Monorail anyone ?

[Mobi]

Monorails can be of 2 types

1. One that balances with a gyroscope. Without gyro it will fall to one side.
2. Using wheels to grab the rail from both sides so that it remains stable all the time.

I am talking of type 2, which is still used worldwide for commercial services.
Like this - youtube.com/watch?v=2ZIoh7qvbnc

For garden railway, I can see advantage of monorails in several ways.

[1] It needs only one rail - obviously! So track cost will be half of traditional trains. You can still change tracks.
Here is demo - youtube.com/watch?v=70SOmeF3K9U&start=2m54s

[2] Train can still be controlled in same way, especially if battery powered.

[3] Trains can be overhung without much modification! If the trains have channels on top and bottom, then the wheel assembly (i.e. bogie mounting system) can be swapped from top to bottom. So the rail can be either on top (hanging train) or bottom (riding over rail). If commercially manufactured, this can reduce cost of wagons significantly as one can buy wagons/coaches without wheels - as wheels can be slotted in channels from other wagons.

[4] Gripping wheels can be rubber tyres - which will enable much steeper gradient.


Disadvantages of monorail:

[1] Track power will be challenge - no 2 rails to complete circuit.

[2] Needs to be DIY currently as no commercial G scale monorail available.

 

[Jasper]

Hello Mobi. The monorail could be an interesting subject to discuss.

The two types of monorail you mention aren't the only kinds of monorail. There is also the suspended monorail.
One famous example is the Schwebebahn in Wuppertal.

We have our own Wuppertal specialist: @schienenkönig

 

[Gizzy]

There is also a model of the Schwebebahn made by a G Scale Society member in the UK.

I last saw it at Llangollen....

 

[PhilP]

That would be this one:

PhilP.

 

[Software Tools]

1] It needs only one rail - obviously! So track cost will be half of traditional trains

In the real world, for both prototype and models, the cost of "track" is dramatically higher than simple duo-rail track, and track switches are mechanical nightmares with very high, and continual, maintenance costs!

 

[maxi-model]

This might be of interest. There erudite "Jago Hazard" did a little piece recently on a specific system used in industry. See video below, don't get fooled by the start. Monorail systems are used extensively today in industry, mostly of the suspended type, although not for transportation as we might normally recognise Monorail Access Systems Explained | UK Guide 2026 | Skyform

 

[ge_rik]

How about this steam powered version

Or this reconstruction of the Lartigue system

Rik

 

[ge_rik]

BTW - A garden railway scale model of the Lartigue system has been constructed by Marc Horovitz

Rik

 

[ge_rik]

And how about this for a bit of nostalgia

Rik

 

[Hal Farsed]

Surely Mr Brennan's gyroscope monorail would be the one to aim for?

Gyro monorail - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Grover65k]

Surely Mr Brennan's gyroscope monorail would be the one to aim for?

Gyro monorail - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

NEW! Exciting!

LGB Announce a major advance! You only need to buy half the wheels you used to!

Coming next season... 2099!


But seriously there was one line in the Wikipedia article that stood out...

"Interest was such that children's clockwork monorail toys, single-wheeled and gyro-stabilised, were produced in England and Germany.[7][8]"

Where are they now?

 

[ge_rik]

There are a few monorail toys on eBay at the moment, eg

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236837614373

Rik

 

[dunnyrail]

NEW! Exciting!

LGB Announce a major advance! You only need to buy half the wheels you used to!

Coming next season... 2099!


But seriously there was one line in the Wikipedia article that stood out...

"Interest was such that children's clockwork monorail toys, single-wheeled and gyro-stabilised, were produced in England and Germany.[7][8]"

Where are they now?

There is a large scale model of this at the NRM in York, daft idea.

 

[trammayo]

I was once asked if I would build a cable hauled incline for the Museum! All because I was involved with the Shipley Glen Tramway but not as a contractor!

 

[Jasper]

The Shipley Glen Tramway is simply too cute.

 

[Hal Farsed]

There is a large scale model of this at the NRM in York, daft idea.

It was a brilliant idea. Except......er......it wasn't of any use.

 

[dunnyrail]

It was a brilliant idea. Except......er......it wasn't of any use.

Yup though there are many Monorails running around the World for my money they are best in Theme Parks where they can run round in circles delivering punters to different sites. One of my oppo Councillors in St.Neots ws keen for the prospect if a Monorail running between here and Cambridge, I dont’t think he had thought through the prospect of the high level pillars and all the Nimbies living along the route would object, though the graffiti guys would have lived all them concrete pillars to practice their vandalism on.,

 

[Jasper]

Apart from the pillars, the graffiti artists, the Nimbies, &c. what would even be the business case for twenty miles of monorail to link a town of 33,000 to the nearest city??

 

[dunnyrail]

Apart from the pillars, the graffiti artists, the Nimbies, &c. what would even be the business case for twenty miles of monorail to link a town of 33,000 to the nearest city??

None whatsoever which is why I rubbished the thoughts. However St.Neots is nearer 40k now and due to near double in 5-10 years, Cambourne between St.Neots and Cambridge is roughly half the size now and will grow to the size of St.Neots now in 5-10 years all part of the so called Ark from Oxford to Cambridge which is likely in time to be a long continuous growth zone with High Tech, Medical Campus etc - well that is if AI does not take it and us all out before then.

 

[Hal Farsed]

Yup though there are many Monorails running around the World for my money they are best in Theme Parks where they can run round in circles delivering punters to different sites. One of my oppo Councillors in St.Neots ws keen for the prospect if a Monorail running between here and Cambridge, I dont’t think he had thought through the prospect of the high level pillars and all the Nimbies living along the route would object, though the graffiti guys would have lived all them concrete pillars to practice their vandalism on.,

Hmm. Bit like the guided bus way on the railway line then. Is there something in the water in Cambridge?