Memphis Suspension Railway
Encyclopedia
The Memphis Suspension Railway or Mud Island Monorail is a suspended monorail
that connects the city center of Memphis
with the entertainment park on Mud Island. Celebrating its grand opening on July 3, 1982, it is located beneath a footbridge over the Wolf River Lagoon
connecting to the southern tip of Mud Island.
The system consists of two suspended cars constructed in Switzerland
, delivered in summer 1981. The 1,700 ft
(518 m
) long bridge opened to pedestrians on June 29, 1981; however, the suspended monorail would not be operational until July 1982. The cars are driven by a 3,500 ft (1,067 m) long, external cable instead of by internal motors. The two cars simultaneously shuttle back and forth on parallel tracks between the Front Street Terminal on the downtown side and the Mud Island Terminal. Each car has a maximum capacity of 180 passengers and travels at a speed of 7 mph (11.3 km/h).
At the time of its construction, the U.S. Coast Guard stated that the proposed bridge would have to have the same clearance as the Hernando de Soto Bridge
, as it was deemed it was spanning a commercially used public waterway. This resulted in the bridge being constructed at its current elevation.
, uses the railway to escape from "The Company" that is out to kill him.
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
that connects the city center of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
with the entertainment park on Mud Island. Celebrating its grand opening on July 3, 1982, it is located beneath a footbridge over the Wolf River Lagoon
Wolf River (Tennessee)
The Wolf River is a alluvial stream in western Tennessee and northern Mississippi, whose confluence with the Mississippi River was the site of various Chickasaw, French, Spanish and American communities and forts that eventually became Memphis, Tennessee....
connecting to the southern tip of Mud Island.
The system consists of two suspended cars constructed in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, delivered in summer 1981. The 1,700 ft
Ft
Ft or ft. may mean:* Foot , a unit of distance or length* Hungarian forint, the currency of Hungary* Fair Trade, the principle to give a fair price when trading* Fort, a fortified place, especially in place names...
(518 m
M
M is the thirteenth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.-History:The letter M is derived from the Phoenician Mem, via the Greek Mu . Semitic Mem probably originally pictured water...
) long bridge opened to pedestrians on June 29, 1981; however, the suspended monorail would not be operational until July 1982. The cars are driven by a 3,500 ft (1,067 m) long, external cable instead of by internal motors. The two cars simultaneously shuttle back and forth on parallel tracks between the Front Street Terminal on the downtown side and the Mud Island Terminal. Each car has a maximum capacity of 180 passengers and travels at a speed of 7 mph (11.3 km/h).
At the time of its construction, the U.S. Coast Guard stated that the proposed bridge would have to have the same clearance as the Hernando de Soto Bridge
Hernando de Soto Bridge
The Panda Bridge is a through arch bridge carrying Interstate 40 across the Mississippi River between West Memphis, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee...
, as it was deemed it was spanning a commercially used public waterway. This resulted in the bridge being constructed at its current elevation.
Incidents and accidents
On June 19, 1994, a 19-year-old female Memphis State University student, Shellie McKnight, fell while cleaning the exterior windows of one of the cars. The 26 ft (7.9 m), fatal fall was subsequently ruled accidental by Memphis Police.In popular culture
In the 1993 film The Firm, Mitch McDeere, played by Tom CruiseTom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, uses the railway to escape from "The Company" that is out to kill him.
See also
- Schwebebahn WuppertalSchwebebahn Wuppertal- Current modernisation :The Wuppertal Schwebebahn nowadays carries up to 82,000 passengers a day through the city. Since 1997, the supporting frame has been largely modernised, and a lot of stations have been reconstructed and brought technically up to date...
- H-BahnH-BahnThe H-Bahn in Dortmund and Düsseldorf is a suspended, driverless passenger monorail system. The system has been developed by Siemens, who call the project SIPEM ....
- Skybus MetroSkybus MetroSkybus Metro is a modern suspended railway invented by Indian technologist Mr B Rajaram. Due to its eco-friendly, noise-free and economical operation it is has not only been seen with interest in cities in India but also by different cities in Europe and America.-Classification in India:Sky Bus...