- Slope car
-
A slope car (スロープカー surōpukā ) is a small automated monorail, or a fusion between monorail, people mover, and rack railway. It is a brand name of Kaho Manufacturing. Since this mode of transportation is relatively unknown, it lacks widely accepted generic name, other than the simple "monorail". The system, however, is different from normal modern monorails in many ways. It is a development from industrial monorails used in 1960s orchards. Slope cars are installed in more than 80 places in Japan and South Korea. [1]
Contents
Overview
As the name suggests, the system is introduced generally when there are steep slopes or stairs between entrance gates and buildings. Slope cars generally function as amenities to help the accessibilities of elderly or handicapped users visiting particular places, such as parks, golf courses, or hotels. As most lines move fairly slowly, people without disabilities often find it faster to walk the same routes on foot, rather than to use slope cars. However, there are also cases that slope cars run very steep places even people without disabilities cannot walk through. In Japan, slope cars are not legally considered as railways.
System
There is a type with 3m length, 4 to 8 passengers capacity, and a type with 6m length, around 30 passengers capacity. Some slope cars use "trainsets" consisted of two cars. Most slope cars are straddle-beam monorails, but there are also suspended monorail slope cars as well. [1]
Normal monorails generally use rubber tyres running on a concrete track, while slope cars use a sort of steel rack rail and pinions. As such, slope cars can climb 1000‰ (45°) slopes at max. The system is powered by third rails.
The system does not require a driver. A car starts when a user pushes a button, and it automatically stops at a destination.
History
In 1966, Yoneyama Industory, an agricultural machinery maker in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, invented "Monorack" (モノラック Monorakku ), a freight-only rack monorail system. It soon became wide spread in mikan citrus orchards in the prefecture, and in other parts of Japan. Other makers also started to build similar systems. Later in 1990, a company called Chigusa developed a passenger rack monorail system. These rack monorails were first used to transport workers in construction sites or forests. However, from 1990s, public facilities such as parks also started to use the system. Kaho Manufacturing started to sell their "slope cars" in 1990.
Other names
As "slope car" is the brand name of Kaho Manufacturing, similar, if not the same, concepts are called differently by different manufacturers.
- Ansaku makes Trans Mobile (トランスモービル Toransu Mōbiru ).
- Chigusa makes Raxcar (ラックスカー Rakkusukā ).
- Monorail Industry makes Monorider (モノライダー Monoraidā ).
- Senyō Kōgyō makes Mountain Liner (マウンテンライナー Maunten Rainā ).
List of slope cars
- D: Diagonal line length
- M: Maximum gradient
- P: Passenger capacity
- O: Opening year
Facility, line name Function D Speed M P O Location Aburagi Dam Dam 87 m
27 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph45° 6 2002 Soeda, Fukuoka Aburayama Golf Course Golf course 96 m
29 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph21° 4 2004 Fukuoka, Fukuoka Akagi Kōgen Highland Pasture Kronenberg Zorbing 70 m
21 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph11° 2003 Shibukawa, Gunma Ashikita Kaihin Sōgō Park Zorbing 140 m
43 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph15° 2003 Ashikita, Kumamoto Ashikita Kaihin Sōgō Park Zorbing 153 m
47 ft5.1 km/h
3.2 mph11°40′ 2005 Ashikita, Kumamoto Bay Hill View Chayagadai Diagonal elevator 30 m
9 ft1.8 km/h
1.1 mph24° 4 1999 Ōita, Ōita Bukkō-ji Temple Accessibility 38 m
12 ft1.8 km/h
1.1 mph29° 6 2005 Kyōto, Kyōto Bukkoku-ji Temple Accessibility 90 m
27 ft2.4 km/h
1.5 mph15° 4 2004 Sendai, Miyagi Cactus Herb Park Park 191 m
58 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph19°30′ 30 1995 Nichinan, Miyazaki Changwon Country Club Golf course 60 m
18 ft1997 Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea Funaoka Castle Park Park 305 m
