What Were America's Christmas Monorails?

[@peterdibble]

UPDATES: Viewers have shared verified proof of the following: (1) A store in Milwaukee introduced the first Rocket Express ride in 1945, a year earlier than all other sources have claimed. The store itself is not named in the article, but Boston Store is the only one that makes sense for reasons explained in the video. (Found by Shawn Langrick) (2) The Wanamaker's ride in Philadelphia was not retired in 1984 as widely believed. There is evidence of it running as late as 1987. (Found by Debbit Vit) (3) The Stewart's ride in Baltimore was not retired after a single season in 1946 as previously believed. It returned for a second season in 1947. The anecdote quoted in the video is still applicable since it didn't give a specific time frame. (Found by Fred Shoken & Ed Dobbins) Folks have also shared memories of these rides in other locations, but I have not been able to verify these. If more details are uncovered, I will update this comment to make a note of it.

[@twistoffate4791]

Thank you for the update!!

[@ablemagawitch]

I noticed you had no mention of them being resold to other stores/malls, which when one store/mall removed them, they would have likely sold the package to another mall, shopping center or carnival operator (I'm rewatching the video again to make sure that was a lot of great information to process it all.., really great job tracing down all that information and putting together such a great video...). As the system would have had some value, so few would have possibly been reused. Theme parks do this with rides all the time, sadly to say my local theme park Carowinds sold their (full sized )monorail that when the ridership wasn't enough and they wanted the prime park entrance space for a big roller coaster attraction. The monorails trains and, system and tracks were sold to a resort in city of Mexico. (mid 1990's?) Which when they were taking down the tracks beams, they had taken all the track coming from that direction and the one track section on the left side of a vertical support down and the right side of track was still attached, waiting to be removed. A person driving a rental style "Box" moving van went on the wrong side and the height was not there for the truck. The impact smashed "grandmas' Attic" (the section extended over the cab of the truck) in a good 4-5 feet. As it was made from a light fiberglass and aluminum body verses a steel I beam track. Had they drove on the left side of the asphalt pathway instead of the right they would have been fine. Bad luck timing , a day later the track would have been gone . Just some random history that those of us around saw but sadly isn't documented anywhere. You sure wouldn't have written an article for the local paper or appeared on the local news if you wanted to keep your job.... The irony of the monorail was when the park was opened in the early 1970's the plan was for the monorail that ran out over the parking lot (one of the issues, they didn't like riders not seeing the parking lot full) and then went out to where a hotel was going to be built at , in a way much like Disney World/Land. The sad irony is about ten years after the tore out the original theme park Monorail ride, their parking lot location had a hotel built right out there. With a detestation Outlet Mall and would have been served well by a monorail running from there into theme park. as the original owner had envisioned way back in the 19650's/1960's, whose family sold off the theme park in the early 1990's and has been in the every changing theme park ownership chains since. Gutting out all the slower family, (senior and/or disabled people friendly rides with low body shock factors), and little kid friendly rides for faster big attraction coasters. Much like Disney you can still see signs of where old buildings and rides were, that have been repurposed . Even where old steam trains used to run around the park, remember when every theme park had steam trains? Knowing where to look you could see where some sections of rails that were just paved over have poked through the asphalt, or the hot asphalt was pressed down even with the rail top from the combination of park vehicles and the summer heat. Revealing some history. Sorry to ramble but you seem like someone that would like old historical trivia few care about and current theme park owners don't want any history out there about it.

[@williamsteriti2718]

Thank you for this video I was born in 1959 so it was later than those were made but I still remember being a kid how great everything was those were really the good old days not like now with everything is so corrupt and filthy I thank you for this video it really made me just say wow ♾️✝️🛐♥️ LOL

[@ivanthevaluable2559]

So was there any other of these in Florida?

[@twistoffate4791]

@@ivanthevaluable2559 Watch the video.

[@michaelhenderson6786]

“The gift of childhood nostalgia may be one of the greatest gifts of all” Love that! I’m saving that with the rest of my favorite quotes ❤

[@sleeplessstu]

Awhile back, I scoured the web looking for photos or information on this iconic Christmas monorail in Portland. It was one of the highlights of Christmas shopping in Portland when I was a kid. It created a magical toy store wonderland for kids back then. I took my son down there almost 30 years ago and it was still in operation back then ….I wish it was still around for my granddaughter. 😢

[@desmeitit]

They have it on display again at pioneer. It’s out in the open now instead of behind the glass. But yeah it was fun

[@CapnCody1622]

I was a Portland kid in the 90s. This whole time I thought it was a dream I had seeing a monorail in a department store.

[@lethrbear32]

I rode that same monorail in 1978 and 79. We were living in Longview and left in 1980 after the eruption. It's good to be back though.

[@pdxaviation]

So cool seeing one of the cars at Pioneer Place, nice to know at least some of it is being preserved.

[@101rotarypower]

Does anyone know the address for the M&F it was located at in Portland?

[@maithcailin]

I rode the monorail at Meier & Frank in Portland in the early 80s. I remember that it went through a tunnel in the wall and then below you could see animatronic elves in a scene building toys. It was absolutely magical. Many friends have insisted that my monorail memories couldn't be true. Thanks for providing the proof!

[@kenflagg]

I rode the Rochester monorail as a kid and absolutely loved it. At one point it went through a "tunnel" in a "mountain" and it was completely magical.

