Airport People Movers
 

There's a thread going on about those people who like to hang out in airports. One of the things that I often do when I do have longer layovers is to explore the different people movers some airports have installed. Airports like Denver, Atlanta, and Orlando have the bombardier rubber tired trams. Minneapolis has the cable drawn tram. Are there any other transit system junkies out there?

i'm not a transit junkie, but miami has a tram. dfw and fra have some form of tram. a number of the airports have moving sidewalks that are seriously long. more interesting to me are the italian articulated busses. some hold maybe 100-150 standing passengers. iad and cdg have people movers that are bus like devices that are able to raise 20 or 30 feet to dispense passengers.

I'm not really a transit junkie either, but if I have a long layover at an airport, I'll hop on whatever transit there is to explore the airport. Last time I did this was in SEA. I rode all their trains for nearly an hour (and even ended up giving directions to other folks, even though it was only my second time at that airport).

I'm a transit junkie, but I'm not a big fan of "fake" peoplemovers.
ATL, DEN, SFO, JFK and others are "real" peoplemovers.

DTW, MSP have "fake" ones.

does anyone find the Airtrain at EWR to be comically undersized? each "car" fits maybe 4 people.

Way back when, I worked for Westinghouse Transportation Systems, that became AEG, Adtranz, and now Bombarder, building the C-100 cars that run in many of the airports - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_CX-100

I worked on the Automatic Train Control (ATC) systems that managed the propulsion and safety systems (Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Las Vegas and others). I still enjoy hopping on them and feeling/watching the various sensors, propulsion system settings, etc. operating. Every once in a while someone in PIT has the control panel open (the "seat" at the end of the car - the electronics are under there) and I look in and have discussions on what has evolved over the 15 years since I was involved.

Rode this twice in the last three weeks. Who every thought THAT was a good design?!?! :confused:

I remember having to take the DFW mover years ago. It seemed like the longest trip I have taken at an airport without getting on a plane. :td:

Just curious...what's the difference between a "real" and a "fake" peoplemover?

Another to add to the list: ORD.

Of course, ORD's is landside, but it is the only way to make an int'l to domestic connection (aside from hailing a cab, obviously).

The train at EWR is a joke, particularly at peak times. At JFK, during the middle of the busy day the interterminal train just shuts down forcing crowding on the trains that go from Howard Beach/Jamaica to the terminals. Leave up to the Port Authority to come up with these two designs/systems. Still, a much better way to get to those two airports than sitting in traffic paying for a cab/car service, particularly from NYC to EWR.

While the terminals at DFW seem like miles apart, IMHO it is one of the best domestic airport train systems.

The "nearly new" people mover at DFW offers a clear, quick shot to every gate at the airport along with outstanding views of the terminals and the a/c (and access to the two "on campus" hotels, a major move forward over the old tram (and inside security to boot).

Fake = Shuttle service vs. real=continuous operation metro-type service.

The DTW and MSP people movers are cable drawn. Kind of like a aerial tramway that rides on tracks. It you look out the front you see the cable which pulls the car along. The cars are always spaced that same distance apart. The people movers in many other airports are driven by electric motors in the vehicles themselves. They ride on rubber wheels that run along concrete beams. They are automated to stop and go at precise points, but other than that the computer control system can control when they depart. I am sure CPRich could give a better explanation than me.

I did forget about the IAD shuttles, however. Been a while since I flew through there. DTW used to have a people mover system that was based on the PeopleMover at Disneyland.

I'm going to have to take a look at DTW next time I stop there. The trams I worked on were all internal propulsion, DC electric motors driving the rubber wheels over concrete. DTW looks to be from Otis, air cushion suspended with an undefined propulsion system (I didn't see cables in the videos, but it didn't really provide a good look).

We had kicked around maglev when I was looking at next generation designs, but this looks like something new since I left. Interesting.

http://utc.com/press/releases/2002-02-27.htm

If you want some history, check out IAH's old system that runs under the terminals. Designed by Disney if I remember

And the original people mover my be the former Jetrail at Dallas Love Field

http://www.braniffpages.com/1965/1965.html