# Question About Monorail Playsets.



## fayt19

So I had heard about the Monorail playsets a few years ago, but only recently accidentally discovered one on eBay. And, boy, is that little Monorail playset ADORABLE! After doing some more searching through eBay, I found some other Disney park playset things that did or didn't go with the monorail set, officially, so I was just wondering... is there a list of all the the 'official' monorail playsets? So far I've found the actual monorail, a Magic Kingdom playset, an Animal Kingdom playset, Epcot playset, Dumbo ride playset(which the Ebay seller claims is retired, and is simply too cute!), Mickey's House playset, Contemporary Resort playset, and It's A Small World playset. I'm also curious to know if anyone here collects the pieces, and what you think of them.  Any and all help would be great!


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## Disney1976

Not sure I've ever seen a list of all the sets, but I can tell you many of the pieces are retired now.

Among the retired that I know of:

Polynesian Resort  
Haunted Mansion
TTC 
Grand Floridian

A lot of these go for big $$$ on Ebay now.


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## NHMickey

Will have to check that out.  I have a HM set in the box.  Wonder what it goes for...


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## adabob

I have seen a lot of sets that come from DCA a couple ago.  The ones that i have is the Contemporary hotel that it goes through the center


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## s8film40

Here's what I know of:

WDW
•Monorail - They have released about 10 colors by now I think and two different versions the newer one has opening doors
•Straight Track - pack of 4
•Curved Track - pack of 4
•Contemporary Hotel
•Spaceship Earth (Discontinued) - This is the original one that the monorail went underneath spaceship earth.
•Disneyana "Silver" Monorail - Very limited edition special packaging and the whole thing is colored silver
•Disneyana "Silver" Contemporary - Same as above
•Disneyana "Silver" Spaceship Earth - Same as above
•TTC Switching Station (Discontinued) - Has three switches at each end to create three separate loops themed to TTC
•Polynesian Hotel (Dicontinued) - Includes a great ceremonial house and station (If you by two of these and put the station parts end to end it creates a station that is the correct length of the train)
•Grand Floridian Hotel (Discontinued) - The grand Floridian station
•Cinderella Castle Playset
•WDW Sign Set (Discontinued) - includes WDW Main Entrance sign(lights up), WDW directional road sign, Contemporary sign, Polynesian sign, and Grand Floridian sign(lights up)
•WDW Tree and Light set (Discontinued) - Includes Main Street Light(lights up), tomorrowland metallic palm tree, and Contemporary "Dixie Cup" style tree
•Astro Orbiter Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
•Dumbo Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
•Tea Cup Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
•Attraction Connector (Dicontinued) - Plugs into attraction and attaches to monorail pylon
•WDW Haunted Mansion (Discontinued) - No attraction connection
•New Spaceship Earth - More of a standalone playset
•Tree of Life Playset (Discontinued) - Really has nothing to do with monorail but is packaged in monorail packaging

Disneyland
•Disneyland Monorail (Discontinued) - An accurate model of the Mark V monorail, this was the most detailed monorail two right down to the doors, rearview mirrors, and escape hatches and includes the Golden Gate Bridge
•Disneyland Mini Monorail (Discontinued) - Same as above but only included the two end cars, a little less track, and no bridge
•DCA Orange Stinger (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
•DCA Golden Zephyr (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
•DCA King Tritons Carousel (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
•DCA California Screamin (Discontinued) - A real pain to put together but really big once its done with either orange or purple cars
•WDW Monorail sold as Disneyland monorail - Just a different package for the WDW one
•Disneyland Haunted Mansion (Discontinued) - Same as WDW version but modeled after Disneyland's Haunted Mansion

I think that covers most of it, I probably left something out or got something wrong so feel free to offer any correction.


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## donkortajr

Colors should be:
Red (Series 1)
Black (Series 1)
Yellow (Series 2)
Purple (Series 2)
Gold (Series 2)
Green (Series 3)
Silver (Series 3)(Currently being sold at resorts)
Orange (Series 3)(Currently being sold at resorts)



s8film40 said:


> Here's what I know of:
> 
> WDW
> Monorail - They have released about 10 colors by now I think and two different versions the newer one has opening doors
> Straight Track - pack of 4
> Curved Track - pack of 4
> Contemporary Hotel
> Spaceship Earth (Discontinued) - This is the original one that the monorail went underneath spaceship earth.
> Disneyana "Silver" Monorail - Very limited edition special packaging and the whole thing is colored silver
> Disneyana "Silver" Contemporary - Same as above
> Disneyana "Silver" Spaceship Earth - Same as above
> TTC Switching Station (Discontinued) - Has three switches at each end to create three separate loops themed to TTC
> Polynesian Hotel (Dicontinued) - Includes a great ceremonial house and station (If you by two of these and put the station parts end to end it creates a station that is the correct length of the train)
> Grand Floridian Hotel (Discontinued) - The grand Floridian station
> Cinderella Castle Playset
> WDW Sign Set (Discontinued) - includes WDW Main Entrance sign(lights up), WDW directional road sign, Contemporary sign, Polynesian sign, and Grand Floridian sign(lights up)
> WDW Tree and Light set (Discontinued) - Includes Main Street Light(lights up), tomorrowland metallic palm tree, and Contemporary "Dixie Cup" style tree
> Astro Orbiter Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
> Dumbo Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
> Tea Cup Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
> Attraction Connector (Dicontinued) - Plugs into attraction and attaches to monorail pylon
> WDW Haunted Mansion (Discontinued) - No attraction connection
> New Spaceship Earth - More of a standalone playset
> Tree of Life Playset (Discontinued) - Really has nothing to do with monorail but is packaged in monorail packaging
> 
> Disneyland
> Disneyland Monorail (Discontinued) - An accurate model of the Mark V monorail, this was the most detailed monorail two right down to the doors, rearview mirrors, and escape hatches and includes the Golden Gate Bridge
> Disneyland Mini Monorail (Discontinued) - Same as above but only included the two end cars, a little less track, and no bridge
> DCA Orange Stinger (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
> DCA Golden Zephyr (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
> DCA King Tritons Carousel (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
> DCA California Screamin (Discontinued) - A real pain to put together but really big once its done with either orange or purple cars
> WDW Monorail sold as Disneyland monorail - Just a different package for the WDW one
> Disneyland Haunted Mansion (Discontinued) - Same as WDW version but modeled after Disneyland's Haunted Mansion
> 
> I think that covers most of it, I probably left something out or got something wrong so feel free to offer any correction.


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## s8film40

Blue has also been released it was the first of the series with opening doors. So I guess that would leave Pink, Lime, and Coral to be made. Pink will probably be a huge hit but I doubt they will ever make lime and coral and even if they do they won't get it right.