[@vibrolax]

My last memory of the Midtown Plaza monorail was seeing it in pieces as Midtown was slowly demolished.

[@acer3573]

I remember riding it and seeing Santa at Midtown when I was 5-7 (late 70s / early 80s)

[@christinemcsunshine]

My grandmother had a picture of my brother, sister & myself waiting in line on the stairs at Midtown in Rochester to ride it. I honestly don't remember it though 😒 1974 or 5

[@ImpressiveCharacterArc]

When I was in first grade, 1976, they bussed our entire class in at Christmastime to ride the monorail at Midtown.

[@cuttersgoose]

Yes..I forgot about the tunnel..and Santa... great memories of midtown

[@jayhuf64]

I grew up in Portland and as a kid in the 70's my mom took me to Meier and Frank's every year to ride the monorail and see Santa, it's my favorite childhood Christmas memory. Thanks for the video!

[@Jarekthegamingdragon]

Portland resident here, born in '91. Maaaan this unlocks memories deep forgotten for me. I don't even remember what the store looked like in detail. I just remember the experience. I do remember that sharp drop off wall. That's right at the start when it first starts moving.

[@greghenrikson952]

I got to operate the monorail in around 1989/90 while doing temp work at Meier & Frank. That was during the "Santa Land" era. I would let the kids go around more than once. I remember being surprised that the doors just kind of folded closed and were secured with little wiggly bolts LOL. That whole place was magical and strange. It was about half shut down even at that point, with the 6th floor shut down and others at half speed. We were doing cleanouts of forgotten old features like a deli in the closed basement and a very old pharmacy on the mezzanine. There was a sub-basement that I swear was haunted. I also got to run the old elevators.

[@Tenderbits]

I rode that in 1989 as a first grader in Portland. Thanks for the memories!

[@danityvanityinsanity]

Wow! What a fun place to work!😃👍✨💖✨

[@solomonkane102]

I ride it in 64 and 65.

[@ablemagawitch]

Glad you got to see the cool history of what used to be there. Done my fair share of work in spaces, no longer used and and visit others where the staff showed me the history of what was once there. One day getting to go to the store to actual see the merchandise will become popular again. Amazing how people complain about ""other "" people out in pubic, meanwhile the other people are complaining about them being the 'other" annoying people out public, at the same time usually.

[@ddespair]

You might think this guy is old because he operated an elevator but when I was a teen I ran the stairs

[@jpbanksnj]

I don't know how this video has not come into my feed for the last 2 years. I look up monorail videos every Christmas season for nostalgia from riding the Philadelphia Rocket Express in the 1970's and it's one of my favorite childhood memories. This is an awesome researched video of the history. Thank you!

[@mackpines]

I was VERY lucky to experience the monorail at Meier and Frank. I went for the first and only time in 2004 when I was 7 years old. Probably rode it four or five times. I didn't want to leave! This was a great video. I've always been curious about the history of the monorail, who manufactured it and if other places had them.

[@Reed81315]

That was the real holiday tradition I looked forward to every year when I was a kid

[@ltipst2962]

What a world dude. America certainly would have been exciting in the mid 20th century. Its always looked on across the pond as the true golden age I think

[@dougmillerlasvegasrealtylink]

I rode it se a kid in the 60’s

[@ericstromberg9608]

I got to ride it a few times in the mid Sixties! Amazing fun for a small boy!

[@ronriesinger7755]

Our daughters rode it every year until it closed. Much sadness at its demise!

[@cw8359]

Thank you for posting this! I rode on the SBF monorail in St.Louis when I was very young. For years, I could not find anyone else who remembered it until a few years ago and had thought I’d imagined it. Thank you for bringing one of my earliest childhood memories back to life!

[@carlkwasnjuk9518]

I was born in Philadelphia in 1967. All through my childhood my parents would take me and my siblings to John Wanamaker department store in center city Philadelphia ever year at Christmas Time. I don't remember paying for the monorail ride. I just remember riding it over and over again as my parents shopped and I would be looking to try to see what my parents might be buying me for Christmas. Wonderful memories. My wife and I started having kids in the late 1990's and I remember taking them to the Please Touch Museum. We have pictures of them sitting in the restored but stationary Monorail at this museum. Thank you for this video.

[@bradfordfermin4688]

I hope this doesn’t come across as rude, but I am in awe of your sub count. Found your channel a few days ago, and just finished binging every video you’ve put out. You have a remarkable knack for taking seemingly mundane topics and generating some of the most captivating content out of them. I genuinely get sad when each and every video ends, wishing for more. This comment gets thrown around a lot on KZbin, but you GENUINELY deserve millions of subs for the level of storytelling you consistently put out. I feel privileged to have found this channel before so many others. Keep up the world-class work 🙏

[@peterdibble]

Thank you!

[@richekay]

I remember riding the Rocket Express in the early 1960s at Wanamaker's in Philly. What a wonderful, magical memory. Thanks for the flashback.

[@crusinscamp]

Ah, so it was Wanamaker's in Philadelphia! I have a fuzzy little snippet of memory riding one of these monorails in Philadelphia in the, say, early/mid-1960s. Dad use to take a day off from work before Christmas and our family would go down to the city; Wanamaker's, Gimbel's, Lit Brother's. There's be the train ride to the city, shopping, a nice lunch, a visit to The Christmas Village, and a weary trip by train back home.. It was a special day in the big city. Thanks for sparking the memories.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

Fabulous. Never have I heard of these. I can imagine the fond memories of folks all over who have had these experiences with these monorails at Christmas. Thank you for your hard work with the research.

