Ireland's steam monorail that was designed for the desert - Lartigue Monorail

[@christopherallen1138]

Well, sir, there's nothing on earth Like a genuine, bona fide Steamified, unbalanced-car monorail

[@marcusireland5696]

Lyle Lanley is the most underrated character from The Simpsons

[@timesnewlogan2032]

Mono- D’OH!

[@Popebug]

@@marcusireland5696 He's not though, considering that's arguably the most famous and popular scene about a one-shot character in the whole show.

[@ciarangleeson2880]

You could say that EVERY Simpsons character voiced by Phil Hartman is underrated!

[@thelunaticcultist5157]

I wonder why he didn’t take it back to Algeria though, because It probably would have been better there since conventional railways could not be built. Also there aren’t many hills and mountains in Algeria and even with the listing problems, having your goods at market is always gonna beat not having your goods at market.

[@TimRuffle]

Lartigue did built a line in Algeria- the longest of the lines he built actually. It used animals to pull the trains instead of locomotives which would have saved on turnables.

[@thelunaticcultist5157]

@@TimRuffle nice! He didn’t mention it in the video and it seemed to me like he didn’t build one there. Glad to know that it was used in an effective way there!

[@harrydrinkwater2671]

3:15 "I've sold monorails in Ireland, France and America; and by gum it sure put them on the map!"

[@ciarangleeson2880]

So, does Lyle Lanley come from a long line of con artists that have sold monorails since the invention of rail travel?

[@SirAaronFox]

This train looks really weird but I like it for some reason

[@B-Cat100]

Yeah me too

[@MichaelChannel1]

Yeah me too

[@marty6779]

It's like a steampunk's wet dream

[@MichaelChannel1]

@@marty6779 same

[@TheBrickGuy7939]

No matter how ugly or good looking they are, old trains are fascinating.

[@AuChoco]

2:34 I gotta admit I laughed too much imagining a bunch of kids rubbing soap on the rails

[@testaccount4191]

some high level trolling right there

[@willbelasco]

😂😂🤣

[@mchagnon7]

And then standing there watching passengers push it...

[@MrsF430]

Apparently, the call was "First class passengers, stay where you are. Second class, out and walk. Third class, out and push!"

[@Alex-RealApplebees]

Im glad you mentioned it because a lot of people always forget the Irish's love for the monorail being a contributing factor in their war for independence.

[@frglee]

The best way of proving this experimental system worked was to build it and test it in service. Once built and opened in 1888, despite it's quirkiness, it worked well enough to last 36 years in Ireland. A slightly longer Lartigue monorail was built a few years later between Feurs and Panissières in France.

[@PlutoProtogen]

it just wasnt its time yet, it made it that long back then its proof it could be applied in the right situations, even today it might not work but maybe in the fiture it may very well work and become king of the rails, you never know

[@MonopodMan]

Looks like a topic for Mustard to cover for a future video on his channel

[@Boypogikami132]

Geez

[@volo870]

I think Tom Scott has ridden this thing on video.

[@catdemon922]

Yes He needs to

[@qwertyTRiG]

@@volo870 Not Tom Scott, to the best of my knowledge, but The Tim Traveller.

[@YeastCartography]

Most people treat the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War as the same thing so I was surprised to hear someone treat them distinctly, this channel really is a hidden gem

[@zacharyrollick6169]

I remember when I first saw this thing in a railway book I read 20 years ago. It fascinated my young heart.

[@BHuang92]

Ah Ireland, always getting the short end of the weird stick.........

[@edwardvincentbriones5062]

I watched a 1931 British Pathé film about this tank and that is more mindblowing than just pictures.

[@anaccount1477]

This is such a cool channel… I learn something new everyday!

[@SynchroScore]

"I hear those things are awful loud..."

[@johnnycotton3217]

It glides as softly as a cloud

[@Yorie1234]

Is there a chance the track could bend?

[@peterstepanov8062]

@@Yorie1234 Not on your life, my Hindu friend!

[@CaptainLumpyDog]

What about us braindead slobs?

[@chasdencole1413]

@@CaptainLumpyDog You'll be given cushy jobs!

[@aliminator1310]

Imagine if THIS had been in Thomas! Maybe the Earl could've rescued it, and used it to transport tourists.

[@SkyFire2112]

Your channel is easily the one I click on the fastest. It’s always a banger video. Keep it up man, you’re killing it.