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## wyattsdaddy2

First off, nice job S8Film40 on your compilation. The list is very accurate and complete, well done.
I just have a few "addendums" for lack of a better word, these are a few items we "serious collectors" (now there's an oxymoron for ya!), I used both "serious" and "collectors" when referring to a bunch of 20-60 year old folks like me who collect toys for a hobby! Re-think my life...NAH! I love Disney and I've been out of the closet for years.
Some items we often use for our DTPR's (going forward this is an acronym for Disney Theme Park Replicas) that I find noteworthy:
1) Disney Town Square Playset from Sears in 1988: This is a "must have" for your DTPR. It'll take me too long to detail, but it's basically an entire recreation of Main Street made from mostly heavy gauge cardboard stock and plastic. It's enormous and comes with well over 200 pieces, it takes most people I know the better part of 3 evenings to build. They also released small accessory packs to add on to make your Main Street look more realistic. Available were figurines in packs of about 3-4 figs, some are the "Fab Five", park guests, kids, dads, moms with babies etc. There were lighting kits to illuminate your display, the Christmas Tree on MS, a furniture pack, music box, Horse Trolley and a few more. 
The Town Square MIB (mint in box) complete with sealed bags will run you about $150-$200 on the Bay depending on box condition and guaranteed complete. A strongly worded caution, make 100% certain you are buying a complete set and in mint shape. I know that's a tall order for a 21 year old playset with hundreds of pieces but here's why it's so critical: Many of the pieces are essential to erect this set, any combination of broken or missing items and you'll be stuck with a $200 paperweight. Any real exposure to moisture and the cardboard stock building facades will be warped and you won't be able to clip them in place. Do not buy from someone who says, "it looks complete to me", that's basically code for "it isn't complete" or "I'm too lazy to inventory it". Do not buy a set without the instructions either, that's a guarantee it's not complete (how would they know it's complete without the instructions that have the parts list?) also Frank Lloyd Wright couldn't build this set without blueprints, errr, instructions. If you're really nice and tell me how great I look for my age, I might email you a copy. I've sold a number of these over the years and know it well and I couldn't memorize all the pieces it comes with. Get it in writing "this is a complete set" in case you need to return it. Oh, this is huge and weighs about 12 pounds, the box, ironically is very thin cardboard, much too thin for such weighty contents so MIB is relative, if it isn't badly crushed or torn, it's MIB. A few wrinkles are almost a certainty. You can use this set as your hub for your entire Monorail DTPR and just build the "lands" around it.
2) The Main Street Station: Awesome item with over 100 pieces, you'll use this at your entrance and set it up at the front of the Sears Town Square set. It has realistic recorded announcements with the sound of the train coming into the Station and the actual guys voice who does the shtick at the Parks, "The Walter E Disney is now entering on track #2, all aboard!) This one is volatile in regards to price, I've seen them as low as $50 (unusual) and as high as $175, but the average is closer to $75-$110. Depends on how many were available on the Bay at the time.
3)Walt Disney World HO Scale Railroad (the Walter E Disney) this was made for the MSS I just described in #2, it's a powered unit and a very handsome replica, and pretty fast too (variable speed) It'll cost you around $140-$175 to win one.
4) Splash Mountain from Hasbro: Pretty simple explanation, they never made one for the Mono sets so we adopted this to fill our need. It's a Polly Pocket style playset and really hard to find MIB, expect to pay $75-$100.
5) Small World: Same line as the Splash Mt $50-$75 MIB
6) Race Car Set: These are slot cars, a replica of the Tomorrowland attraction, very popular with Mono collectors $125-$175
7) Test Track: Some use this one as a "Poor Man's" Race Car Set, $40-$70
8) Wilderness Playset: This is a Lincoln Logs playset that, once built is a great Wilderness Lodge. Everyone knows about the Contemp, Poly and FL but not many know this, but enough do that make it go for about $125 MIB.
9) You missed the Sunwheel ride playset from DCA, ($100-$150) same line as the Zephyr, Triton etc. My favorite DCA ride Mono playset. Also the Epcot Sorcerers Hat Playset ($150-$175).
10) Let's not forget the Sleeping Beauty Castle Playset
11) Cinderella's Golden Carousel (Polly style too) good for the Carousel behind the Castle ($15)
12) Paradise Pier Monorail connector 3 pack: These are the only ones that work with the so-called Mini Monorail as the tracks and support beams are half the size of the standard set and can't be swapped. The full size connectors do not fit on the Mini or Vice Versa. Drives me nuts when sellers conveniently "forget" to mention that when selling these. Buyers think they are getting a 3 pack of connectors that will work with their setups, they don't. Expect to pay $50-$75 still. VHTF.
I like to use the diecast buses, trucks and fire trucks etc to put near the TTC also. 
That's about it for my "supplemental" Monorail DTPR list. There are some "custom jobs out there worth a look, one guy makes graduating support beams that allow you to make a figure 8 by making one track line pass over another. Another guy installs custom high speed motors that give the Monorails more than double their normal speed, allowing for a much more realistic scale versus speed pairing. I...."ahem", he mentions "why should the Monos run at the scale speed of 5-10 MPH as originally designed when they run much faster at the Parks". The extra speed looks much more in line with how it ought to in your DTPR. He's also very clever and devilishly handsome (chuckle). Give this wonderful hobby that is so much fun for Disney families both young and old to enjoy a try. Feel free to drop me a line if you ever need any suggestions on building your DTPR, I love talking about it with both novice and expert alike. Have a Magical day.


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## thelionqueen

NHMickey said:


> Will have to check that out.  I have a HM set in the box.  Wonder what it goes for...



I've been looking for the HM to go with my monorail (HM is my favorite, and the only attraction I would want to add to the monorail under the tree-yeah, I'm warped ).  Anyway, the HM attraction is very rare apparently and usually sells for around $100-not bad.  Just thought I'd share


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## GraceysGirl

I'm kind late to this thread but hopefully I'll get an answer to my monorail question. Do the monorails make any announcements? I saw a video with a monorail going and it was making the Disney World stop announcements (poly, contemp, grand fl etc). I didn't know if that was added soundtrack or if the monorails actually included that. The descriptions all say "authentic monorail noises" but I really have no idea what that means.


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## cbastedo@sympatico.c

I collect all the monorail pieces myself.  There is also the Poly available, very fragile but great detail


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## Reto

GraceysGirl said:


> I'm kind late to this thread but hopefully I'll get an answer to my monorail question. Do the monorails make any announcements? I saw a video with a monorail going and it was making the Disney World stop announcements (poly, contemp, grand fl etc). I didn't know if that was added soundtrack or if the monorails actually included that. The descriptions all say "authentic monorail noises" but I really have no idea what that means.



Yes, the monorails make announcements. You can run the monorail with either the annoucements on or off. 

The sayings are the following: "Please stay clear of the doors. On behalf of the cast of the Walt Disney World Resort, welcome to the Magic Kingdom. No smoking please! Please hold on to the handrails." That's what the current monorail playsets are doing. 

A couple years back, Disney also sold a track switching station that gave out the stop announcements for the various resort hotels, which is what you probably have heard in that video.


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## aggie1996

Howdy all!
I am REALLY late in deciding to try to buy in on this really cool bit of Disneyana!  I was wondering if Disney is still selling any of these items at the parks.  We will be in Disneyland in two weeks (woohoo!!!) and want to know what I can get there rather than having to pick them up on eBay before we go.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!!


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## Reto

aggie1996 said:


> Howdy all!
> I am REALLY late in deciding to try to buy in on this really cool bit of Disneyana!  I was wondering if Disney is still selling any of these items at the parks.  We will be in Disneyland in two weeks (woohoo!!!) and want to know what I can get there rather than having to pick them up on eBay before we go.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!!



Umm, not sure what the current selection at DL is, but I can tell you what WDW had when I was there last November. I assume it's more or less the same at DL.

I saw monorail playsets of the following colors: Black, red, teal and yellow. The only resort playset available was the Contemporary. Plenty of Cinderella Castle playsets there, as always and I also remember seeing the die-cast bus models, containing a WDW, DCL and a Magical Express bus. Extension track sets for the monorail is available as well. At DL, I think they sell the Sleeping Beauty castle playset, but I'm not sure if they also have any resort playsets.

I got myself a monorail teal at WDW




Me Posing with a Monorail Playset on Main Street USA - Magic Kingdom - Walt Disney World by Reto Kurmann, on Flickr

The monorail playsets aren't too bad. Batteries last for about 2 hours and the track fits together well. I actually run it around my christmas tree every year. I agree that the high-speed monorails from the guy on Ebay are cool. The batteries drain a bit faster (I get about 45 mins of playtime out of it), but the speed looks definitely more realistic. I also have the custom tracks wyattsdaddy2 mentioned, but I found out I can only run the high-speed monorails properly on them since there's sometimes a little bump or gap between these tracks. The high-speed monorails can handle that with their power, but the regular ones often get stuck.

Hope that helps!


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## CandyMandy

Reto said:


> A couple years back, Disney also sold a track switching station that gave out the stop announcements for the various resort hotels, which is what you probably have heard in that video.



We have one of these and it is arguably the best accessory to the Monorail playset -it lets you move the monorail between up to three different track loops and has six different announcements that can be set to run by specific track (one for each of the three monorail resorts as well as two for the MK and one for Epcot.)  All this adds a significant amount of "play value" to a running setup.






However, there are issues with the station.  The first is a design problem with the track switching mechanism that often causes it to jam.  The second is the announcement audio level being very weak because of the cheap, tiny speaker the station uses. 

It took him several hours, but my husband took care of the jamming issue by adding plastic "tables" to each side of the switching pole system that is inside each side of the station.  That keeps the "feet" of that mechanism from sliding off the pieces they move on, which is what causes the jamming issue. 

The audio problem was easier to deal with, he simply cut the wires going to the original speaker and attached them to a larger, higher quality one.  He somehow managed to squeeze a three inch long speaker (scavenged from an old radio) into an open interior space near the middle section of the station, facing down through the bottom via a hole he cut in the floor.   Nice approach, _much_ better sound but you can’t see the change.  He also added some sort of high level to low level circuit to the audio system, which is connected to a stereo headphone jack installed under the station controls.  That allows the station to be connected to outside amp/speakers if we ever want/need to do that. 