93 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph18° 40 1996 Shibata, Miyagi Garden Sight Sakurajima, Sakurajima-gō Diagonal elevator 27 m
8 ft1.7 km/h
1.0 mph32°30′ 8 2001 Kagoshima, Kagoshima Gassan Dam Dam 166 m
51 ft2.7 km/h
1.7 mph35°32′ 8 1994 Tsuruoka, Yamagata Genkai Island Accessibility 47 m
14 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph33° 2 1998 Fukuoka, Fukuoka Gifu Prefectural Museum, Rakuraku-gō Diagonal elevator 86 m
26 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph13° 8 2002 Seki, Gifu Grandee Nasu Shirakawa Golf Club Golf course 50 m
15 ft2.4 km/h
1.5 mph17° 6 2005 Nishigō, Fukushima Haenam Ttangkkut Park 8 m
2 ft0.9 km/h
0.6 mph26°50′ 2005 Haenam, Jeollanam-do, South Korea Haenam Ttangkkut Park 395 m
120 ft3.6 km/h
2.2 mph23°30′ 40 2005 Haenam, Jeollanam-do, South Korea Hananomori Park, Koinobori-gō Park Hokuto, Yamanashi Hanatateyama Onsen Park 99 m
30 ft3.0 km/h
1.9 mph15° 8 2004 Chikuzen, Fukuoka Hanawa Ski Resort Ski resort 212 m
65 ft5.4 km/h
3.4 mph28° 10 1996 Kazuno, Akita Hayakuchi Dam Dam 200 m
61 ft1.5 km/h
0.9 mph45° 2 2003 Ōdate, Akita Hinokidai Danchi Accessibility 87 m
27 ft3.9 km/h
2.4 mph22° 6 2000 Sasebo, Nagasaki Hotel Hatsuhana Park 30 m
9 ft1.8 km/h
1.1 mph29°50′ 6 2005 Hakone, Kanagawa Hwaam Cave Park 527 m
161 ft6.6 km/h
4.1 mph20° 2003 Jeongseon, Gangwon-do, South Korea Hwanseongul Cave Park 600 m
183 ft2006 Samcheok, Gangwon-do, South Korea Iiyama Ski Jump Ski resort 136 m
41 ft5.4 km/h
3.4 mph27° 8 1999 Iiyama, Nagano Iizuka City Chikuho Community Center Accessibility 17 m
5 ft0.9 km/h
0.6 mph29° 3 1997 Iizuka, Fukuoka Ikawa X Park Zorbing 82 m
25 ft3.9 km/h
2.4 mph18° 2004 Miyoshi, Tokushima Inaniwa Castle Konjakukan Park 237 m
72 ft4.0 km/h
2.5 mph33°30′ 24 1993 Yuzawa, Akita Iya Onsen Diagonal elevator 3.0 km/h
1.9 mph42° 2004 Miyoshi, Tokushima Jōō-ji Temple Accessibility 31 m
9 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph29° 4 2002 Taku, Saga Kannondaki Park, Kajika-kun Park 202 m
62 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph13° 10 1997 Satsuma, Kagoshima Kayase Dam Dam 231 m
70 ft1.5 km/h
0.9 mph45° 2 1999 Isahaya, Nagasaki Kunimi Forest Park Park 800 m
244 ft3.6 km/h
2.2 mph35° 40 2006 Shisō, Hyōgo Kwangju Country Club Golf course 70 m
21 ft2002 Gokseong, Jeollanam-do, South Korea Maruoka Park Park 236 m
72 ft3.0 km/h
1.9 mph15° 10 2005 Kirishima, Kagoshima Mashiki Country Club Golf course 73 m
22 ft3.6 km/h
2.2 mph24° 4 1992 Mashiki, Kumamoto Masutani Dam Dam 172 m
52 ft1.5 km/h
0.9 mph36° 2 2003 Minamiechizen, Fukui Minami Kiyosato Flower Park Park 185 m
56 ft3.6 km/h
2.2 mph25°30′ 20 2000 Hokuto, Yamanashi Minamihata Dam Dam 79 m
24 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph28° 6 2003 Nakagawa, Fukuoka Minaminooka Memorial Park Accessibility 52 m
16 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph24°30′ 6 2004 Yokohama, Kanagawa Misawa Adonis Golf Club Golf course 99 m
30 ft3.0 km/h
1.9 mph33° 4 1994 Ena, Gifu Miyamoto residence Accessibility 19 m
6 ft1.5 km/h
0.9 mph28° 2 1992 Hisayama, Fukuoka Mizutori-gō Accessibility 60 m
18 ft0.9 km/h
0.6 mph29° 2 2002 Nagasaki, Nagasaki Moritate Construction Accessibility 14 m
4 ft0.6 km/h
0.4 mph45° 2 1999 Fukuoka, Fukuoka Mount Hiko, Mount Hiko Slope Car Park 849 m
259 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph18° 80 2005 Soeda, Fukuoka Muya Bus Stop, Sloppy Diagonal elevator 173 m
53 ft9.6 km/h
6.0 mph5°40′ 20 2002 Naruto, Tokushima Naengcheon Country Club Golf course 110 m
34 ft2003 Daegu, South Korea Nagasaki Subtropical Botanical Garden Park 380 m
116 ft3.0 km/h
1.9 mph10° 20 1996 Nagasaki, Nagasaki Nakadake Dam Dam 125 m
38 ft1.8 km/h
1.1 mph35° 2 2006 Soo, Kagoshima Namgwangju Country Club Golf course 40 m
12 ft2001 Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea Nanakura Dam Dam 96 m
29 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph45° 4 1993 Ōmachi, Nagano Nanreku Shōken-yama Park Park 203 m
62 ft6.0 km/h
3.7 mph11°30′ 12 1990 Ainan, Ehime Ogasayama Sports Park Ecopa Park Fukuroi, Shizuoka Okuhagi Honjin Garden Park 453 m
