The Meitetsu Monkey Park Monorail Line (名鉄モンキーパークモノレール線, Meitetsu Monkī Pāku Monorēru-sen) was a monorail in Inuyama, Aichi that connected the Japan Monkey Park to Inuyama-yūen Station, operated by Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu). The line featured steep sections, including one 9.7% grade, and traveled through an artificial canyon for a section.[2] The trip took about four minutes.[3]
| Monkey Park Monorail Line | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Inuyama, Aichi |
| Stations | 3 |
| Service | |
| Type | straddle-beam Monorail |
| Operator(s) | Nagoya Railroad |
| History | |
| Opened | 21 March 1962 |
| Closed | 27 December 2008 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 1.2 km[1] |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC |
| Operating speed | 30 km/h |
History
editThe Monkey Park Monorail Line opened on 21 March 1962,[1] and was the first Hitachi Monorail[4] using the ALWEG track standard.
The line was closed on 27 December 2008[1] following Meitetsu's decision based on its small ridership and aging facilities.[5] In 2006, ridership averaged only 645 passengers per day.[6]
Trains
editThe line had two trains with three cars each, which could be coupled together for higher capacity. The trains operated on a 1,500 V DC power supply, and had a top speed of 35 km/h.[4]
Two monorail cars, end car 101 and intermediate car 201, are scheduled to be preserved next to the former Dōbutsuen Station in their original livery of silver with red and white bodyside stripes from 19 March 2009.[7] Additionally, a single car from the defunct line is currently on display at the Spa Resort Yunohana.[8] Visitors can tour the inside and outside of the monorail car, which briefly became a location for a Japanese geocaching adventure game in Kani-city.[9] Former station Dobutsuen is the only surviving building of the line, with a piece of track and one vehicle. The rest of the line has been completely dismantled.
The Meitetsu train is also featured in the Japanese train simulation video game, Densha de Go! Nagoya Railroad, along with several other Meitetsu trains.
Stations
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine February 2009 issue, p.76
- ^ "The Monorail Society". Retrieved 30 March 2007.
- ^ "Inuyama City Government". Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2007.
- ^ a b Pedersen, Kim. "Inuyama Monorail Photo Essay - page one of six". Retrieved 12 April 2008.
- ^ Nagoya Railroad (17 December 2007). "モンキーパーク・モノレール線の廃止届出書提出について (Re filing of a report on abolition of the Monkey Park Monorail Line)" (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 December 2007.
- ^ "モンキーパーク・モノレール線の廃止に伴う特別損失の計上について" [About Recording Extraordinary Loss due to the Abolition of the Monkey Park Monorail Line] (PDF). meitetsu.co.jp (in Japanese). December 17, 2007. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Meitetsu press release: "旧モンキーパーク・モノレール線のモノレール車両を保存します" (4 March 2009). Retrieved on 4 March 2009. (in Japanese)
- ^ Spa Resort Yunohana, retrieved 23 January 2022
- ^ "Geocaching: Monorail Vehicle(モノレール車両)". Geocaching. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2022.