If anyone is interested in more details on these upgrades, let me know and I'll see it I can get him to open up the station again and take some pictures of the changes he made.


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## CandyMandy

Reto said:


> I agree that the high-speed monorails from the guy on Ebay are cool. The batteries drain a bit faster (I get about 45 mins of playtime out of it), but the speed looks definitely more realistic.



We have one of the upgraded motor trains you refer to and the batteries actually last a lot longer if you take things to the next level: remote radio control.  That allows you to control both speed and direction, so the batteries (we use rechargeables) last a few hours.

That's the good news.  The not so good news is modifying the stock monorail to remote radio control is involved and really requires moderate to advanced modelling and electronic skills. 

Fortunately, that's up my husband's alley, so he was able to successfully employ the information posted by a fellow named Bon Quincy at the site below.  It's a walkthrough of how to gut, modify and rewire the front monorail car (and the one immediately behind it) for full remote control using R/C radio equipment used for model planes. 

http://www.mindspring.com/~bobquincy/wdw/monorail/rcmonorail.html 

Again, this modification is involved (major "hacking" of the R/C receiver and servo and then getting both to fit into *very* small spaces), but when added to an upgraded higher speed monrail _you move from this being a toy to a true _ (and impressive) _operating model._ 

Our Christmas guests loved seeing the train leave the switching station after running its loading announcements, followed by the appropriate spiel for the destination (made by the switching station), followed by the train slowing to a stop at the appropriate resort (we have all three - the Poly, Grand Floridian and Contemporary).   Since the audio on the train is timed to repeat every minute or so, you can always have it running just before departing a location, which adds to the realism.


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## 8bit

Hi all.  Just finished digging through my parents attic and I found my old Monorail items from when I was a kid.  Found the Contemporary Resort and a boxed Monorail Attraction connector. Put them on the EBay, as I didn't see any connectors on there at all.  

Not trying to spam it up here (as this place is kinda cool!) mainly I was wondering what something like these would still sell for.  

I saw the list of what was Discontinued, and I heard the Resort is now, is that true?


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## 8bit

posted the Resort too. can't show you,so find it! I love DIsney!!


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## 8bit

forgot,I'm 8bitandbeyond on the Bay.


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## 8bit

OK,what are these worth???
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200571081792
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200571132452

thanks much!!!


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## Reto

Can't comment on how much your items are worth but I saw the Contemporary resort still being sold at WDW back in November 2010. Didn't look on the price tag though since I already own one.


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## CandyMandy

8bit said:


> OK,what are these worth???
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200571081792
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200571132452
> 
> thanks much!!!



The attraction connector is worth more than the hotel, since the latter is still in production and is readily available on eBay (probably the most common accessory currently for sale item if you search for "Disney monorail").  Disney stopped selling the connectors years ago and one doesn't see them up for auction very often on eBay, so it could go up to $100 or more if the right collectors see it.


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## garryc2153

wyattsdaddy2 said:


> First off, nice job S8Film40 on your compilation. The list is very accurate and complete, well done.
> I just have a few "addendums" for lack of a better word, these are a few items we "serious collectors" (now there's an oxymoron for ya!), I used both "serious" and "collectors" when referring to a bunch of 20-60 year old folks like me who collect toys for a hobby! Re-think my life...NAH! I love Disney and I've been out of the closet for years.
> Some items we often use for our DTPR's (going forward this is an acronym for Disney Theme Park Replicas) that I find noteworthy:
> 1) Disney Town Square Playset from Sears in 1988: This is a "must have" for your DTPR. It'll take me too long to detail, but it's basically an entire recreation of Main Street made from mostly heavy gauge cardboard stock and plastic. It's enormous and comes with well over 200 pieces, it takes most people I know the better part of 3 evenings to build. They also released small accessory packs to add on to make your Main Street look more realistic. Available were figurines in packs of about 3-4 figs, some are the "Fab Five", park guests, kids, dads, moms with babies etc. There were lighting kits to illuminate your display, the Christmas Tree on MS, a furniture pack, music box, Horse Trolley and a few more.
> The Town Square MIB (mint in box) complete with sealed bags will run you about $150-$200 on the Bay depending on box condition and guaranteed complete. A strongly worded caution, make 100% certain you are buying a complete set and in mint shape. I know that's a tall order for a 21 year old playset with hundreds of pieces but here's why it's so critical: Many of the pieces are essential to erect this set, any combination of broken or missing items and you'll be stuck with a $200 paperweight. Any real exposure to moisture and the cardboard stock building facades will be warped and you won't be able to clip them in place. Do not buy from someone who says, "it looks complete to me", that's basically code for "it isn't complete" or "I'm too lazy to inventory it". Do not buy a set without the instructions either, that's a guarantee it's not complete (how would they know it's complete without the instructions that have the parts list?) also Frank Lloyd Wright couldn't build this set without blueprints, errr, instructions. If you're really nice and tell me how great I look for my age, I might email you a copy. I've sold a number of these over the years and know it well and I couldn't memorize all the pieces it comes with. Get it in writing "this is a complete set" in case you need to return it. Oh, this is huge and weighs about 12 pounds, the box, ironically is very thin cardboard, much too thin for such weighty contents so MIB is relative, if it isn't badly crushed or torn, it's MIB. A few wrinkles are almost a certainty. You can use this set as your hub for your entire Monorail DTPR and just build the "lands" around it.
> 2) The Main Street Station: Awesome item with over 100 pieces, you'll use this at your entrance and set it up at the front of the Sears Town Square set. It has realistic recorded announcements with the sound of the train coming into the Station and the actual guys voice who does the shtick at the Parks, "The Walter E Disney is now entering on track #2, all aboard!) This one is volatile in regards to price, I've seen them as low as $50 (unusual) and as high as $175, but the average is closer to $75-$110. Depends on how many were available on the Bay at the time.
> 3)Walt Disney World HO Scale Railroad (the Walter E Disney) this was made for the MSS I just described in #2, it's a powered unit and a very handsome replica, and pretty fast too (variable speed) It'll cost you around $140-$175 to win one.
> 4) Splash Mountain from Hasbro: Pretty simple explanation, they never made one for the Mono sets so we adopted this to fill our need. It's a Polly Pocket style playset and really hard to find MIB, expect to pay $75-$100.
> 5) Small World: Same line as the Splash Mt $50-$75 MIB
> 6) Race Car Set: These are slot cars, a replica of the Tomorrowland attraction, very popular with Mono collectors $125-$175
> 7) Test Track: Some use this one as a "Poor Man's" Race Car Set, $40-$70
> 8) Wilderness Playset: This is a Lincoln Logs playset that, once built is a great Wilderness Lodge. Everyone knows about the Contemp, Poly and FL but not many know this, but enough do that make it go for about $125 MIB.
> 9) You missed the Sunwheel ride playset from DCA, ($100-$150) same line as the Zephyr, Triton etc. My favorite DCA ride Mono playset. Also the Epcot Sorcerers Hat Playset ($150-$175).
> 10) Let's not forget the Sleeping Beauty Castle Playset
> 11) Cinderella's Golden Carousel (Polly style too) good for the Carousel behind the Castle ($15)
> 12) Paradise Pier Monorail connector 3 pack: These are the only ones that work with the so-called Mini Monorail as the tracks and support beams are half the size of the standard set and can't be swapped. The full size connectors do not fit on the Mini or Vice Versa. Drives me nuts when sellers conveniently "forget" to mention that when selling these. Buyers think they are getting a 3 pack of connectors that will work with their setups, they don't. Expect to pay $50-$75 still. VHTF.
> I like to use the diecast buses, trucks and fire trucks etc to put near the TTC also.
> That's about it for my "supplemental" Monorail DTPR list. There are some "custom jobs out there worth a look, one guy makes graduating support beams that allow you to make a figure 8 by making one track line pass over another. Another guy installs custom high speed motors that give the Monorails more than double their normal speed, allowing for a much more realistic scale versus speed pairing. I...."ahem", he mentions "why should the Monos run at the scale speed of 5-10 MPH as originally designed when they run much faster at the Parks". The extra speed looks much more in line with how it ought to in your DTPR. He's also very clever and devilishly handsome (chuckle). Give this wonderful hobby that is so much fun for Disney families both young and old to enjoy a try. Feel free to drop me a line if you ever need any suggestions on building your DTPR, I love talking about it with both novice and expert alike. Have a Magical day.



