Direct Link: http://www.dldhistory.com/link2us.asp?ID=1027
The Disneyland Monorail was the first operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere and the first to cross a public street. The Monorail only ran around Tomorrowland from 1959 through 1961 when it was extended to the Disneyland Hotel.
Mark I trains capacity 82-3 cars per train monorail red, blue: 1959-1961
Mark II trains capacity 108-4 cars per train 3 square windows monorail red,blue,gold: 1961-1968
Mark III trains capacity 127-5 cars per train 4 wraped windows monorail red,blue,green,gold: 1968-1986
Mark IV trains: (Only used at WDW)
Mark V trains 5 cars per train first monorail with air-conditioning:monorail purple, red, blue, gold: 1986-2008
Mark VII trains 5 cars per train all have have blue glass that change color in the sunlight. : monorail red ,blue ,orange 2008-
The trip from Tomorrowland to the Disneyland Hotel is more level and has more straight-aways, drivers can run the Monorail at full speed, 35 miles per hour. The return trip, though, has several curves and a seven-degree grade near the Submarine Lagoon, so drivers are instructed to maintain a speed of fifteen miles per hour.
Initial cost to build the monorail was $1.4 million (in 2006 dollars it would be over $9.4 million)
The monorail designer was Alweg which are the initials of the owner of the company: Axel L. Wenner-Gren
The initial contract to build the monorails was given to a manufacture of garbage trucks then the studio decided to finish them up.
The original track was 8 tenths of a mile long with a maximum height of 31 feet
Track extension to the hotel cost $1.9 million (in 2006 dollars it would be over $12.4 million)
In June of 1976 the Alweg logo was removed from the trains due to Alweg going broke.
Complete video of Disneyland's Monorail at DLDHistory.com