[@fredblonder7850]

I’m impressed that they appear to have had a good safety record.

[@ksevio]

Unless there was a large fire or something in the store, seems the worst that would happen is it gets stuck at which point you just need a stick to push it along or a stepladder

[@ADBBuild]

Could be because it was based on an industrial grade system that was able to handle a lot more weight and constant use.

[@JaidenJimenez86]

Yeah I'm wondering if perhaps they don't exist anymore due to inability to meet modern safety requirements. I can't imagine such a vehicle being in use nowadays - how would the vehicle be evacuated, is it attended, how does it stop in an emergency? Also, how did kids get in and out... a platform, ladder, or something else?

[@Shinyarc]

@@JaidenJimenez86From the looks of it, they climbed in and out

[@funone8716]

@@JaidenJimenez86 For starters, today you couldn't call it a monorail. It would be required to be identified as a gender neutral rail.

[@dudeabides1532]

I also grew up in the Portland area. I remember riding the monorail at Meier and Frank downtown almost every year as a kid in the 80's. As far as the actual monorail cars themselves, I remember that they were built for child-sized riders. Adults couldn't fit inside. Good memories. Thanks for the video.

[@Frankjc3rd]

I remember riding the train in the Philadelphia Wanamakers when I was a kid. I always thought it was a different store other than Wanamakers but I can live with that.

[@fmgough]

So many memories riding the monorail as a kid in Rochester, NY at Midtown Plaza. Going to meet with the Big Guy at Christmas time. Sibley's, McCurdy's, The World Clock, brass trombone kazoos, trains, toys...man Christmas time in the ROC was awesome.

[@mrMYass]

I rode on the one in Portland Oregon as a kid. It was at a department store called Meyer and franks. They had an entire giant room dedicated to “Santa land” and the was a North Pole themed building inside that had a staircase going up to the monorail. The whole experience of meeting Santa, walking through the prop Santa city, and then riding in the monorail and seeing all the toys was magical as a young kid. Sadly they got bought out by macys in the mid 2000s and then the store closed down.

[@memathews]

Christmas 1959 was my first ride on the Rocket Express at Meier & Frank in Portland Oregon. Our family had just moved up from California and we were shopping in downtown when we visited Santaland for the first time, the first of many monorail trips. My wife remembers her rides on the monorail and we took our children to ride the monorail in the mid-1990s. Sadly, Santaland and then monorail were disbanded once M&F was sold to the May Company and eventually renamed to Macy's. Great memories now renewed through your video, thanks!

[@modelermark172]

I'm 63, and I have memories of riding the one at Stix, Baer & Fuller in St. Louis, MO (shown at 13:32) in 1966 shortly after I turned seven. I hadn't thought about this in decades! Thanks for doing all the research, and posting this!

[@calessel3139]

That interesting. I'm 56 and grew up in West County during the 1970s. Unfortunately I don't remember a monorail at any Stix Baer & Fuller department stores in the St Louis area. But our family only visited West County Mall, South County, Crestwood, & North West Plaza. So I'm guessing either it wasn't installed at any of these locations or that it had been taken down by the 1970s.

[@modelermark172]

@@calessel3139 I don't remember exactly where it was located; only that I had memories of riding a monorail in a department store. I do remember that it wasn't at a shopping mall - those were a few more years down the road. I also remember that we went "downtown" for the ride, so it was probably the huge SBF store on Washington Avenue. The ride may have been there before or even after I rode it, but we never went back any other year, so I don't know when it was taken down for good. I'm sorry you never got the chance to ride the SBF monorail. I've always liked transportation, and most of my memories were of visiting the National Museum of Transportation on Barrett Station Road in Kirkwood. And whenever we went to the Zoo; I was mainly interested in riding the narrow-gauge Zooline Railroad, which opened when I was about three years old. Also, earlier the same year my mom and dad took me to ride the monorail, my dad took me for a ride on the Hodiamont streetcar the last day it ran in May of 1966. I literally caught the end of an era . . . .

[@calessel3139]

@@modelermark172 I loved the Transportation Museum too!! We actually lived only a few miles west from Barret Station Road, so I was constantly dragging my poor dad over there on the weekends! 😆 And of course I also loved the train at the zoo (along with the animals). Yeah, it a bit sad that I missed the monorail but it's actually pretty cool to learn that at least we had one!

[@modelermark172]

@@calessel3139 I took my own son there a few times, (once we were lucky enough to see the docents start up the Chrysler Turbine car,) and he rang the bell on the Big Boy. After decades of that bell being rung by generations of kids, the rope actually cut a slit in the metal of the cabin! One day, I hope to take my grandkids to do the same. I also remember that when I was nine, my mom and my aunts took me to Union Station for a ride on an actual, standard gauge passenger train pulled by a diesel locomotive. Good times!

[@calessel3139]

@@modelermark172 👍

[@yrobtsvt]

Omg seriously underappreciated video. This is fascinating! Thankfully youtube recommended it to me in the "for you" tab

[@Yurong247]

Always a great day when I open KZbin to a new video from you! Thank you for the great content!

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

The fact that so many were preserved makes me very happy. I love the art-deco look, blimp tail, and windows similar to the GM New Look buses.