This is very good detail on what's available. I have most of what you list and a few more....
Sears Disneyland playset circa 1988 smaller buildings made of plastic and more tuned to younger children than WDW version

Mickeys house   Not officially a monorail playset

Minnie's house   same deal
Since they have been evicted from WDW due to the expansion of MK I put them with my Disneyland stuff.

Disneyland 50 anniv Castle lights up with different colors

Homemade test track - I took a cookie tin painted it silver and put a Cars playset track around it. The attraction die cast cars fit perfectly inside the track
Epcot fountain I made this from styrofoam rings and a pizza pan. I added water to it using some garden hose and a sump pump in a 5 gal pail underneath

Made the Matterhorn out of 4 cans of spray foam and paint. it has Mickey planting the 50 anniv flag on top

 Every christmas I take over a whole room in my house and build a 10ft x 20ft display with all domestic parks in it. as close to the real layout of each. I have tons of pics but not sure how to add them


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## tcsta

I'm sure someone here can help you with posting pics. I'd love to see them. Maybe there's an FAQ about it or a sticky somewhere to explain it.


----------



## wyattsdaddy2

It's Collectitall41 my friend, 
I'd love to see your work! Sign up for a free photo hosting site like Photobucket, Flickr etc and just post your link here


----------



## CandyMandy

s8film40 said:


> Here's what I know of:
> 
> •Attraction Connector (Dicontinued) - Plugs into attraction and attaches to monorail pylon
> ••Disneyland Mini Monorail (Discontinued) - Same as above but only included the two end cars, a little less track, and no bridge
> 
> I think that covers most of it, I probably left something out or got something wrong so feel free to offer any correction.



Here's a possible and interesting addition.  I have come across what I believe is *a second, different version of the attraction connectors* you mentioned above.  

The one you described is the *standard* one, sized for the WDW monorial sets.  Stock they come included with a modified pylon, one that has a small lip on the side which acts as a footer for the sensor part of the connector (allowing it to sit at just the right height so that a passing train will trip the sensor). 

I now believe there is a _second_ version of this connector that was made specifically to work with the Disneyland mini monorail.  The sensor and timer parts are identical to the standard version, but the cables connecting the timer and sensor sections are shorter (too short to allow the timer unit to sit flush on the floor next to a standard WDW version pylon).    Clearly, these connector units were made to work with a _shorter_ pylon - which I think is what came with the DL mini monrail. 

Interestingly, I have never seen such an attraction connector for sale anywhere (the one I received came in an estate lot, without its packaging or a pylon).


----------



## 2boyzmomma

I am just now starting a collection.  I didn't know about them (I know) until our first family vacation to WDW this past December.  My youngest son, turning 5 in a few weeks, wants the monorail play set for his birthday.  I am a little nutty, and if he's going to have one piece of a collection I want to make sure he has everything else to go with it.  And this collection is amazing!  I love it!  He's going to have to share it with me, no question.

I'm especially excited to get this whole collection for him because he has asked every day if we can go back, if we can live in WDW, and there is no sign of him stopping any time soon!  And, this set is all he's wanted for Christmas and birthday.  That's pretty focused for a 4 year old who likes everything Disney/Pixar.

If anyone has any of the following that they would consider selling, please let me know:

Haunted Mansion
Grand Floridian
TTC
WDW Tree & Light Set
Astro Orbiter Attraction
Dumbo Attraction
Tea Cup Attraction
Main Street Station
Wilderness Play set
Switching Station
Sorcerer's Hat
WDW Sign Set
(I can't remember if they made a Carousel set for the Monorail yet, but if they did please add that as well as any other monorail play sets I may have left off the list).


Thank you!!!


----------



## tcsta

Dang, 2boyz. I wish you would have posted this last week. I just sold a lot of this stuff. I would much rather have had it go to someone here 

I do still have an unboxed Tree of Life, and a Dumbo that does not work. It could possibly be repaired, but it is not mint. Let me know if you're interested, and I can send pics. 

Check sale history on eBay for these items. Don't fall for some of the Buy It Now prices or some of the prices on Craigslist. 

Couple notes (my opinion only)...

-Wilderness Lodge is extremely rare and doesn't look much different than a normal Lincoln Log set. Go with Lincoln Logs and craft your own sign

-The TTC and Switch Station are considered the same thing in terms of monorail toys, unless there's something new I haven't seen yet. Officially it's the Switch Station

-Don't forget to buy Cinderella Castle 

-There is no Carousel playset that I have seen, official monorail toy or otherwise

-Other interesting items not on your list that you might want...Space Mountain and Polynesian Resort. Both are available new, so the price is much lower than some of the rarer pieces (*cough* Grand Floridian & Switch Station *cough*)


----------



## PatMcDuck

Glad I read this thread, I have to dig around my basement and sell some of this stuff.

I know I have a few of the attractions, like astro-orbiter. Are these usable out of the box, or you need one of those attraction connectors to make them work?  I don't know, because I don't think I ever tried to hook them up, just bought them.  I have the first 2 monorails, red and black, Contemporary, Spaceship Earth, and extra track packs.  

It was great fun running them under the tree, but that was the only time I used them.  OT, but I have that talking monorail refrigerator magnet, and I love it.  (still talking on the original battery!)


Edit, never mind, I have the attraction connector, in a separate little box, but my Astro Orbiter might need some TLC, lol.  I love this stuff, may have to keep it after all!


----------



## tcsta

The attractions are usable out of the box. They have an on-off switch on the side toward the bottom. Most are in the shape of a plastic gold Cinderella Castle I believe. The problem is, many of the internals fail quickly. The motors and gears are the best qualtity. I've heard cases where the attractions failed out of the box


----------



## Mindibellcm

Hi.  I have had a couple of these sets sitting in my attic for several years and when we moved back in August, I told my husband I was selling them.  They have been sitting in the corner of my room and I am finally online trying to figure out what they are worth.  I was going to list them on ebay but would rather them go to another Disney fan.  We bought them with the thought of doing a monorail theme in our son's room but we never got that far and as far as I know these have never been out of the box.

I have Dumbo and the Astro Orbiter.  

I also have a few from Paradise Pier set but need to see what they are.  PM if you are interested.  If not I will work on posting on ebay.

Does anyone know where I can find out what they are worth?

Mindi


----------



## PatMcDuck

Mindibellcm said:


> Hi.  I have had a couple of these sets sitting in my attic for several years and when we moved back in August, I told my husband I was selling them.  They have been sitting in the corner of my room and I am finally online trying to figure out what they are worth.  I was going to list them on ebay but would rather them go to another Disney fan.  We bought them with the thought of doing a monorail theme in our son's room but we never got that far and as far as I know these have never been out of the box.
> 
> I have Dumbo and the Astro Orbiter.
> 
> I also have a few from Paradise Pier set but need to see what they are.  PM if you are interested.  If not I will work on posting on ebay.
> 
> Does anyone know where I can find out what they are worth?
> 
> Mindi



I think the only place to see what they are worth, is past Ebay sales.  They are only "worth" what people will pay for them, of course.  If they are really worth a lot, the auction will go up. But I would not list it low, in case not enough people see it.  (People looking for stuff like this, usually get notified as soon as a matching item is listed).  Just watch your keywords!  

 I may list mine, I thought I had Dumbo, but I don't see it in my basement.  I will have to test the Astro-Orbitor, and that connection thing, and even the monorails.  And put the other stuff together, to make sure everything is in order.  (Sounds like fun!)


----------



## HPCrazy

I'm so happy there is a topic for this! I've been a collector of the monorail items since 2003 in which I've purchased my very first monorail playset when we stayed at the Contemporary. Since then, I've been hooked and now have the following in my collection:

-H-O scale Main Street Station (retired)
-Contemporary Resort model
-Polynesian Resort model
-Disney Resort sign set (retired)
-Monorail yellow (my first set, no longer works and since retired)
-Monorail black
-Monorail blue (my first set with the removable roofs and the small characters)
-Walt Disney's Caroline Pacific (H-O scale train set replica of Walt's personal train)
-Miniature WDW Parking Tram set

I'm also hoping to maybe dive in and purchase the Sleeping Beauty's Castle playset from the Disney Store since it pretty much looks like the Anaheim castle. I'm not too impressed with the Cinderella Castle playset as it doesn't look entirely like the actual building. I hope they also bring back some of the other retired playsets as they have shown me it's possible with the reintroduction of the Polynesian. I'm "hoping" they'll bring back the Grand Floridian so I can also add that to my monorail line.

