Florida
Central Florida’s SunRail scheduled to open next year
ORLANDO, Fla. – Work on Central Florida’s first commuter rail line is progressing, and the line is expected to open by next year. Work to convert the corridor for use by SunRail remains ongoing and the headway is quite apparent. For example, new platforms are nearing completion at the Amtrak stations in Orlando and Winter Park; the stations will continue to serve the national passenger railroad once SunRail starts operations. As part of the 12-stop, 32-mile first phase, trains will operate between DeBary, north of Orlando’s city center, and Sand Lake Road in Orlando. When the second phase opens in
Time Away From the Beach: Trains on Amelia Island
Photos taken Aug. 19, 2011.
WDW Monorail Passengers Stranded After Power Failure
Hundreds of Walt Disney World monorail passengers were stranded for hours following a power outage early this morning, according to published reports. Seven monorails were operating at the time of the power failure, according to a report on WOFL-TV’s Web page. The report indicated one train was empty, three were at stations and three others were between stations at the time of the power outage. The Associated Press reported that firefighters evacuated some passengers from the trains, but the bulk of passengers disembarked after the monorails were towed to stations. — Railfanning.org News Wire
Railfanning the Walt Disney World Railroad
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – It’s no coincidence that the first attraction to greet guests of the Magic Kingdom is the railroad. Disney Imagineers traveled to Mexico to scout steam trains that could be refurbished and put to use pulling guests around the Magic Kingdom. By 1971, the tracks were laid and the steam trains were running. Here are some videos from the Walt Disney World Railroad. To read more about the history of the Walt Disney World Railroad, click here.
Three WDW Cast Members on Leave Following Deadly Monorail Crash
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Three Walt Disney World resort employees are on leave following a monorail crash between two trains that left one of the drivers dead, CNN reported. The network’s Web site quoted a Disney spokesman as saying the action is “part of an investigative process, not a disciplinary action.” The three employees include a manager, the pilot of the second monorail train and a maintenance shop cast member. The manager was at an off-site restaurant at the time of the crash, WESH-TV reported. On July 5, Monorail Pink backed into another train, Monorail Purple, near the Ticket