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ALWEG - Rolling Stock
The structure of the car body is high-strength aluminum. The main frame consists of four longitudinal U-channels, a torsion box, car floor and cross members. All of these components are of high-strength aluminum alloy joined by means of riveted construction (remember, this was 1961!). As in all ALWEG-style monorails, train equipment is housed beneath the train on either side of the beam. Above the floor level, the "shell" consists of side walls, roof, and interior panels. There are four outside sliding doors on the side of each car. Windows wrap up onto the roof affording views of the Space Needle and cutting the need for a lot of interior lighting. These trains, and their modern Hitachi descendents, are "open arrangement" style, meaning that the entire 60' length of the car (two 30' segments) is open, similar to a light rail or subway car. In contrast the Disney Mk VI trains are 28' long per car. The cars have large, fixed side-windows with curved windows at the edge of the roof to brighten the car interior. These trains were a technological marvel for their day.
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The twin car, four segment trains
weigh about 100,000 pounds empty. (As a comparison, the 6-car
Disney Mk VI trains weigh about 114,000 pounds empty.) The trains
are 122' long 10'3" wide, and 14' high. Each train can seat
124 passengers and can carry 326 standing passengers for a total
of 450 passengers.