Here are some pics of my Christmas display from 2012 featuring most of my items with the exception of Monorail yellow:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3084316


----------



## 94princesscnh

I also love to collect. I have test track, space mountain, Main Street and a bunch of other things really I jut need gf and some of the rides. I think Disney is probably going to bring them back slowly one at a time. Since they just brought out the Polynesian at Christmas time.


----------



## HPCrazy

I definitely hope you're right about that. I'd love to have the Grand Floridian to "complete" my monorail line but I'm just not willing to pay eBay prices to snatch one up. I also wish they'd bring back some of the other items like the original Spaceship Earth, Astro Orbitor, Dumbo, H-O train, etc.


----------



## 94princesscnh

Well they do have space mountain now. You can buy it online at the Disney store. I really hope they bring all of those back to because those are the ones I need to complete my set.


----------



## Borishack

The one other accessory no one seems to have mentioned is the 1990s issued Disney HO scale Test track race set that was sourced by Lifelike.  It is relatively rare (does not show up on ebay very often).   Has two cars that are close to the originals, as well as accessories (hot/cold tunnel, lots of signage).   Interestingly, one can scour the scores of videos on youtube of elaborate Disney monorail playset displays but you will never see one employing this set.


----------



## AdamSC

We just got back from a holiday trip to the WDW 

On Saturday, I pulled an old monorail set out of the basement and set it up (I have the black monorail and the switching station, but not enough track to make it too fun..)

The girls (7 and 12) loved it!

I went looking for new pieces and found the ridiculous prices on eBay (sometimes 3 times retail - same item on sale at the Disney store) 

Bought a couple of items from the Disney store.

If anyone is interested in selling some pieces, I am willing to buy.  I am not really a collector, I just want them to set them up and play with my kids.  So it is not important that they are perfect or in the box, just playable.  PM me if you are interested.


----------



## AdamSC

AdamSC said:
			
		

> We just got back from a holiday trip to the WDW&#133;
> 
> On Saturday, I pulled an old monorail set out of the basement and set it up (I have the black monorail and the switching station, but not enough track to make it too fun..)
> 
> The girls (7 and 12) loved it!
> 
> I went looking for new pieces and found the ridiculous prices on eBay (sometimes 3 times retail - same item on sale at the Disney store)
> 
> Bought a couple of items from the Disney store.
> 
> If anyone is interested in selling some pieces, I am willing to buy.  I am not really a collector, I just want them to set them up and play with my kids.  So it is not important that they are perfect or in the box, just playable.  PM me if you are interested.



Tcsta- tried to respond to your pm, but my post count is to low and it won't let me send.   Sorry


----------



## tcsta

Adam - Check your PM's


----------



## tigger1968

Does anyone have a list of the different color trains that have been issued so far?  I had bought several a few years ago, and recently my love of Monorails has been rekindled and I am in a collecting mode again.  I just can't seem to find a list of what color trains have been issued so far.  

Thanks so much!


----------



## boBQuincy

I remember red was the original.  After that was:
yellow
orange
blue
black
silver, not necessarily in that order.

There was also the Disneyland/California Adventure set which I think was blue?

The original red set did not have opening doors, that came later but I don't recall with which models.  Radio control (but not a good one) is the most recent version afaik.

Modifications I have seen include higher speed, radio control (hobby grade, full proportional), and Monorail Silver's incredible fully automated conversion!


----------



## shannon006

I am looking for any information on the original Spaceship Earth. How is it ? I know the monorail drives under it as opposed to the current version available. Does the original come with any accessories?


----------



## 386chad

boBQuincy said:


> Modifications I have seen include higher speed, radio control (hobby grade, full proportional), and *Monorail Silver's incredible fully automated conversion!*



You are right about the Monorail Silver mod.  Michael Andrews is the one behind it.  I did a series of posts on my blog no one reads that shows some of the assembly process.  It is mylazyafternoon dot com.  The latest post has a video that shows off some of what the system can do.  

Does anyone know why you can't find the WDW playsets on Disneystore.com anymore?


----------



## 386chad

shannon006 said:


> I am looking for any information on the original Spaceship Earth. How is it ? I know the monorail drives under it as opposed to the current version available. Does the original come with any accessories?



I have the original Spaceship Earth in the video from my earlier post.  Sorry, I'm new so it won't let me post direct links.  Take a look and see if you have any questions.  

Yes, the monorail drives under it as you can see in the video.  It comes with 2 pieces of straight track.  It's pretty awesome as far as I'm concerned.  I don't like how the new one looks sorta janky the way it folds apart, plus the monorail playset doesn't integrate with it at all, drive under it, etc.  I do not own that one though.


----------



## boBQuincy

386chad said:


> You are right about the Monorail Silver mod.  Michael Andrews is the one behind it.  I did a series of posts on my blog no one reads that shows some of the assembly process.  It is mylazyafternoon dot com.  The latest post has a video that shows off some of what the system can do.



Impressive monorail system on your blog!  Your workbench looks like mine (only neater).  Unfortunately it appears MonorailSilver is no longer in business.  I understand, the monorail business is tough!  When I sold my first N scale monorail it seems I had saturated the world market!  
My latest project addresses what I consider the worst feature of the monorail, the gearbox and drive system.  I am replacing these with a completely new design that is smooth and quiet!  It also drives the monorail like the real one, with a wheel/tire that rides on top of the beam.  The monorail includes state of the art RC, a tiny 2.4 GHz Deltang receiver.  

Watch for it late next week!


----------



## 386chad

boBQuincy said:


> Impressive monorail system on your blog!  Your workbench looks like mine (only neater).  Unfortunately it appears MonorailSilver is no longer in business.  I understand, the monorail business is tough!  When I sold my first N scale monorail it seems I had saturated the world market!
> My latest project addresses what I consider the worst feature of the monorail, the gearbox and drive system.  I am replacing these with a completely new design that is smooth and quiet!  It also drives the monorail like the real one, with a wheel/tire that rides on top of the beam.  The monorail includes state of the art RC, a tiny 2.4 GHz Deltang receiver.
> 
> Watch for it late next week!



Amen on those little transmissions, they are abysmal.  Mike was nice enough to give me several replacements for the rubber tread for the guide wheels, so I should be ok for a few years.  

I spent so much time on this system (learning to solder, etc) that I need it to last a little while.

I love your idea for the on top drive wheel.  Wow.  

You have my interest, sir.


----------



## 386chad

That is a really clean design.  Looks great.


----------



## ILoveDisneyWorld2015

s8film40 said:


> Here's what I know of:
> 
> WDW
> •Monorail - They have released about 10 colors by now I think and two different versions the newer one has opening doors
> •Straight Track - pack of 4
> •Curved Track - pack of 4
> •Contemporary Hotel
> •Spaceship Earth (Discontinued) - This is the original one that the monorail went underneath spaceship earth.
> •Disneyana "Silver" Monorail - Very limited edition special packaging and the whole thing is colored silver
> •Disneyana "Silver" Contemporary - Same as above
> •Disneyana "Silver" Spaceship Earth - Same as above
> •TTC Switching Station (Discontinued) - Has three switches at each end to create three separate loops themed to TTC
> •Polynesian Hotel (Dicontinued) - Includes a great ceremonial house and station (If you by two of these and put the station parts end to end it creates a station that is the correct length of the train)
> •Grand Floridian Hotel (Discontinued) - The grand Floridian station
> •Cinderella Castle Playset
> •WDW Sign Set (Discontinued) - includes WDW Main Entrance sign(lights up), WDW directional road sign, Contemporary sign, Polynesian sign, and Grand Floridian sign(lights up)
> •WDW Tree and Light set (Discontinued) - Includes Main Street Light(lights up), tomorrowland metallic palm tree, and Contemporary "Dixie Cup" style tree
> •Astro Orbiter Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
> •Dumbo Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
> •Tea Cup Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
> •Attraction Connector (Dicontinued) - Plugs into attraction and attaches to monorail pylon
> •WDW Haunted Mansion (Discontinued) - No attraction connection
> •New Spaceship Earth - More of a standalone playset
> •Tree of Life Playset (Discontinued) - Really has nothing to do with monorail but is packaged in monorail packaging
> 
> Disneyland
> •Disneyland Monorail (Discontinued) - An accurate model of the Mark V monorail, this was the most detailed monorail two right down to the doors, rearview mirrors, and escape hatches and includes the Golden Gate Bridge
> •Disneyland Mini Monorail (Discontinued) - Same as above but only included the two end cars, a little less track, and no bridge
> •DCA Orange Stinger (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
> •DCA Golden Zephyr (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
> •DCA King Tritons Carousel (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
> •DCA California Screamin (Discontinued) - A real pain to put together but really big once its done with either orange or purple cars
> •WDW Monorail sold as Disneyland monorail - Just a different package for the WDW one
> •Disneyland Haunted Mansion (Discontinued) - Same as WDW version but modeled after Disneyland's Haunted Mansion
> 
> I think that covers most of it, I probably left something out or got something wrong so feel free to offer any correction.