[@denisearmbruster7478]

As a little girl, I lived in Atlanta, Georgia and rode on "The Pink Pig" in Rich's located in Downtown Atlanta. I remember that it ran all year long. During Christmas, Rich's would decorate it. I remember that was in the early 60's. I have very fond memories of those days. Thank You for this wonderful video!🐖🐷❤❤

[@dT6E7hmja4iXjsJw]

Me too! (Except little boy, not little girl.) I was 4 or 5 years old in Atlanta, so that would have been 1964-ish.

[@highnoon9333]

I used to work at the Atlanta History Center and we had one of the Pink Pig cars on display for years (not sure if it's still there and I moved out of state so I can't check) Edit: I'm an idiot. I should've watched the video before commenting haha!

[@ablemagawitch]

Did you get to go to Sid and Marty Kroft (sp?) land? Inside of one the malls if I have the history right. My parents made sure we didn't hear about as kids, as we would have wanted the family vacation to go to that , and not the beach which the parents preferred.

[@CraigJones-gu2ye]

@@ablemagawitch Sid & Marty Kroft was at the Omni, now CNN center in downtown.

[@CraigJones-gu2ye]

I remember the Pink Pig. I think it was moved to Lenox Square mall after the downtown store closed. I don't know what happened after Macey's bought out Rich's.

[@pamavery9352]

I rode on the Edwards department store monorail in Syracuse NY for many Christmases. It was my favorite memory that my mother too me to. We lived in Skaneateles, NY. It was a thrill I wish they still had for kids!!!

[@raydunakin]

This was fascinating! I've never heard of these before. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that at least two of them lasted into the 21st century.

[@dougmarsh9074]

The Meier and Frank 'rail would likely be running today if Macy's had not shut down the store and ended generations of happy family memories.

[@mrlimepikmin]

This is some of the most amazing content ever. Just finished watching all of your videos.

[@maxsmodels]

A great trip in the way-back machine. Thank you sir.

[@brucecunningham2944]

Like many others I rode the Portland one in the mid-late eighties. The quote in the video about being only a few feet above the people's head but feeling as if you were in the clouds, rang especially true for me. I distinctly remember being at least 50 feet off the ground. Thanks for another great documentary.

[@thomasgraf1986]

Very strong memories of the Portland monorail in the early to mid 90s as a kid. I remember having to ascend a series of escalators that got narrower and narrower for what seemed like forever before it opened up to a mystical winter wonderland with the monorail making its rounds. At one point the train went through a dark tunnel that had glow in the dark stars and planets painted on it. So very magical!

[@Foxy02016]

It got narrower and narrower as it slowly funneled out the adults

[@paulm.newitt3246]

You brought back memories of me also there in 1960 as a little kid. It was cool, kinda cramped, but you jarred my memory about the smaller escalators!

[@SpaceTimeManipulatorSTM]

The whole atmosphere at the time must have been kinda creepy cause all of my memories of the time and place are more like bordering on nightmares.

[@mjay4700]

Yes! The narrow escalators. I'm glad someone remembers that place/time so vividly. I too rode those escalators up to the Christmas/Santa Land with all the decorations, monorail, santa, etc. I can almost recall the smell of the store.

[@drscopeify]

​@@mjay4700 It must be the same narrow old escalators as in the Macy's store in downtown Seattle (previously The Bon Marché store) it closed in 2020 but all of the floors I forget how man were all open back in the 2010s and I went riding up and down with my friends shopping it was a trip continuously going up and down them, pretty funny experience.

[@jaysaeger2057]

Thanks so much for posting this. I rode the one in Milwaukee as a young kid. I did not realize there were more around the country. GREAT MEMORIES.

[@yansatoussaint2266]

I lived in St.Louis from 1964-1974 and remember riding the monorail called the Gumdrop Express at the River Roads Mall in Jennings,Mo. The Gumdrop Express was located in the JC Penny toystore and you had to go through the back door and up some metal stairs to board the train. Wonderful memories of my childhood in St.Louis. Thanks for this video!

[@kentonkloos3490]

Hi Yansa, I too rode the one in Jennings..tons of fun. I don't remember the other one in St . Louis, did you ever ride it?

[@lizkrinsky5209]

It was in the you department at Stix Baer and Fuller. At one point it even had the mod 60s style Christmas Angel on the front that were used on their Christmas boxes that year. I think the next year it became The Gum Drop Express. What a great mall it was back in the day: and that huge WoolWorth's

[@cuttersgoose]

I remember riding the Rochester midtown monorail as a toddler... and then seeing it on display at the museum of transportation some 40 years later... thank you for putting this video together...what great memories

[@deliawolfe]

The Grand Rapids Monorail was a feature of the Herpolsheimer's Department Store basement Toyland. The store itself was a mid-century modern structure built in the post war era. Provision for the monorail were incorporated into the design. In 1984, a large urban development called The City Center utilized a neighboring building owned by Gantos, a Michigan-based womens' specialty shop and the Department Store, which was remodeled into a smaller floorplan.. A multilevel indoor mall was built in the former (historic) buildings. It was designed by Daverman Associates and built by Dan Voss Construction Company. Using funds from the recent sale of Herpolsheimer's to Allied Stores and Historic Preservation Funds, the monorail was recommissioned and moved to the basement level of the City Center multilevel mall, where it operated during the Christmas Holiday Season in 1984 and possibly 1985. While the City Center Project opened to much fanfare and the monorail revived childhood memories of the glory days of locally-owned, department stores, the concept failed to revive interest in shopping downtown. Traffic was below expectations after the initial rush, and smaller shops, including Gantos, abandoned their leases. The entire project closed down and The Allied Store chain collapsed in the late 1980s. The Herpolsheimer's building was eventually purchased by the city and renovated into the Grand Rapids Police Department. But the Baby-Boomers who rode the monorail in the 1950s never lost their love for it, and sharing their memories Donating it to the Grand Rapids Public Museum and displaying it during the Holidays may be the only way to honor its history and magic..