[@nothanksguy]

It's interesting to know that the original monorail actually had a reason why it wasn't going to be a simple train. Most monorails are simply there so that they are not trains

[@TakshSharma]

Would love to see you cover some other part of the steam world too, like the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

[@LegoWormNoah101]

The most famous Monorail system is the pair of services at the two Disney Parks in Florida and California

[@AVdE10000]

Cool channel! Love the bite-sized videos as opposed to the half or full hour essays that everything on KZbin is required to be nowadays

[@maltipoomadness8807]

Great video. I just popped down the other day to have a look at the recreation, but unfortunately they are closed for 2021 season. Your pronunciations were fine 🙂

[@airaero5473]

Apparently Wikipedia states that a small portion of original track still survives: "The last train ran on 14 October 1924 and everything was scrapped, except a short section of the track."

[@johndavies9270]

While in County Kerry I was told that much of the track was sold off to local farmers for use as fencing. The preservation group found so much of it still extant they were able to rebuild a fair bit of track!

[@rhinoregan202]

I've actually ridden on this train not that many years ago, it's strange but a lovely nonetheless

[@mikeb620]

I was expecting a Simpsons monorail joke and I was disappointed

[@hueyiroquois3839]

Elevated tracks are obviously useful in some environments, but I don't understand why anyone would consider a monorail useful.

[@NikkiTheOtter]

I wonder...would it help to make it NOT a monorail? Like a 7.5" gauge rail up on an elevated trestle would keep the cost still pretty low, and would somewhat remedy the balance issue. (Also a water pump and ballast tank system could correct for minor imbalance)

[@frglee]

The 13.3km long Wuppertal suspension monorail was built in 1901 over a river in a built up valley in Germany, where a new railway would have been difficult to construct. It has been much modernised and carries over 25 million people a year. Sounds quite useful to me.

[@johndavies9270]

@@frglee There was a curious experimental monorail line, a little like the Wuppertal line, built in Scotland at some point in the late 1920's/early 30's. Unfortunately, although it worked, albeit briefly, the trestles supporting the line collapsed and it was scrapped rather than continue.

[@tedf1471]

@@frglee Wuppertal monorail managed to cope with carrying animals, including an Elephant called Tuffi ! (It did fall out though!)

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

@@johndavies9270 A garbled history of the George Bennie Railplane.

[@manicmechanic448]

"Fine, heres your bloody railway!"

[@thatmrking]

Nice seeing somebody making a vid on that railway,btw listowl is pronounced list-ohll. That is not the worst irish name to pronounce, btw any chance of doing a vid on the west Clare railway, it has lots of history and a song written about it but only a small section is preserved however the route will be made into a walking path I think

[@yermanoffthetelly]

Listowel: Lis-toll, toll as in toll bridge not towel. Otherwise great video. Listowel is a lovely town.

[@uncinarynin]

And Lartigue = Lar-teeg, not La-treeg.

[@joshuabenjamin2484]

I actually happen to know the name of Lartigue’s USA’s monorail; Bradford & Foster Brook of Pennsylvania.

[@gregbertolino1776]

my favourite channel...keep it up man!

[@joshuabessire9169]

Finds family of Leprechauns living in the locomotive: "I call the big one Bitey."

[@the_real_drwhoroblox1935]

man stole my idea (actually it's the other way around as I had been the idea of a mixed traffic monorail system that used existing railway lines, albeit with the monorail being situated on one of the rails. Though for a practical system, I had started to brainstorming with railway engineers, railway enthusiasts, and my parents, who knew a lot about trains.)

[@15DEAN1995]

"Rubbing soap on the rails" that's pretty dam funny

[@toyotaprius79]

1:41 Ah, let you away with it!

[@frankbanfield1]

there is film of it working,mostly Pathe .

[@goclunker]

Simple fix. Two rails instead of one a foot apart, everything else the same. Balance and more traction

[@jonistan9268]

So basically some type of elevated track.

[@goclunker]

@@jonistan9268 basically. Sometimes track on the ground isn’t a good solution. Example: marshland

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

@@goclunker ...or city streets.

[@pumpingengineproductions8763]

I like to see a Thomas and friends character based on that type of steam monorail

[@kiuperhyper5795]

Points are always a big thorn in the side for these things

[@keithgutshall9559]

Somebody built one in the Mojave desert,I saw it in a history book.