Nice Job with your list! It is really accurate.


----------



## caremedic

I saw the list of Monorail Playsets and am wondering if there any updates to colors of the monorails? or playsets? I am wondering if they have colors like peach or pink? I found lime and possibly coral on ebay.  The list is thorough but a few years old. Anyone??


----------



## boBQuincy

ILoveDisneyWorld2015 said:


> Nice Job with your list! It is really accurate.



In case no one else listed them:
the two Disneyland monorail sets with remote control and opening doors (one side only);
the (sort of) N scale $5 pull-back spring powered model, monorail red only;

The Disneyland sets appear similar to the WDW models but inside almost everything is different.


----------



## Toddtt

CandyMandy said:


> We have one of these and it is arguably the best accessory to the Monorail playset -it lets you move the monorail between up to three different track loops and has six different announcements that can be set to run by specific track (one for each of the three monorail resorts as well as two for the MK and one for Epcot.)  All this adds a significant amount of "play value" to a running setup.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> However, there are issues with the station.  The first is a design problem with the track switching mechanism that often causes it to jam.  The second is the announcement audio level being very weak because of the cheap, tiny speaker the station uses.
> 
> It took him several hours, but my husband took care of the jamming issue by adding plastic "tables" to each side of the switching pole system that is inside each side of the station.  That keeps the "feet" of that mechanism from sliding off the pieces they move on, which is what causes the jamming issue.
> 
> The audio problem was easier to deal with, he simply cut the wires going to the original speaker and attached them to a larger, higher quality one.  He somehow managed to squeeze a three inch long speaker (scavenged from an old radio) into an open interior space near the middle section of the station, facing down through the bottom via a hole he cut in the floor.   Nice approach, _much_ better sound but you can’t see the change.  He also added some sort of high level to low level circuit to the audio system, which is connected to a stereo headphone jack installed under the station controls.  That allows the station to be connected to outside amp/speakers if we ever want/need to do that.
> 
> If anyone is interested in more details on these upgrades, let me know and I'll see it I can get him to open up the station again and take some pictures of the changes he made.


----------



## Toddtt

We are having the sames issue with the switch station can you share the pictures and instructions on how to fix it


----------



## rshannie

wyattsdaddy2 said:


> It's Collectitall41 my friend,
> I'd love to see your work! Sign up for a free photo hosting site like Photobucket, Flickr etc and just post your link here




Hi, I know this is a long shot, but would you still have a copy of the town square set up instructions.   I saw one of your earlier posts from years ago.  If not, do you have any idea where I can find the instructions?  Thank you!  rshannie


----------



## disney55

s8film40 said:


> Blue has also been released it was the first of the series with opening doors. So I guess that would leave Pink, Lime, and Coral to be made. Pink will probably be a huge hit but I doubt they will ever make lime and coral and even if they do they won't get it right.


We bought the set in 2008 and it is lime green with doors that open


----------



## Eric mercer

I want to build a mini monorail system.  This weekend I found at Disney Spirngs (not yet purchased) the blue and orange stripe, Contemporary, WDW Castle, and Spaceship Earth.  What are things to watch our for?


----------



## boBQuincy

Eric mercer said:


> I want to build a mini monorail system.  This weekend I found at Disney Spirngs (not yet purchased) the blue and orange stripe, Contemporary, WDW Castle, and Spaceship Earth.  What are things to watch our for?



Here is some information:  http://monorail.suzieandbob.com/ho.html


----------



## DClatt

s8film40 said:


> Here's what I know of:
> 
> WDW
> •Monorail - They have released about 10 colors by now I think and two different versions the newer one has opening doors
> •Straight Track - pack of 4
> •Curved Track - pack of 4
> •Contemporary Hotel
> •Spaceship Earth (Discontinued) - This is the original one that the monorail went underneath spaceship earth.
> •Disneyana "Silver" Monorail - Very limited edition special packaging and the whole thing is colored silver
> •Disneyana "Silver" Contemporary - Same as above
> •Disneyana "Silver" Spaceship Earth - Same as above
> •TTC Switching Station (Discontinued) - Has three switches at each end to create three separate loops themed to TTC
> •Polynesian Hotel (Dicontinued) - Includes a great ceremonial house and station (If you by two of these and put the station parts end to end it creates a station that is the correct length of the train)
> •Grand Floridian Hotel (Discontinued) - The grand Floridian station
> •Cinderella Castle Playset
> •WDW Sign Set (Discontinued) - includes WDW Main Entrance sign(lights up), WDW directional road sign, Contemporary sign, Polynesian sign, and Grand Floridian sign(lights up)
> •WDW Tree and Light set (Discontinued) - Includes Main Street Light(lights up), tomorrowland metallic palm tree, and Contemporary "Dixie Cup" style tree
> •Astro Orbiter Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
> •Dumbo Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
> •Tea Cup Attracion (Dicontinued) - Includes two disney characters and can be activated by the monorail with seperately sold attraction connector
> •Attraction Connector (Dicontinued) - Plugs into attraction and attaches to monorail pylon
> •WDW Haunted Mansion (Discontinued) - No attraction connection
> •New Spaceship Earth - More of a standalone playset
> •Tree of Life Playset (Discontinued) - Really has nothing to do with monorail but is packaged in monorail packaging
> 
> Disneyland
> •Disneyland Monorail (Discontinued) - An accurate model of the Mark V monorail, this was the most detailed monorail two right down to the doors, rearview mirrors, and escape hatches and includes the Golden Gate Bridge
> •Disneyland Mini Monorail (Discontinued) - Same as above but only included the two end cars, a little less track, and no bridge
> •DCA Orange Stinger (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
> •DCA Golden Zephyr (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
> •DCA King Tritons Carousel (Discontinued) - Works with attraction connector
> •DCA California Screamin (Discontinued) - A real pain to put together but really big once its done with either orange or purple cars
> •WDW Monorail sold as Disneyland monorail - Just a different package for the WDW one
> •Disneyland Haunted Mansion (Discontinued) - Same as WDW version but modeled after Disneyland's Haunted Mansion
> 
> I think that covers most of it, I probably left something out or got something wrong so feel free to offer any correction.



I know I'm necro'ing a super duper old topic but I was just wondering if you had any pics or more information on this Disneyana all silver limited monorail playset? I can't find a lead anywhere. Thanks!


----------



## Dsnyguy75

Okay, so here's what I have for colors at this point.

Black
Gold
Yellow
Lime
Blue
Orange
Red
Purple
Silver 

I do know there is a 25th Anniversary Silver Body Model (Disneyana Version)

There is also
Mark VII models from DL
Orange
Red
Blue

Does anyone have any colors that I'm not aware of?  I have slowly been collecting these over the last 10 years.


----------



## boBQuincy

Is the DL Mark VII Blue out yet (I want one)?  There were also models of the DL Mark V Blue, maybe other colors.



Dsnyguy75 said:


> Okay, so here's what I have for colors at this point.
> 
> Black
> Gold
> Yellow
> Lime
> Blue
> Orange
> Red
> Purple
> Silver
> 
> I do know there is a 25th Anniversary Silver Body Model (Disneyana Version)
> 
> There is also
> Mark VII models from DL
> Orange
> Red
> Blue
> 
> Does anyone have any colors that I'm not aware of?  I have slowly been collecting these over the last 10 years.


----------



## DClatt

Does anyone have any more information about theach Silver Disneyana monorail set? I can't even find a picture online haha I've been trying to hunt one down.


----------



## MagicEarsTyler14

Hello all,
I believe the Silver monorail that you are refering to is not an actual full 5 car monorail playset but a different smaller one, which is still awesome.