[@jonathanzobel1662]

This store was mentioned by name in the Polar Express movie.

[@deliawolfe]

@@jonathanzobel1662 Chris Van Allsburg, the illustrator and author of the book, "The Polar Express" is from East Grand Rapids, Michigan.

[@xr3dcrunkx]

I live in Grand Rapids and was hoping someone would give more details on this. Thank you!

[@sigsin1]

I was just going to write about this being one of my absolute favorite things at Christmas!!! I couldn’t remember if it was Herpolsheimer’s or Wurzburg’s. The last year I rode it was 1968.

[@gillano]

I rode the monorail at City Center as a kid in the late 80s, I don't remember it being only open during the holiday season, but maybe it was. It was still there when it became Mackies World a mall just for kids in the 90s I was too old to ride but I remember it running at this time. Also fun fact on Herpolshimers, the display window was the worlds largest when built, the glass is still there at the GRPD

[@lizkrinsky5209]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this wonderful video. You did such a fantastic job researching all of this and you put it together beautifully. Would love to see it on our local PBS station during the holiday season. Thank you so much.

[@thelostborough5214]

There are pics of me on the Midtown one, and I remember seeing it at the mall, but I cannot for the life of me remember the experience of riding one. Still a unique part of Rochester's Holiday traditions. Awesome to see the monorail lives in at the NYMT and occasionally at the Roc Holiday Village.

[@WTDoorley]

Thank you! Riding the Christmas monorail at Gimbel's Department Store in Pittsburgh is one of my great memories, but I was beginning to wonder if I'd imagined it. Now I not only know that I did ride a monorail, and so did my sister, but when it was. In 1965, I would have just turned eight years old. Going downtown to see the Christmas decorations and look at all the toys was a tradition and a Big Day Out for my sister and I. Again, thank you for bringing it all back to me.

[@nancylaino712]

I remember the monorail in Wanamakers in Philadelphia very well. It was always one of the highlights of the Christmas season for me and later on, my kids. We still remember fondly the monorail and the iconic Christmas light show at Wanamers. Great memories!

[@NostalgicNell]

The monorail ride in Portland is still a vivid memory to this day. I LOVED going up the escalators of M&F 12 or so floor to the top floor to go for a ride.

[@augustusofprimaporta3721]

11:49 I lived in Atlanta until I was 4 or 5, and for years, I had memories of riding a pink-colored train or roller coaster at a mall of some sort. I could never find anything to confirm this, but seeing that train in all its glory finally provided this nearly forgotten memory with the context it demanded. Thank you.

[@star-army]

My kid, who was 3 at the time, was able to ride on one of the last Pink Pig rides, during its final year in 2021. It was a tracked style rather than the original monorail. It's sad you don't see these around anymore.

[@maureenmccann9002]

I grew up in Rochester NY and I remember riding the monorail the first year it opened. Both my boys rode it too when they were older. A fond member of a place was so magical at Christmas time.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

It reminds me of the Wuppertal one that started it all. The Wuppertal Schwebebahn in Germany was built as such because Wuppertal is located in a river valley (that's what Wuppertal means; Wupper Valley), and because of steep slopes, the original towns that now makes up Wuppertal expanded lengthwise (resulting in the thin shape of Wuppertal today). It wasn't suitable to build a tram nor an underground subway, so as a way to both unify the valley and find a place for transit to solve congestion, they built a suspended monorail that followed the Wupper River.

[@nicholassheffo5723]

Outstanding work!!!! Will view more ASAP.

[@ryanpatterson5224]

This channel is a gold mine

[@Ryanstuff]

I grew up in Rochester NY and the monorail at midtown plaza was so magical. Looked forward to it every year. It took you through a mountain and up to see Santa. It really was amazing.

[@roboftherock]

That was a comprehensive compendium of child-carrying conveyances. You did a very nice job collating all those separate reports and handbills. Well done, sir.

[@greglivo]

A magnificent memorial of miniature monorails

[@mjay4700]

We rode the Portland, OR Meier & Frank Christmas train back when I was a kid in the 1990's. It was magical and I too have that "I often think I dreamed or imagined it" feeling. It's a core part of my "fleeting glimpse of childhood memories" that often comes with nostalgia.

[@dreadpenguinlord340]

Neat! I think about monorails all the time... but then I do have a one track mind.

[@jamesmonroe7903]

I’m a lifelong St.Louisan and I remember riding the train at the St.Louis Zoo as a kid-it’s only in recent years that I’ve been finding out about the monorails at Stix,Baer&Fuller in the 1960’s-supposedly both wore out by the end of that decade and were not replaced-I never knew about Famous-Barr ever having one but I remember watching a TV special on PBS-9 in the mid-90’s about St.Louis Xmases past-and it included footage of a floor-mounted “Christmas Train” at Vandervoort’s Downtown store-it was an open-top ride that took children all the way around the store’s first floor-the TV special didn’t have any footage of the monorails at Stix or Famous however-wonder if anyone ever took and saved any film on those long-ago rides? PS-that was so cool to learn that while many parts of the country never had one of these childhood wonders-St.Louis had TWO of them!!! Wish at least one of them could have been put on display at our wonderful Museum of Transport in mid-St.Louis County!!! BUMMER!!!BUMMER!!! A magical time for STL!!!

