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Seattle Center Monorail

• 2010
• Return to Park Trains and Tourist Trains

The Westlake Center Mall Station of the Seattle Center Monorail. July, 2010.

In July, 2010, we visited Seattle. I wanted to ride the Seattle Center Monorail, which was created for the 1962 Century 21 Exposition. The Alweg monorail was built to link the site of the fair, now Seattle Center, with downtown. Westlake Center Mall, the site of the downtown station, is across the street from the Nordstrom flagship store. The monorail's two trains, Red and Blue, are said to be the only Alweg-built trains still in service.

A sign outside the Westlake Center Mall directs visitors to the Monorail Station. July, 2010.

The Blue train arrives at the Westlake Center Mall Station, at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers will require two clicks to start the video.)

The two monorail beams curve towards the Seattle Center from Westlake Mall Station. July, 2010.

Passengers leave the Blue monorail at Westlake Mall Station. In this station, passengers exit from the end doors and board using the middle doors of the three-section articulated trains. July, 2010.

The Blue train leaves Westlake Center Mall Station. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers will require two clicks to start the video.)

The trains were taller and wider than the Disneyland rolling stock, but were still rough-riding.

Passengers ride the Blue monorail towards Seattle Center. July, 2010.

The Space Needle was the centerpiece of the Century 21 Exposition. July, 2010.

We took a walk around Seattle Center, had lunch in a giant food court, and decided not to ascend the Space Needle.

The nose of the Red train at Seattle Center Station. July, 2010.

In the Seattle Center Station, passengers disembark from one side of the train and board from the center platform. We found the second train sitting in the station. The Red train was not operating while we were there.

Another view of the end of the Red train at Seattle Center Station. The entry gates are on the left and the exit gates to the right. July, 2010.

The Red train sits in the Seattle Center Station. These are the entry gates, from the center platform. July, 2010.

Looking from the entry gates, on the center platform, towards the exit platform and the offices. July, 2010.

A close view of the monorail beam. July, 2010.

The Blue train passes through a tunnel in the Hear Music Project and arrives at Seattle Center Station. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers will require two clicks to start the video.)

Passengers wait to board at City Center Station while arriving passengers exit to the right. July, 2010.

I took this after we got off the Blue monorail at Westlake Center Station. July, 2010.

There has been talk of extending the Monorail to make it more useful as transit. Voters rejected a 10-mile long version in 2005.

We also had a nice ferry ride. Here is Washington State Ferry Kaleetan. See more photos and videos on my ferryboat site. July, 2010.

The famous sign at Pike Place Market. See more images from our Seattle visit on my Cable Car site.

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