After searching the web it appers this forum and this thread have the "most" monorailing going on. I have been to monorail society but the disney monorails are my favorite.

I have built a DL and WDW models to display the monorails on after seeing what Kim Pederson had made. If you havent seen his DL Mark5 display you really should check it out. It really is awesome and it is true that the DL Mark5 was only in the Blue stripe and has amazing detail for a toy. It seems like it was more pricey to built the Mark5 with all the detail so they scrapped them for the WDW style trains which most dont notice or care. 

I too have the TTC switch station that is prone to jamming or getting stuck. What happens is the sliding or switching part will slide off its area and be stuck. Once you see the problem you can add a little piece, I used plastic, to block the piece from going too far. Good luck

I will be posting some of my stuff maybe on youtube or here. I have 2 of the DL monorails with Golden gate bridge, a monorail purple that I added an extra car to make a 6 car train. I also have the red stripe and 2 green stripes. I also have some straight track packs, and of course the TTC. Well have a magical day all!!!


----------



## boBQuincy

If the silver monorail does not exist, all is not lost.  I just spoke with the owner of a plating shop and they can "chrome plate" (actually vacuum metalize) the monorail for about $125.  This is the same process used to plate model car chrome parts so it would look a lot like chrome.  It is a complete plating process so the stripes/windows would be plated too, the windows could be painted black/grey afterwards.

Who wants to be the first with a "chrome" monorail?


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## MagicEarsTyler14

This could be the Silver special edition monorail that you were refering to. If it is this one, it is a bit smaller and only 4 cars so a bit different then the standard monorail playset.


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## DClatt

boBQuincy said:


> If the silver monorail does not exist, all is not lost.  I just spoke with the owner of a plating shop and they can "chrome plate" (actually vacuum metalize) the monorail for about $125.  This is the same process used to plate model car chrome parts so it would look a lot like chrome.  It is a complete plating process so the stripes/windows would be plated too, the windows could be painted black/grey afterwards.
> 
> Who wants to be the first with a "chrome" monorail?



haha thanks for the advice! But I'm more into "shiny" things in the sense of the words "limited edition" or such haha. In other words I'm a sucker for limited and special editions things. So when I read about this mythical all-silver edition monorail I got excited and haven't stopped my search since. Sadly I still lack any substantial evidence of it's existence.


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## boBQuincy

This has taken a long time (and still has one revision to go), Disney changed almost every dimension from the WDW model to the Disneyland Mark VII.  Even though the WhisperJet chassis looks the same as the WDW version it is almost entirely different with many hours of design time.  And it works!  I doubt anyone has seen a Mark VII model run like this:





Here is the WJ chassis in the Mark VII shell:









Work still to be done: the large pulley slightly contacts the battery box.  I ground away some of the battery box for my test model but for "production" the next design has the pulley moved further away from the battery box to eliminate contact.
The two side rollers are different materials, testing will show which is better but I think the softer one reduces noise.

My Mark VII rear cab had a lot of drag, one of the side roller supports was molded incorrectly and allows the roller to flop around and drag on the beam.


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## boBQuincy

Two items I am testing that may be of some interest: an autonomous monorail that runs to the end of the beam, slows down, stops, plays a message, then accelerates in reverse to the other end of the beam... repeat.  This opens up possibilities for an "out and back" layout.






Next, continuous (up to 12') beam pieces that can be curved to various radii.  The smoothness and quiet makes a big difference from the original beam pieces.


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## HMANSION LOVER

If you want to see really cool monorail sets from the 1960's, that's right the 1960's google schuco Disneyland monorail sets. Vintage and very expensive but really really cool. You can also google youtube video of people showing of their monorail layouts. No buildings but really nice vintage monorail stuff.


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## ragrubbs

I know we are Super late to the monorail game? But we bought one last yet for christmas.wehave added the contemporary and spaceship earth and Extra characters.  I know I saw the tree of life and space mountain not too long ago at disney, but not seeing now.  Are those retired now too?  Are they releasing any other pieces, or am I completely at the mercy of ebay.


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## boBQuincy

eBay is probably your only source for the discontinued models.  There is a nice paper model of Space Mountain at:  http://www.disneyexperience.com/models/spacemountain77_model.php


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## boBQuincy

I posted information on how to install an auxiliary motor control circuit board in the Disneyland Mark VII to enable an upgraded motor.  For those that don't know the Mark VII remote can not provide much more power than the stock (slow) motor takes.  This upgrade keeps the original remote and all functions.

http://monorail.suzieandbob.com/dl_motor_upgrade.html


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## DClatt

boBQuincy said:


> I posted information on how to install an auxiliary motor control circuit board in the Disneyland Mark VII to enable an upgraded motor.  For those that don't know the Mark VII remote can not provide much more power than the stock (slow) motor takes.  This upgrade keeps the original remote and all functions.
> 
> http://monorail.suzieandbob.com/dl_motor_upgrade.html



Thanks for the upgrade info! This is something I've been considering doing for a while but I didn't really know good resources to find different modding options


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## Onizukachan

Very late to the party, but I hadn’t seen anyone modding the actual playsets as opposed to the monorails.
Got my Spaceship Earth, and fiancées Contemporary and monorail (orange) new from shopDisney the other day. So I started this within about 10 minutes of opening the packaging.
Not sure if I should open a new thread? If so please move, mods.











I also started modding the Contemporary by adding actual windows and will be adding a 4th floor “concourse” and windows to it, and possibly a small speaker to play Disney Christmas music loops when it is under the tree. The LEDs for it haven’t arrived yet, so all I have is a test with some LEDs I had laying around. 

https://instagram.com/p/Bf5hUWcjUwA/

Really liked monorailsilvers mods, and love Bobs whisper drive and automation work. Thanks.
That’s what inspired me to finally get one after all these years.


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## boBQuincy

Nice lighting effects on your Spaceship Earth!
The"All Scales Theme park/Disney Train Layouts" on Facebook has some members who put a lot into their structures, including lighting.


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## Flayre

This addiction is real. LOL  Just got three more trains - 2 of the Lime and 1 of the newer DL Mark VII sets (finally back on the Shop store).  The first Monorail Lime arrived yesterday and totally discolored which was a let down, but I guess somewhat expected. Found another set without a lot of discoloration issues - so might have to see what I can come up with between the two. Might need to move the set to the basement eventually and setup an actual area for the lines to run and what not. I'm running out of floor space in the spare room. So far I have Blue (current), Black, Red, and Yellow in addition to the 3 other trains. 

Any have any experience in trying to lighten the plastic back to white? Heck at this point it might just be easier to take it to my family's body shop and repaint the thing. 

I think I'm going to definitely try to do a light and/or motor replacement on one of these to try it out and see if I can do it without screwing things up too badly.


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## Onizukachan

There is a mixture that Macintosh user use to lighten their yellowed cases back to light beige. Hydrogen peroxide and oxyclean, then leave in the sun. The UV rays and solution react to safely bleach it back.
However I don’t know if it would remove the windows and other painted on details. I can tell you 91% alcohol will absolutely dissolve them, because I used it and q tips to clean up where the factory had gone beyond the lines.

You can always spray it metallic blue and do a TRONorail...

That’s my next project.

Don’t fear the light mod. Very easy. 
I haven’t done the motor mod, but I’ve had mine apart a bunch modding other stuff, so my new motor is still sitting there waiting for everything else to go in. Not going to be hard either.


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## boBQuincy

Pulling the gear off the old motor is best done with a gear puller but since we probably are not going to use the motor again the gear puller is not necessary.  Pressing the gear on the new motor we should press against the shaft on the rear of the motor to avoid putting pressure on the commutator (on the shaft inside the motor, made of plastic).


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## Flayre

Well I think I'm almost there when it comes to getting each color that was made. So far have Blue (new), DLP Mark VII (new), Red, Yellow, Black, Lime, Silver, Teal, Purple, and Green.  It is crazy how much some of these variants go for, but I've been able to make deals on most of them. 

Anyone have an extra connecting accordion pieces by chance? I've been scouring eBay for them, but no one seems to sell extras or part these out that much.


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## Onizukachan

I saw some on eBay a week ago, decided not to get them as spares, and a couple days later someone else snagged them. I’ve seen several “part outs” where they disassemble the cabs or cars and sell them by pieces, and often include the accodions in the selections, though not explicitly detailed in the listing.