[@lizkrinsky5209]

I don't think they wore out. I think the lease on them ran out.

[@jamesmonroe7903]

@@lizkrinsky5209 Coulda been either way-some of the kid monorails were still going strong outside of St.Louis in the 80’s and 90’s!!! A childhood dream!!! A real Christmastime treat!!!

[@Redman_O-Gauge_and_Tech_Stuff]

I remember the Philadelphia Wanamaker installation. That, the light show and the gigantic brass pigeon are all. solid memories of when I was 4 or 5. 71 / 72. And seeing Santa there of course.

[@MrStevesTrains]

Love these type of historic Christmas videos. 👍🏻

[@taylorward3773]

Wow this brought me back to my childhood! Used to visit Santaland in Meier & Frank every year as a kid, my family always wanted me to go on the little monorail but I was so scared lol Finally went and did it one year and I've never forgotten it!

[@mackpines]

I think a lot of us were a little nervous the first time riding it. I certainly was but, you were with others your own age and once you were moving and able to look down and wave at everyone that's what made it a memorable experience.

[@pauldavis1943]

I remember taking my son to the Portland monorail in the late 90"s Thanks for the video!

[@islanduck]

This is another gem by Peter!

[@r8chlletters]

This was so great! Thank you 🤍

[@steamgent4592]

I rode those in John Wanamakers in Toyland in Philadelphia! Love those memories. It still exists in Philadelphias Please Touch Museum a kids museum. Sadly when Macy's bought the Wanamaker building it and the Crystal Room restaurant closed. All the kool stuff just about is gone now. But at least the Christmas organ light show goes on.

[@aliciapotts3074]

Well produced as always Peter....Thanks for the memories!

[@susanlangley4294]

Great detective work. I am so impressed by your exemplary research and look forward to your posts.

[@Gritt4reel]

What a beautiful and well researched video. Cheers and thank you from Germany!

[@RetroCards]

Wow Peter! I have never seen this before. It did certainly pull at my heartstrings. I worked in these dept stores of the era as a teen and later after college. It was a magical time. What a great job you did preserving this! Cheers, Diane Dempsey, Retro Christmas Card Co.

[@YodaPagoda]

I vaguely remember riding this in the late 70s, or early 80s, and never knew where it was years later. Nice, informative video!

[@tedneb3459]

I agree with your conclusion that there was only one monorail in Milwaukee. I remember riding it in the very early 1960s, and I never could remember whether it was Gimbels or Boston Store since they were very similar buildings located very close to each other. But I remember that it was located on one of the upper floors of the building, which jibes with your information on the Boston Store installation, and I've never heard of a second monorail in the city. The ride did travel above the toy department and lasted only a couple of minutes. I recall being the only person on the ride at the time. And I recall that their Santa Claus scared the crap out of me.

[@ammo2222]

Childhood Nostalgia is indeed the greatest Gift of all!

[@JustinT_BTJ]

This video breaks my brain. I honestly can't believe these things were real! I watched fascinated and it seems like some alternate reality. Thanks for bringing them to light and all the time and research that clearly went into this!

[@Tuckaway]

Well done, fantastic research project you have done.

[@krmtrains]

I really enjoyed your video, as it brought back many memories. I rode the train in St. Louis when visiting my grandparents, probably in 1968 when the “Gumdrop Express” debuted. I’ve had foggy memories of riding that train, and large gumdrops attached to it. Later, in the early 90’s, we took our son to ride the train at the former Herpelsheimer’s store in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Thanks so much for the research and presentation!

[@yansatoussaint2266]

I grew up in St.Louis in the 60's and 70's and remember the Gumdrop Express at the JCPenney toystore in the RiverRoads Shopping Mall. As a senior it's been my dream to win the Powerball and have myself a monorail built because I enjoyed them so much as a child.

[@funone8716]

@@yansatoussaint2266 Buy lotsa tickets!

[@lizkrinsky5209]

⁠@@yansatoussaint2266 it wasn't at Penny's. It was there before they added the Penny's. In was in the Toy Department at Stix Baer snd Fuller. It went around the toy departments out the transom window into the mall and turned around by the large Christmas tree in the mall and came back. It was so magical. Great memories about it.

[@yansatoussaint2266]

@@lizkrinsky5209 Are you talking about the Gumdrop Express at River Roads Mall in Jennings or the Gumdrop Express downtown at Stix,Baer and Fuller? You might be right because my mind has gotten a little foggy over the years and my family left St.Louis in 1974.

[@lizkrinsky5209]

@@yansatoussaint2266the one at River Roads. I barely remember the one downtown. We used to go to River Roads a lot when I was a kid.

[@stevenschwartz-yvr]

I remember riding the one at Wannamaker's in Philly. We would go to family in Philly every other year and this was always a stop.

[@BrokenBuffer]

My dad told me about the monorail at the old midtown mall in Rochester NY that went through a large mountain called Magic Mountain, there was a Santa’s workshop inside and then you could meet Santa.

