The monorail at Busch Gardens opened in its original form in 1966. This small suspended system operated boxy trains that used two propane fired, air cooled, aluminum Corvair engines per train to produce the AC power necessary for the electric motors. Personally, my favorite part was the Anheuser-Busch eagle emblazoned on each red and white car. In 1987 it was closed to allow for a complete overhaul of the system, and re-opened in February of 1988. Intamin Inc. of Switzerland built six sleek new trains for the redesigned system.
Bus bars retro-fitted to the overhead track now provide power for the six car trains.
Better air conditioning is aided by deeply tinted windows on each car. Seventy two passenger trains are capable of six mph, making their round trip in 10 to 12 minutes. On the one and a half mile journey, drivers spiel about the beautiful African animals that inhabit the area. On a visit in '94, my train was delayed by a stubborn ostrich who refused to move out of the way for the low hanging train. Several horn blasts from the driver failed to impress the obstinate bird, and finally a very gentle nudge from the train moving at a snail's pace convinced him that the human cargo on board would be able to enjoy looking at him more easily if he were to stand to one side, rather than in front of the train.