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## Andrew Bradley

Hello, everyone! I recently got into collecting monorails (both the diecast and plastic versions) and I would like to collect all color variations. So if anyone has any they would like to sell, that is still "new in original box" please let me know! Thank you


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## Flayre

Andrew Bradley said:


> Hello, everyone! I recently got into collecting monorails (both the diecast and plastic versions) and I would like to collect all color variations. So if anyone has any they would like to sell, that is still "new in original box" please let me know! Thank you



I've continues to try to collect all the plastic ones and I'll say - it is tough find any new in box. You also have to be careful to not get taken for a ride on the price. Some people overvalue these models so much that it is insane. The craziest I've seen so far is the Disneyland Mark VII going for over $300, when you can buy it new for $80 (when it is available).


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## Andrew Bradley

Flayre said:


> I've continues to try to collect all the plastic ones and I'll say - it is tough find any new in box. You also have to be careful to not get taken for a ride on the price. Some people overvalue these models so much that it is insane. The craziest I've seen so far is the Disneyland Mark VII going for over $300, when you can buy it new for $80 (when it is available).



Yeah I've noticed that most have been played with or have been put on display, and some even yellowing. But I have been fortunate to find and buy the black, yellow, orange, red, and blue monorails as well as the current orange Disneyland monorail.


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## boBQuincy

I have bought some with the yellowing issue and even seen discoloration on the beam pieces.  On one the battery cover was not yellowed but the monorail shell was, different plastic?  And yeah, prices are all over the place, "rare, limited edition, hard to find...".


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## tessiesevin

Does any one know why they no longer carrying any of the accessories in the parks? Starting very late in the game. Ebay has some retired sets going for 500.00 a piece. I don't know if it's worth it.


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## Flayre

I've been eyeing some of the retired sets, but I just can't justify spending that much money for sets that were probably $50 originally and are nothing more than a few panels of plastic snapped together. Be careful with some items like the AK Tree. Some will claim it is discontinued and not available, but they are still in the parks to purchase (sometimes on the app as well).


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## boBQuincy

At some point it will be cost-effective to 3D print some of these retired buildings.  Another good option is the paper models with some 3D printed details (like the wrought iron railings on Main St. Station).


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## Onizukachan

boBQuincy said:


> At some point it will be cost-effective to 3D print some of these retired buildings.  Another good option is the paper models with some 3D printed details (like the wrought iron railings on Main St. Station).


As simple a structure as the Poly is, I certainly hope some one will repop it. 

For those not on the Facebook group, here is a video my son shot of Orange running with the upgrade lighting, motor, and upgraded rear cab audio (triggered by magnets inside the beam). 
I then went *really* nuts on the buildings.


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## Onizukachan

BTW bob, I don’t remember if I ever asked... do you have a Contemporary? 

I’m also hoping someone will make 3D files available for the actual Epcot station.


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## boBQuincy

Onizukachan said:


> As simple a structure as the Poly is, I certainly hope some one will repop it.
> 
> For those not on the Facebook group, here is a video my son shot of Orange running with the upgrade lighting, motor, and upgraded rear cab audio (triggered by magnets inside the beam).
> I then went *really* nuts on the buildings.



*That's* the monorail set that Disney should have made!  Fortunately Disney sells us the basics so we can make it good.  Great work!


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## boBQuincy

Onizukachan said:


> BTW bob, I don’t remember if I ever asked... do you have a Contemporary?
> 
> I’m also hoping someone will make 3D files available for the actual Epcot station.



I have a Contemporary that I plan to use for my N scale monorails, two beams alongside each other like the real one.


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## Onizukachan

I said I went nuts on the build_ings. This is how nuts I went. 





_


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## monica9

Oh my goodness. This is the problem. I read all of this and realized there is so much more out there than the monorail set. I know if I bought the monorail I will want all of the rest! I didn't realize there was a whole underground Disney play set world out there!


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## boBQuincy

@I know if I bought the monorail I will want all of the rest!@

Buy it!  And then we will show you the true power of the dark side (and accessories)!     Such as:


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## edmocon2112

I have never posted on this board.  About 12 years ago I got the bug and collected every one of these toys including the rare disneyana black box monorail, epcot and contemporary, all the main street pieces including christmas tree, all the hasboro additional pieces, trains big and small, all the disneyland and wdw pieces, the haunted mansion big fig, and the (my favorite fantasyland big fig), and the rarest of all prototype of Disneyland ho upgraded railroad used to pitch the idea to disney including a mocked up box and a second set.  When I purchased the railroad it was the only one in existence.  Don't know if someone else has done one but this is the original.  Very detailed and beautiful much more than original one even though that one was nice.  Had purchased everything to set up a very large room for grandchildren.  Have one grandson and the father has banned him from seeing our family so all of these remain in attic and have never even been opened.  Good luck with all your collecting, but enjoy them now and share and let the little ones play with them even if they are expensive to purchase.  The true value is seeing the little faces light up enjoying these.


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## monica9

edmocon2112 said:


> I have never posted on this board.  About 12 years ago I got the bug and collected every one of these toys including the rare disneyana black box monorail, epcot and contemporary, all the main street pieces including christmas tree, all the hasboro additional pieces, trains big and small, all the disneyland and wdw pieces, the haunted mansion big fig, and the (my favorite fantasyland big fig), and the rarest of all prototype of Disneyland ho upgraded railroad used to pitch the idea to disney including a mocked up box and a second set.  When I purchased the railroad it was the only one in existence.  Don't know if someone else has done one but this is the original.  Very detailed and beautiful much more than original one even though that one was nice.  Had purchased everything to set up a very large room for grandchildren.  Have one grandson and the father has banned him from seeing our family so all of these remain in attic and have never even been opened.  Good luck with all your collecting, but enjoy them now and share and let the little ones play with them even if they are expensive to purchase.  The true value is seeing the little faces light up enjoying these.


Wow ! Have you ever thought of selling them? So sad that you can’t see your grandson. Heart wrenching


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## jilldw

Onizukachan said:


> I said I went nuts on the build_ings. This is how nuts I went.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _


I have to ask how did you do the inside of the Contemporary? Did you make a false floor? and the carpet is great! what size figures are those?


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## edmocon2112

I had thought of selling but I have enough stuff to fill a large passenger van, not just a mini van.  By the way great job on your contemporary, my favorite is the home made diy stuff.  I had bought a roller coaster and was going to build a paper mache' matterhorn, but border line obsessive.  Fun hobby and meet lots of terrific people.  Had a trading partner in Florida and I am on the west coast.  Don't know which of us was worse or if equal.  About 10 years ago it sure was fun collecting though.


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## OnThisMagicNight

My 4 year old is a monorail enthusiast....seriously.  We have custom monorail sheets for his bed, monorail artwork on the walls and the monorail itself takes up the majority of his bedroom floor.  He has two monorails (blue and orange), the Contemporary, the Grand Floridian, the Ticket and Transportation Center and Spaceship Earth.  For Christmas this year, he's asked Santa for the Polynesian … I very casually mentioned that the Polynesian isn't sold anymore so it might be really hard for Santa to find it.  He said "That's okay, Santa's elves will make a new one. They can make any toy!"  He has his heart dead set on getting this thing and I'm striking out on eBay!  The last new one that was sold on eBay was within my price range and I missed it because I was in the middle of a conference call with my manager at work and wasn't quick enough.  Does anyone know of any other forum or other resource for monorail collectors where I could see if someone had an extra they'd be willing to sell?  Currently, there's one on eBay that is bundled with a monorail, Contemporary, Spaceship earth and a box of extra track, all in used condition - the seller is asking for $6k (!!!)  I've already tried reaching out and asking if they'd be willing to sell me just the Poly and the answer was no, they don't want to separate the items.  I'm resigned to spending about $325, but it needs to be in useable condition because he does actually play with them.


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## boBQuincy

There is a Facebook group for Disney Inspired Models and Prototypes that may know where you can find one.  Blame Disney, for copyrighting the Polynesian so Santa's elves can't make a copy?


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## diztodd

DClatt said:


> Does anyone have any more information about theach Silver Disneyana monorail set? I can't even find a picture online haha I've been trying to hunt one down.



the silver with red stripe Disneyana monorail does exist. I have it along with the LE silver and red Spaceship Earth and Contemporary. The monorail is LE of 250 and unfortunately the red stripe paint has started to chip over the years. I am having trouble uploading the pics


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