morning from a mid-Strip hotel.

"I was supposed to get it at Bally's," he said while waiting for a cab outside
the center. "We stood around (that station) for 10 minutes. Then came an
announcement that it was shutting down."

Mitch Clott, 43, of New York City was one of the last people to ride the
train Wednesday. His train was headed toward the Convention Center
when it was boarded by workers who asked riders to switch trains.

Clott wasn't sure how he'd get back to his hotel. "That's a good question,"
he said.

"I've been coming out here for years now, watching it (the monorail)
gradually get built, wondering when I could ride it," Clott said. "Now, I
come out here and it's done and I can't."

Saul Federman of Chicago had planned to ride the rail. "It really wasn't a
big inconvenience to me," he said. "It would have been nice if it was up,
though."

The shutdown was a surprise to Bernice Motola, 31, of Las Vegas, who
usually parks outside the Sahara station before taking the line to her job at
a Strip restaurant. "Shut up," she said after being told of the shutdown.

Until Wednesday, her commute had been problem-free. "My only problem
is that it doesn't stay open late enough," she said.

The shutdown was the most serious setback for the $650 million monorail
since it opened July 15. Last month, a monorail worker inadvertently
opened a set of passenger doors that faced a steep drop-off from an
elevated track to the street below. The worker was suspended.

Other issues were relatively minor: isolated reports of a broken elevator, a
jammed train door and a train crippled by mechanical problems in the first
few days of operations.

The system's launch was delayed from early 2004 because of a series of
glitches with the system's driverless steering computers.

The monorail's builders, Bombardier and Granite Construction of
Watsonville, Calif., were assessed more than $11 million in fines for
missing a Jan. 20 deadline to have the system ready for public use.

Passengers holding monorail tickets can arrange for a refund by calling
699-8299.