Trailblazer (monorail)
Encyclopedia
Trailblazer was a suspended monorail
that operated at Fair Park
in Dallas, Texas
from 1956 to 1964. It was the first commercially operated monorail system in the United States.
for an expanded project at Fair Park in Dallas. Originally envisioned to be 4,000 feet long with terminals at the Automobile Building and Pennsylvania Avenue (with a midway station at Cotton Bowl Plaza), the line was later reduced to 1,600 feet terminating at the Cotton Bowl. It was completely funded and constructed by Monorail, Inc and operated as a fairgrounds concession by Texas Skyways, Inc — making it the nation's first commercial operating monorail line Most of the materials (including the vehicle) were repurposed from the Houston test project. It opened with a fare of 25 cents in time for the 1956 State Fair of Texas, and became a top visitor attraction.
It also made an appearance in the 1962 musical film
State Fair
, which was filmed in Fair Park.
. Trailblazer was supported by 30 foot high inverted J-shaped steel towers spaced 100 feet apart. The suspended vehicle ran 18 feet above the ground on pneumatic tires with a maximum speed of 250mph; however, the system at Fair Park was limited by the acceleration possible between stations. The two minute journey connected Fair Park's Automobile Building with the Cotton Bowl
; the terminal at the Automobile Building was located at ground-level, while the Cotton Bowl station was suspended by a parabolic arch.
The monorail operated for several years during the State Fair of Texas and year-round on weekends. The system became a showcase of transportation technology for Dallas and Monorail, Inc, attracting the attention of urban planners and city leaders from around the world. 30 months after installation the system had attracted 50,000 riders; by the end of its life it had carried over 1,000,000 people.
In April 1958 a small fire caused the evacuation of Trailblazer, but the 6 passengers and 2 crew members escaped unharmed.
The system was closed in 1964 due to diminishing novelty and maintenance, being replaced by the Swiss Sky Ride. The track was dismantled and the vehicle was scheduled to retire to the Goodell Monorail Museum in Houston. Several years later, however, the monorail vehicle was found in a salvage yard. It was later purchased and moved to the town of Wills Point, Texas
and converted to a residence, where it remains today.
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 operated at Fair Park
Fair Park
Dallas Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas . The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel in North America...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
from 1956 to 1964. It was the first commercially operated monorail system in the United States.
History
Envisioned as a demonstration project for transit solutions, Monorail, Inc. erected a short test system in Houston's Arrowhead Park as the Skyway Line in 1956. During the year, the company contracted with the State Fair of TexasState Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas . The fair season usually begins the last Friday in September and ends 24 days later. The fair is held at the historic Fair Park where it has been held since 1886. The 2012 State Fair of Texas will run from September 28th...
for an expanded project at Fair Park in Dallas. Originally envisioned to be 4,000 feet long with terminals at the Automobile Building and Pennsylvania Avenue (with a midway station at Cotton Bowl Plaza), the line was later reduced to 1,600 feet terminating at the Cotton Bowl. It was completely funded and constructed by Monorail, Inc and operated as a fairgrounds concession by Texas Skyways, Inc — making it the nation's first commercial operating monorail line Most of the materials (including the vehicle) were repurposed from the Houston test project. It opened with a fare of 25 cents in time for the 1956 State Fair of Texas, and became a top visitor attraction.
It also made an appearance in the 1962 musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
State Fair
State Fair (1962 film)
State Fair is a 1962 film directed by José Ferrer. The film is a remake of the 1933 and 1945 films of the same name.It was considered to be a financially and critically unsuccessful film. It starred Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Ann-Margret, Tom Ewell, Pamela Tiffin and Alice Faye.Richard Rodgers wrote...
, which was filmed in Fair Park.
Service and operations
A 51-passenger vehicle—named Trailblazer—was built of light blue fiberglass and powered by two Packard 352 gasoline engines. A two man crew operated the system with the driver sitting above the passenger compartment atop one of two bogiesBogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
. Trailblazer was supported by 30 foot high inverted J-shaped steel towers spaced 100 feet apart. The suspended vehicle ran 18 feet above the ground on pneumatic tires with a maximum speed of 250mph; however, the system at Fair Park was limited by the acceleration possible between stations. The two minute journey connected Fair Park's Automobile Building with the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
; the terminal at the Automobile Building was located at ground-level, while the Cotton Bowl station was suspended by a parabolic arch.
The monorail operated for several years during the State Fair of Texas and year-round on weekends. The system became a showcase of transportation technology for Dallas and Monorail, Inc, attracting the attention of urban planners and city leaders from around the world. 30 months after installation the system had attracted 50,000 riders; by the end of its life it had carried over 1,000,000 people.
In April 1958 a small fire caused the evacuation of Trailblazer, but the 6 passengers and 2 crew members escaped unharmed.
The system was closed in 1964 due to diminishing novelty and maintenance, being replaced by the Swiss Sky Ride. The track was dismantled and the vehicle was scheduled to retire to the Goodell Monorail Museum in Houston. Several years later, however, the monorail vehicle was found in a salvage yard. It was later purchased and moved to the town of Wills Point, Texas
Wills Point, Texas
Wills Point is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,496 at the 2000 census.-History:Founded in 1873, Wills Point gets its name from an early American settler, William Wills, who had arrived in the area in about 1848. Wills eventually purchased a cabin from Adam...
and converted to a residence, where it remains today.