[@coln84]

I remember this as a child. Eventually magic mountain disappeared but the monorail hung around for a little bit

[@markcantemail8018]

Spendall . Midtown Santa , Mcurdy,'s Santa , Edward's Santa , B Foreman's Santa and cross Main Street to Sibley's Santa . It was possible to visit all 5 walking from one spot .

[@viperchrisz4]

Recently I started remembering going on one of these and decided to look them up. I spent years thinking it was just a childhood fever dream I had and was really happy to find out it was actually real and I went to the one in Portland as a kid 😊

[@mommom-jy5jb]

Amazing amount of information you tracked down. I never knew there was such a thing. Wish it was out there now.

[@markcantemail8018]

Midtown Monorail was ours in Rochester , N.Y . I took a very young Nephew to Ride it before they took it apart , so he could have the Memory . I was up set that they would not let me ride , a Large Adult . So many Decades of Fun for the Family . We would go Downtown for Xmas shopping all day . If you played your Cards right you could visit 5 Santas in one Day .

[@fiatphil]

Thank you for this. It's a fond part of my life.

[@brentahrend3845]

I remember riding the Meier & Frank monorail in Portland, Oregon during the late 90's/early 2000's. I had no idea how lucky I'd be as one of the last generations to ride it! I remember the glowing star tunnel and Christmas scenes only visible from the ride. It must have been unique from the other monorails that seemed to only ride above toy displays. Santa Land was a whole floor of the building dedicated to a Christmas village display, with Santa photo ops, animatronic reindeer, and the monorail. It was truly a magical place.

[@Firetomysoul]

remember riding the monorail in Rochester NY in the 80s. So much fun

[@gobbletegook]

What a great piece--and a trip down memory lane! As a kid, we rode the ROCKET EXPRESS at the Milwaukee BOSTON STORE (Closed in 2018, Bon -Ton Bankruptcy). The last year was 1968 or 1969 that I know of for the monorail operation. There wasn't one at GIMBELS...I don't know why people keep "thinking" that. It cost 25 cents to ride...and they had a "Secret Santa Gift Shop where kids (under the age of 12) could shop for small little gifts (think sample size) for Christmas as well. Years later, I worked at the Downtown store that it was located in, and the I BEAM that it rode on was still attached to the ceiling.

[@petercrowl9467]

While I, who was a child in Milwaukee from 1952 through let's say 1960, have no recollection of a monorail there. I do recall "Secret Santa" though. It was, IIRC, a way for children to buy gifts for parents and such who were there at the store with them. Generic gifty stuff like wallets and such.

[@gobbletegook]

@@petercrowl9467 And of course, small bottles of things like ENGLISH LEATHER, BRUT, and HAI KARETE! The bottles were exact replicas, even down to the wooden cap that ENGLISH LEATHER had...just in miniature! Good times!

[@hellbounddeciple]

I remember riding the Monorail as a kid one time in Grand Rapids. Always wondered what happened to it. Thanks for finding info on it!

[@jakeearley3842]

Rode this at Kresge's Newark NJ store in the early 1950's. Even more exciting for me was when I was allowed to ride the wooden escalators by myself, all the way to the top floor and back! Simple pleasures!

[@artistjim114]

This was an amazing documentary!

[@jamesgreen451]

I rode the monorail in Wanamaker in Philadelphia. I was 5 or 6 and was amazed with toys and people. This had to be in 1964 or 1965 and Christmas shopping in Philadelphia was an adventure. I also remember the moving figures in Lits windows. Too bad it all gone now.

[@hmparentlll]

Remember it well….

[@lizgentry3846]

I'm so happy to see this info. As a young child I rode the Leonards monorail in Ft. Worth. It seemed magical.

[@vaughnvdg]

In Philly the monorail was on the 8th floor of John Wanamaker….I remember riding on those slow escalators anxious to get up there in the 70s…great memories…..REAL CHRISTMAS

[@acmemeatsmoke4865]

This was great. Thank you.

[@johncamp2567]

A fascinating story about an elusive topic!! ‘Had never heard of these before your documentary….excellent (AMAZING!) research!!

[@pacnwsupra]

I rode the Meier & Frank monorail a few times in the 70s. Fast forward to 1991 and I made my way back up to Santa Land with some friends after work one evening. Being a weekday, the place was deserted. I somehow convinced the crew to let me ride again even though I was significantly taller. With no kids in line, I came in under the weight limit and so it was a go. Imagine trying to cram my 6'4" frame into that tiny space. We got the door closed and off I went. The discomfort was totally worth it as the train went along the route and I got to look down on my friends below.

[@LymanPhillips]

That's outstanding. I would have done the same myself. I hope you took pictures. Did they have to rub you with butter and use a shoehorn to get you in and out?

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Suspended monorails are most definitely my favorite kind of monorail. It's a neat concept, and it's easy to see why department stores knew families would enjoy them. Unfortunately not many of these suspended monorails exist. The majority of them are in Germany and Japan (Japan even built two in zoos, but they're both closed), though China is looking into building them in their cities with one in Chengdu that just opened in 2021. Memphis is the only city in North America that has one, but it hasn't operated since 2018 due to low ridership, leaving the monorail's future in jeopardy

[@ablemagawitch]

Wait to you learn about "Gyro Monorails" One track and the car rides on top. Which stays upright due to spinning gyro in the car. Amazing Tech that didn't catch on but was an interesting branch off .