[@johndavies9270]

This may interest some of you - back in the early 1960's a couple of people in the Manchester Model Railway Society built working, electrically powered models of this line, on in OO scale (4mm to the foot) and one somewhat larger. There was quite a bit of fun involved in getting them to work. (If 'fun' is the right word - I build locos myself, and wouldn't like to try this one) Does anyone in the MMRS know if the models still exist?

[@garthhentley8870]

Ah, you haven't said what gauge.

[@Wakobear.]

Could you do some videos on steam trains in deserts and other challenging climates

[@obbyandAWE]

This is the Iconic Arms of rail

[@mistermadmachine6311]

I never would’ve guessed this was a legitimate thing

[@Pensyfan19]

Nice video as always

[@calvinthedestroyer]

They should build an Dulble surround rail instead of Mono

[@Tommygunn776]

I mean if the rail was elevated and the train hung underneath the track I could see it having more success.

[@DavidNewmanDr]

The Tim Traveller took a trip on the current tourist monorail and produced an entertaining KZbin video about it.

[@bluebellsfan8704]

Awesome video! Very interesting

[@Ravaloxianthunderbird]

So definitely not sold to Brockway, Ogdenville or North Haverbrook?

[@fishpop]

And i thought Failies were freaky... These things look like two narrow gauge engines have had their wheels chopped off and then the two were stapled together using some kind of truss bar between them.

[@ZackarySchejbalCODBO2RGM2]

3:16 Walt Disney World: And I took that personally

[@paulnicoll1791]

I believe the railway owned a cow that was used as a counterweight for any large goods item

[@carsonburnham657]

At least they never had to worry about sanding the rails...

[@N00N01]

Laughs in railway carrige being fully loaded on one side and not tipping over

[@paulnicoll1791]

That's why they owned a cow to use as a counterweight

[@kevwebb2637]

Similar to a K-28 & K-37. When the Locomotive's weight is focused on the outer portions instead of closer to the center, traction will be lost. The K-28 didn't last long in Alaska's White Pass & Yukon Route due to the fact they derailed by lifting itself by the counter weights on snow & ice. Same thing with the D&RGW on the Silverton line with the K-37 (the K-37 is lighter than the K-36).

[@haroldwilkes6608]

Latique, the original one track mind...

[@The_Republic_of_Ireland]

Yay! Ireland gets a video

[@cmc9775]

Odd, whenever I hear the word monorail I think of trains and coaches that are floating magnetically on tall pillar like rails at Disney World.

[@GewelReal]

maglevs?

[@cmc9775]

Yes thats it.

[@Cacowninja]

@@cmc9775 The Disney monorails aren't maglevs though or floating.

[@brickyardstudio7549]

He deserves more subs

[@Hannah_Em]

Do I detect a fellow Tim Traveller fan? Bravo nonetheless

[@d261_gaming8]

All they needed was a double rail monorail

[@gdclemo]

3:05 this is Thomas the Tank Engine's second boss phase.

[@TimRuffle]

At least one of the photo's you use (at 0:30) is of the French line which never opened to revenue earning use. Those cheap seats on the carriage roof look like one hell of a thrill ride. There were similar "monorails" (Lartitue's system might more accurately be called a trirail since there were two lower rails for stability rather than load bearing) built in the US but I don't think Lartigue had anything to do with them.

[@johndavies9270]

I read somewhere - and it is presumably true - that the French line disgraced itself in front of various dignitaries, and running permission was rather promptly withdrawn.

[@TimRuffle]

@@johndavies9270 Indeed. IIRC a train carrying VIPs derailed and the line was never granted running permission.

[@tjejojyj]

Yes. The Bradford and Foster Brook Railway opened in Pennsylvania in 1878 and operated for one year. I’m not sure it carried passengers. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_and_Foster_Brook_Railway

[@TimRuffle]

@@tjejojyj There was also the short lived "Epsom Salts Monorail" in California.

[@tjejojyj]

@@TimRuffle Yes. Given the short life of that line and the mine I've always wondered whether it was the low installation cost of the monorail that made the mine viable in the first place? ---- Just as interesting as that one were two monorail lines, 50km and 42km long line, one of which ran from 1934 to 1949 in Nizhny Novgorod in the Soviet Union (now in Russia), primarily to transport timber out of a large forest. see the bottom of this page: izmerov.narod.ru/monor/monor2.html

[@Joelontugs]

That soap deal is funny lol

[@K-Effect]

At 3:06 Now that's a headlamp

[@wonniewarrior]

Has anyone ever considered if 2 conventional rails raised like the monorail, but the train suspended between the tracks instead of either side ? Has that ever been built or studied ?

