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Designer Times
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Designer Times is a continuing column by legendary Imagineer Bob Gurr on his experiences in the early days of Disneyland. If you missed any previous columns, click here for the list.
(c) Disney
16. 1959 - More Monorail Memories
The hectic days in the summer of 1959, as we were getting the Monorail ready for it ıs grand opening are well described in the Fall 2001 Issue No. 36 of the E-Ticket. Some interesting events occurred during and just after this opening:
The first Monorail Train, the red one, had been assembled on the beamway just two weeks prior to dedication day. Testing had resulted in daily failures followed by all-night fabrication of improved parts. But the Monorail did not make an actual trouble free lap around the track until the night before Walt was to introduce his new Monorail System to the world on live TV. Thus we had no time to train the newly hired Monorail drivers. So the wardrobe department made me a Monorail driver ıs uniform duing the night shift, then fitted me up in it the morning of dedication day......Now I was to wear the hat of a Disneyland ride operator!
I had parked the Monorail in the Tomorrowland Station to be prepared to only drive it out after the ribbon cutting ceremony for the live TV cameras. The Monorail could then break down just out of view and the world-wide audience would think Walt had his new toy up and running at last.
In mid morning the day was already very hot and uncomfortable. Walt and Art Linkletter showed up with an entourage including the Vice President of The United States, Richard Nixon, along with his family. Walt wanted to show Nixon the inside of the Monorail cab. We turned on the 600 volt DC power so I could get the air conditioning to cool down the cab. In a few minutes, Walt had us all in the cab. Now, Walt could get very twinkly-eyed and excited when he was showing off something new, and he told everyone about his dream for modern transportation in America. But he had it right now in Disneyland, and wanted to show it off.
Walt described how he always drove the steam locomotives on special occasions, but that he "let Bobby drive the modern trains". Whereupon Walt said "lets go". Oh no! This thing had only made one good lap and I was saving it for TV later in the day. But drive I did. When we passed over the Sub Ride Waterfalls, Nixon let out a four letter exclamation......all the White House Secret Service Officers were left back on the Monorail station platform. Walt and I had kidnapped the Vice President of The United States!
I was so relieved when I got back to the station. But Nixon ıs two daughters wanted to go around again. My heart sank and I remember little of the second lap. I had visions of the Monorail catching on fire over the Sub Lagoon before we had a chance to develop our rescue procedures..... burning up Walt and his guests.
As I slowed going thru the station, the Secret Service guys were running towards the Monorail to get in and guard their target. But I drove on thru and they tried to run with it to jump in. Nixon roared with laughter. This was not the least bit funny to me! Anyway, when we finally stopped, Nixon looked back up the Sub down ramp after we left the Monorail and roared again......all the Secret Service guys were sitting in the train. And these guys were paid to guard the palace?
After about two weeks of regular Disneyland Monorail operation, we received a telegram from an Alweg consultant in Germany, Professor Wengatz, Vehicular Dynamicist at Dusseldorf University. He warned in part...."stop construction of Monorail train - impossible to work". I telegraphed back inviting him to Disneyland where I would give him a ride.
Soon the professor was on the Monorail with an important looking vibration recording device. Surrounded by happy Disneyland guests, we rode for hours while he tried to reconcile his calculations with the inescapable fact that the "impossible Monorail" actually runs. I invited him to my home for dinner for further discussions. When I introduced him to my wife, she asked Professor Wengatz if during WWII he was a Nazi. I was horrified. He was startled. "Why yes my dear, I ıll tell you all about it". The ice was broken and the professor and I remained good friends for many years. To ease the professor ıs discomfort at realizing Walt ıs Monorail worked, I coined the proverb....Practice always works because IT knows no theory.
A few days later, Wengatz visited our Disneyland Monorail shed to see our operation. The short drive axles I had designed were too sensitive to torque shock from the DC motors and were constantly breaking. Until we could get the proper forged axles supplied, I had to find a temorary way to keep axles from letting go. Long axles work just fine, and we could buy them off the shelf. So I made a goofy looking extension tube with two flanges on the ends so we could use the long axles. When Wengatz saw these preposterous looking gizmos sticking about (18) inches beyond the wheels, he knew the Disney folks were nuts. ³Vas ist dis ². Why, Professor Wengatz, those are the ³Oklahoma Axle Spacers ². In 1962 I saw the professor in Seattle working on his full size Monorail. He greeted me with... ²Und how are your Oklahoma Axle Spacers? ² We had a wonderful laugh.
oOo
Next month: The Matterhorn
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-- Bob Gurr
Bob Gurr began working with Disney in 1954. He retired in 1981 but occassionally consults for the Company. Since Disney he's worked on the sinking ship at Las Vegas' Treasure Island, Universal Studios' King Kong, Godzilla for the film by the same name and much more. Among his proudest accomplishments he lists "making Walt tickled pink that some of the things he wanted to build actually worked. You could tell how proud he was when he would show off things to his friends and the press. Lincoln and the Monorail were two big ones for him."
Designer Times is normally posted the second Wednesday of each month.
The opinions expressed by Bob Gurr, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future of Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted August 8, 2001
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