Hello,
My name is Alan Gauldin and I am a Schuco Monorail operator. As I have been searching for information about the monorails I have found that information is hard to find. There is a couple of good sites and a few people now and then selling on E-bay. That's about it. I have started a Message board for us operators and those thinking about collecting.
I am inviting you to come and see my board. You are welcome to post any issue you would like regarding Schuco monorails. You can tell us about you experiences, your tips, you can ask questions, you can even post parts or sets you might have for sale. I hope to provide all of us a place to come together to share and promote our hobby.
THE ADDRESS FOR MY SCHUCO MESSAGE BOARD IS: http://www.voy.com/214885/


I also have a blog that I share my progress on my layout and other monorail information. I have pictures of my layout and will show how I made some of my scenes. I will add your pictures if you send them to me. I have links to my favorite monorail sites and I can add your link if you request it.


THE ADDRESS FOR MY SCHUCO MONORAIL BLOG IS: http://schucomonorail.blogspot.com/

I hope to hear from you soon. Alan
:woohoo:

The new Mk7 monorails have been delivered to Disneyland and should be in operation by March of this year. There is as I understand no plan for these to also go to WDW.

The G scale project is still on going. I'm looking for a way to power the monorail while still leaving the interior open.

Alan, I took a look at both of your sites and have to say the Matterhorn with working sleds was great.
I have to say that I was watching Close Encounters when I saw the 1st picture and the image in my mind of Roy Neary building the mountain then adding motorized sleds was priceless! :)

I'm glad you checked out my sites. Come by often as I plan to add new info as I get it. I have a new vender in Germany that left his web address. He seems to have pretty good prices. Please leave a message next time to share your thoughts on my board. Thanks Alan :wave: :wave:

progress continues had this 3 d printed for the project.
Will
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s208/Wbnemo1/projects%20for%20clients/MKIV_1.jpg
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s208/Wbnemo1/projects%20for%20clients/MKIV_4.jpg

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s208/Wbnemo1/projects%20for%20clients/MKIV_3.jpg

It's looking very good Will!

That 3-D printing stuff is real impressive!

looks much better in person though, gonna cut the masks for the windows...by the way a n scale narrow gauge MK1 is in the works
Will

Narrow-gauge monorails. Hmm. :cool:

yup N scale Narrow guage...this MK4 is this scale as well, the original MK4 mesh was 3d modelled by jason the monorail man, then I met with Bob Gurr and we finalized the shape, then sent the mesh to my friend who had it printed for me.
can't wait to get it molded, casted, painted up, and running...:D
Will

Will you be using your Japanese battery-operated ZZ stuff? The WDW models would look great over the old 20,000 Leagues ride!

I may actually be able to use real z scale running gear, there is a new scale being introduced at the end of this month or early februrary it's called T scale
1:450..could consider using that too. one of these will definitly work.
Will

Couple of things about Z scale: they tend not to run as smoothly as larger scales, due to the low weight of electrical contact between the wheel and rail. You may be able to overcome this, using a more sophisticated control system.

Also, the motors are wound with super-fine wire, and burn out VERY quickly. Since they're not cheap, I'd recommend taking extraordinary measures to protect them.

maybe I should persue something more along the lines of what Bob did...most amazing
Will

The Z scale mechanisms are good, and since the railroad part is unseen, you could add a number of rail wipers, or even some pickup rollers sprung to run on the rail sides. You'd probably also want to replace the Z scale motor with a more robust and forgiving(and probably cheaper) motor.

Just thought I would post one other monorail, after seeing the other fari references. This is a shot from the Louisiana World Exposition from 1984: http://wyes.org/images/WorldsFair/WF%200020%20-%20Souvenir%20Slide%20-%20FestPark%20rev%201.jpg

I've taken the next step on the G scale monorail by ordering a MR from ebay to study.

Scott

I don't know a better reference source you could use. Plus, I'm sure they'd make magnificent O scale working models.

I've wanted one from day 1, and after talking to Will on the phone about the monorail it became a grail piece.

I've watched the prices on Ebay climb with every new MR posting so when I saw a red at $199 with a buy it now it was time.

Good deal! They were $300 when first issued.

I'm really looking forward to the new Mark VIIs...:woohoo:

cool I think you will be quite pleased with it...she's very accurate, only found a couple things not quite right, deviation from pattern vrs production. Overall though, you are good to go.........
Will

A G scale monorail should be very popular with the garden railway crowd.

A G scale monorail should be very popular with the garden railway crowd.

I know. Here in Tucson they have a garden railroad crawl once every 3 months. I've ask and nothing like this has to anyones knowledge been done.