[@Boypogikami132]

What?

[@garryferrington811]

There are suspended railways in Germany and Japan.

[@drnotuseless]

I live close to it, I live in the same county

[@johnnycotton3217]

God I love this channel

[@sheevpalpatine3351]

You should do the British rail GT3

[@WolfPeste]

A French man tried to figure out how to build a railroad across the desert. There was problem, however. The desert.

[@generalprincecodyhedgewolf2944]

Monorails nowadays are Used in parks

[@user-ut2wx7jy6v]

Great video! Could you at some point make a video explaining how you got into railway history and why you started this channel? I’m just curious because it’s relatively new and growing fast.

[@Kasey1776]

Those look fucking cool

[@jipsvlogandgaming380]

3rd also pls do something about the SRT (State railway of Thailand)

[@Hypernova609]

Wow cool

[@f.7838]

I feel like alot of the problems could be solved by having 2 rails on tressals, and just put regular trains on it

[@tedf1471]

Derailments would be exciting!

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

Like in Chicago, or New York?

[@_Jigen]

It's almost like a niche-engineered design works best in the environment it was designed for..

[@michaelmckinnon7314]

Probably because Irish people can be trusted to not give away trade secrets

[@thomasshaftoe461]

There were was also Funicular railways that went up and down on a mountain.

[@derekmulready1523]

And there's an Opera song about them

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

@@derekmulready1523 ...well, about the one on Mount Vesuvius, anyway. (It was a monorail, incidentally)

[@MrsF430]

If they had to carry a cow in the freight wagons, they had to balance it with 2 calves, so they would balance each other on the return journey.

[@MrsF430]

Also, the level crossings were pairs of drawbridges and hilariously, the train had to yield to the farmers who owned the crossings.

[@29brendus]

Lartruiging!

[@SignedGraph499]

Great!!!!

[@williamchamberlain2263]

1:35 how the hell does that junction work? There's got to be a 3' gap to let the train pass. Edit: nevermind - 2:28

[@robertbalazslorincz8218]

If only Lartigue instead just took say 1067mm gauge track at that height on stands and did the same thing..

[@the_steamtrain1642]

Ngl this train would have been good for the thing it was designed for, long distances makes it so balancing doesn’t need to happen a lot since it’s continuously on the move, there aren’t that tall slopes and not a lot of roads you need to cross

[@quentintin1]

Latrigue did built his Algerian monorail, much longer than the others and pulled by beasts instead of a steam engine (wich isn't too bad considering the lack of development in the region).

[@jogindersinghfoley3860]

Isnt the Wuppetal hanging railway technically a monorail.

[@MrsF430]

Yes. It was the world's first suspension monorail, opened in 1901, a few decades later than this.

[@dysonbun1048]

if you add gyroscopes they could've stopped the weight imbalance

[@tonytins]

Monorails: good in theory.

[@Station_Master_13]

The thumbnail looks a little lieke mightymac's cousin

[@d4v0r_x]

ok wat cnt rubbed soap on the rails?

[@Mr_Magolor]

Probably the same kind of idiots that drop stones down engine's funnels.

[@thomesthedankengine8837]

Please do a video on abraham abraham Lincoln's train.

[@isaiahshaffer]

I got to see the full size replica in person it was very neat to see, I would also love to see a video on it!

[@CoalChrome]

Why does the man sound like AWP

[@kodebruin4701]

If they just elevated the track higher so people and vehicles could just go under it the whole problem was solved with crossing the rail.

[@ramdom_player201]

They may be unstable when held higher up and require wider supports / more reinforcements. They would also struggle with an incline to get to that height. And it would be a lot of work to dig a pit under for the road/path. A drawbridge over the track would be the easiest.

[@T3ki1a_]

*subscribe for more* ok ok geez no need to threaten!

[@jrojassengard2586]

Why can't you just have two of these rails next to each other?..

[@HyperCat72]

Bc ✨money✨

[@calvinthedestroyer]

The listing monorail was built in list? Lol

[@itsallac0nspiracy]

I hear these things are awfully loud?

[@alan-sk7ky]

Why did a MONORAIL designed by a Frenchman get built in Ireland....?

[@HJPorschen]

Why didn't Stephenson come up with this idea? Now we have to use his boring railways.

[@drlegendre]

I hear those things are awfully loud..