[@christianfreedom-seeker2025]

I think safety issues is the main reason for the failure of suspended monorail. The problem is children these days are too spazzed out to sit quietly in such a conveyance.

[@ablemagawitch]

@@christianfreedom-seeker2025 The problem isn't "children today being spazzed", in the video it clearly explains that "Boomer Generation" children required the operators to have install screens over the window because they were throwing pennies and spitting loogies(Lugies?) at the shoppers below. The were ruined and had shoppers annoyed from 1950's and 1960's kids long before the kids of today even got a chance to ride them. Worse, they are dying form of amusement, just train rides in Amusement Theme Parks. Kids need more stimulation and are not as easily amused. Besides if they want to see what it like to fly above the heads, go around the room , ride any object or device they only need turn on their electronic tablet. These monorails just trains just do not draw people to justify their costs. That includes operation, maintenance, the labor to set them up and take them down and storage costs , with possible shipping costs. Are you taking your kids to the more or store to go ride? You may remember all the 25 cent amusement rides outside of stores, where did they all go? They didn't make money because the Boomer kids in the photos didn't put money into them for kids to ride them, not enough time for the kid to ride it, you not paying a quarter for X amount of minutes.... They live without it and so these amusement devices went away. Boomers screwing up for every generation after them....All why complaining about how they were discriminated against by older generations when they were younger. These monorails are sadly like electric train sets, this just isn't market for them. Stores don't sell them, even Toys-R-Us didn't stock model trains stuff before they shut down. Minus the "Thomas The Tank Engine" plastic playsets, which kids out grow when they out grow thomas, there are not toysets for them. The companies chose to go after the 50+ market for the higher disposable income amounts where they could charge more. Which has left Trains costing a lot, with the market for them shrinking as the generation that grew up with them is dying off. Sadly there isn't a lot of youth influx into the hobby, model rocketry and R/C (both Remote and Radio Controlled with gas engines) planes have equally shared said fate. Which isn't the kids fault. They're no more "spazzy" than younger kids and if they are today, they are likely put on medication. Something that didn't happen to Boomer kids that had these rides then decided not to pay the ride costs for their kids all in the value(more of false claim) for teaching the value of money or some shit..... The seat up was actually fairly stable it would take a carload of combine coordination to generate enough force to make the suspended car even start to have issues or the upright support base plates on the ground. This basic under hung track dolly carriage system is in use in numerous other industries.

[@stephenkeever6029]

Other than Wanamaker's, the Philadelphia Zoo had a monorail from 1969-2001. However it was not a suspended monorail. Avery, always fun to catch your comments!

[@martinharrison9957]

Wow! I have memories of riding the Newark, NJ toyland monorail in the very early 50s.

[@richardneilan2392]

Very interesting and enjoyable. Thanks for putting this all together, and best wishes for Happy Holidays!

[@dshack4689]

Thanks for sharing, this was amazing to watch and learn as I don't think we ever had these in Australia (we did have the mini Dragon Rollercoaster at "Tops" the top of the Brisbane Myer Centre mall but that's a rollercoaster not a suspended monorail). I wonder if partly the success of these monorails in terms of safety is they weren't new developments they were based on extremely mature industrial technology so perhaps a lot of the engineering and safety and lessons to learn had already been well established during the war years industrialisation. Impressive research and I applaud your tenacity for verifiable facts instead of hearsay alone - amazing detailed effort! (I was originally getting annoyed at the number of ads scheduled into this video, but your content and detail and research kept me a fan, great effort!)

[@cnyphotovideo]

Thank you so much for this trip through history. I grew up in Syracuse New York, and have some very early childhood memories of the monorail at E.W. Edwards department store in downtown Syracuse. It is for many of us one of the greatest old-school memories of our city.

[@alexclement7221]

Rochester Monorail: You called it a "permanent addition" to the Midtown Plaza, but it wasn't permanent. If you look at the picture at 17:31, you can see that the uprights which held the track were just standing there, unmounted. I assume a few of them were mounted in some way temporarily, but the entire thing was packed up and put into storage shortly after New Year's Day, and wasn't set up again until just after Thanksgiving.

[@jasonchilders9819]

Compared to the other stores and malls, Midtown's was permanent in that is was there until the mall closed in 2007, instead of being there for a couple of seasons, IMHO.

[@GioandJC]

Love this video. I have fond memories of riding the monorail in Rochester NY as a child. I remember the wonderment of the experience with all the Christmas Decorations and toys below. So fun!

[@TheDasFaust]

I got to ride the one in Philadelphia in the mid 1970's, I thought that was greatest thing ever.

[@bdot02]

Woah, talk about a nostalgic flashback... I had forgotten about this but sheesh now it's just all come back in a flood. I can remember the smell of the monorail and how HOT it was inside and up at the ceiling. Wow... Thanks for the reminder.

[@chrismatto8586]

Peter keep up the great historical features. I rode the Meier & Frank ride for many years very fond memories. A true Christmas tradition. 12:35

[@jackewing3678]

Rode the Milwaukee Boston Store one in the mid-sixties when I would have been about 5. It gave off a loud metallic noise as it rolled on its rail. Loved it.

[@sterlinsilver]

I would've loved this. Monorails have always been my favorite

[@szww]

Great video! Thank you for putting so much work into research to keep this piece of history available to younger generations... and to people from other continents, that had no idea that something like that even existed :)