138 ft4.2 km/h
2.6 mph25° 24 1990 Hagi, Yamaguchi Okutadami Dam Dam 228 m
69 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph21° 40 1997 Uonuma, Niigata Ōtaki Dam Dam 101 m
31 ft2.7 km/h
1.7 mph50° 6 1997 Kawakami, Nara Passage Kinkai Island Golf Club Golf course 95 m
29 ft3.0 km/h
1.9 mph22° 5 1997 Nagasaki, Nagasaki Rusutsu Resort Ski resort 480 m
146 ft10.8 km/h
6.7 mph9°30′ 36 1998 Rusutsu, Hokkaidō Saga Sōgō Ground Accessibility 8 m
2 ft0.9 km/h
0.6 mph35° 2 1999 Saga, Saga Sakura-gō Accessibility 50 m
15 ft0.9 km/h
0.6 mph33° 2 2003 Nagasaki, Nagasaki Sanbōdai Schanze Ski resort 145 m
44 ft5.4 km/h
3.4 mph28° 8 1997 Shibetsu, Hokkaidō Sanda Onsen Kumano no Sato Park 43 m
13 ft3.0 km/h
1.9 mph14° 8 2006 Sanda, Hyōgo Sazanka Kōgen Pincnic Park, Kōgen Monorail Park 402 m
123 ft6.0 km/h
3.7 mph17° 20 1995 Isahaya, Nagasaki Sazanka Kōgen Pincnic Park, Kōgen Monorail Park 280 m
85 ft6.0 km/h
3.7 mph14° 16 1993 Isahaya, Nagasaki Shin Takasegawa Dam Dam 102 m
31 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph30° 4 1996 Ōmachi, Nagano Shirahama Mermaid Town Accessibility 69 m
21 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph24° 4 2000 Shirahama, Wakayama Shōkaien Care House Toyonosato Accessibility 48 m
15 ft1.8 km/h
1.1 mph36°9′ 16 2001 Mizumaki, Fukuoka Siesta Patio Park 213 m
65 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph16° 15 2000 Taku, Saga Soeda Park, Sakura Park 181 m
55 ft3.6 km/h
2.2 mph17° 16 1991 Soeda, Fukuoka Sugiyama residence, Noboru-kun Accessibility 20 m
6 ft1.5 km/h
0.9 mph28° 2 1996 Shizuoka, Shizuoka Sun Village Akane Ski resort 46 m
14 ft2.4 km/h
1.5 mph30° 12 1995 Iizuka, Fukuoka Tachibana Thermal Power Plant Accessibility 27 m
8 ft0.9 km/h
0.6 mph27° 2 2000 Anan, Tokushima Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden Park 250 m
76 ft3.6 km/h
2.2 mph9°30′ 40 2003 Ōita, Ōita Takasegawa Dam Dam 104 m
32 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph45° 4 1994 Ōmachi, Nagano Takayama Dam Dam 72 m
22 ft1.5 km/h
0.9 mph42° 8 2006 Minamiyamashiro, Kyōto Takeo Onsen Hoyōmura, Skybus Noboru-kun Park 488 m
149 ft4.2 km/h
2.6 mph23° 16 1993 Takeo, Saga Tenjin Dam Dam 96 m
29 ft1.5 km/h
0.9 mph45° 2 1999 Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Tenjin-kun Accessibility 60 m
18 ft0.9 km/h
0.6 mph29° 2 2002 Nagasaki, Nagasaki Tsunagi Onsen Shikisai Park 56 m
17 ft2.1 km/h
1.3 mph32°30′ 6 1994 Tsunagi, Kumamoto Ueda Women's Junior College Tea House Accessibility 58 m
18 ft2.4 km/h
1.5 mph22° 2 2005 Ueda, Nagano Ulsan Country Club Golf course 32 m
10 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph12° 6 2005 Ulsan, South Korea Ulsan Country Club Golf course 135 m
41 ft1993 Ulsan, South Korea Urayama Dam Accessibility 216 m
66 ft2.7 km/h
1.7 mph45° 2 1998 Chichibu, Saitama Wakato Hospital Diagonal elevator 94 m
29 ft3.0 km/h
1.9 mph9°15′ 4 1992 Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Watanabe residence Accessibility 25 m
8 ft0.9 km/h
0.6 mph31° 2 1998 Minoo, Ōsaka Wespa Tsubakiyama Park 572 m
174 ft4.8 km/h
3.0 mph25° 40 2000 Fukaura, Aomori Yamano Hotel Park 36 m
11 ft2.4 km/h
1.5 mph36° 6 2004 Takayama, Gifu Yoichi Ski Jump Ski resort 129 m
39 ft5.4 km/h
3.4 mph30° 8 1999 Yoichi, Hokkaidō Yong-in Country Club Golf course 100 m
30 ft2001 Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea Yong-in Country Club Golf course 78 m
24 ft2001 Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea Zaō Ski Jump Ski jump 200 m
61 ft5.4 km/h
3.4 mph35° 10 2001 Yamagata, Yamagata References
- ^ Delivery results search at Kaho Manufacturing's official website yields more than 80 cases (slope cars only).
See also
External links
- (Japanese) Kaho Manufacturing official website
- (Japanese) (English) Ansaku official website
- (Japanese) Chigusa official website
- (Korean) Korea Monorail official website, South Korean agency of Kaho Manufacturing.
- (Japanese) Monorail Industry official website
- (Japanese) (English) Senyō Kōgyō official website
Categories:- Monorails in Japan
- Vertical transport devices
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