I hope this will turn out as nice as I hope as I've already started laying out the ponds, and figured out a way to get the sub ride to work!

Between this and the battlestar studio scale build it looks like a busy 2008!

I got the MR monorail yesterday and all I could do was sit and look at it.
After 40+ minutes of drooling I tried putting the batteries in it. After that another 15 minutes of playing in a dark room just to see the lights.

Today as I looked I noticed that it's missing the Alweg name and logos.

Anyone know why they were left off.

I also noticed how much the shape mirrored the Astroliner train cars it replaced.

Will you guys did a fantastic job on the monorail and it was nice to see you both got credit in the booklet that came with it.

Awesome, you got it.....Thnk you for the compliments, loved making it...now as for the logos, it was a legal issue and due to time constraints it was never really pursued... the actual Alweg logo wasnt added to the train till the MK2....take a look at the Santa Fe logo :)... recognize the initials...it's an accurate model..Bob Gurr, Rich and I went back and forth emailing till Bob said it was correct.....:)
Cheers,
Will

Yeah, I heard Santa Fe had some exclusive deal with Disney, such that only their two names would appear on any train in the park. Adding Alweg's name supposedly strained relations between Disney and ATSF, at least until Alweg went out of business in 1969.

But many Disney attractions in the early years initially had corporate sponsorship, which eventually elapsed. Then the sponsor's name would be removed from the ride.

Recently released Disney Mark VII pins:

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/571/f1ec_1a.jpg

Looks like the first trains will be red, blue, and orange- and five cars long.

yet i heard none of em will make it past the first curved beamway of the roundhouse...nice!!!
Will

If so, sounds like some serious delays are possible.

Check this out:

http://blog.makezine.com/nyctoyfair2008/

scroll almost halfway down(LARGE page), to "Amazing linear propulsion systems - no toy application (yet!)"

There is a video which shows the speed and climbing power possible. I'm thinking of this mainly in connection with Will's small-scale monorails. The propulsion is similar to a mag-lev. BTW, I love the decorative lighted supports!

http://www.mth-railking.com/detail.asp?item=10-1233-0

Re: the MTH Detroit monorail set: lots of interesting things about that set!

Re: the MTH Detroit monorail set: lots of interesting things about that set!


Thanks for the assist Roy! It was late and I thought I'd killed off the post but it seems to have gone through.

The set on the link is a reproduction of a set from the 40's. The origionals have been going for a couple of hundred dollars on ebay when they come up.

Are you thinking of a G scale version?

Are you thinking of a G scale version?

No. Just the MkI.

One nice thing about the Disneyland/WDW beamway is that there are several different monorail versions that can run on it.

Wow, a Tokyo Disneyland battery set just sold for $255:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220209011974&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=012

I wonder if they sell cars and track separately, or you just have to buy additional sets?

A set of WDW monorail blueprints on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-LARGE-WALT-DISNEY-WORLD-MONORAIL-PRINT-SET_W0QQitemZ130206226908QQihZ003QQcategoryZ144QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Eighteen prints, 11 of the trains themselves. They don't specify whether they are of Mark IV or Mark VI trains.

well in a roundabout way they do...look at the side elevation...that's the mk6, check the doors/windows...
Will

An early, steam operated, straddle-beam monorail(sort of):

http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/odmeig.Html

An interesting Mark VII kitbash:

http://micechat.com/forums/showthread.php/pictures_mark_vii_monorail_model-95187.html

Well, I finally applied to the Monorail Society. I'll be interested to see if they have anything of value to model monorailers.

Well, I finally applied to the Monorail Society. I'll be interested to see if they have anything of value to model monorailers.

It requires some digging but there is some good stuff at their Yahoo group site.

The new MarkVII monorail red. These photos are enhanced versions of those in the L.A. Times:

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/571/0622.jpg
^My favorite Mk7 pic so far.

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/571/0613.jpg
^The new cab.

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/571/0617.jpg
^New car interiors with LED lighting.

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/571/0612.jpg
^For Scott and Will: Mk7 over Nemo subs.

Howdy,
those are great pics of the mk7 thank you for sharing..
Cheers,
Will

Very Nice!!!!!

I hope to see the Mk7s later this year.
Scott

Got my first Schuco today. Just a three car train, no track. I expect it will be a big help and inspiration for designing my own models.

How did Model Railroading get stuck in this "Odds & Ends" hell? It's a modeling hobby; it should be there.

kinda wondered that too
Will

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/571/thumbs/logo_2.JPG (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/29989)


I like the seat light logo!
Need to make one of those for a night light.

A custom N scale monorail on eb...b...bay: Item # 170259504416