Alweg Monorail - Seattle, Washington - Googie Architecture on Waymarking.com

The Alweg Monorail was constructed for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair to carry visitors from the fairgrounds into downtown Seattle. It runs 5th Avenue and can reach speeds of up to 50 mph, the fastest of any full-sized monorail in the United States. It was billed as the transportation system of the future and complemented the futuristic googie architecture of the buildings built for the fair.

The following information is from the monorail's Website:

Construction began in April of 1961 by Alweg Rapid Transit Systems, who received the bid when it offered to underwrite the entire cost of construction.

The monorail opened to the public on March 24, 1962 nearly one month before the start of the World's Fair. At a cost of $3.5 million, the trains carried more than eight million guests during the six months of the fair, easily paying for themselves. That is, the full initial capitol cost of the system was recovered and a profit was realized by ALWEG before the end of the fair.

Following the Fair, the monorail system was turned over to Century 21 Corporation at no cost. Century 21 sold the system to the City of Seattle in 1965 for $600,000.

Today, the trains carry approximately 2.5 million riders every year. The monorail has become an important fixture in Seattle for locals, who use the trains during major festivals and sporting events. Seattle Center Monorail is the nation's only fully self-sufficient public transit system.

The Seattle Center Monorail system uses 62 prestressed concrete piers to support the two beams which the monorails ride upon. The trains can cover the 1 mile distance at a top speed of 50 miles per hour, making it the fastest full-sized monorail system in the country, even today.

Riding on 64 rubber pneumatic tires, the monorail runs on 700 volts D.C. power obtained through contact rails on the inside of the beam. 16 load-carrying tires ride on top of the beam, and 48 guide tires grip the sides of the beam.

The Seattle Center Monorail operates daily. It departs every 10 minutes from the station at Seattle Center enroute to Westlake Center Mall, at Fifth and Pine Street, Downtown Seattle. Each trip takes two minutes to cover the approximately one mile route. The above coordinates are for its northern terminus at the Seattle Center. Be sure to check the Website below for possible changes in the schedule or closures.

Round-trip fares are $4.00 for adults, $1.50 for youth ages 5-12, $2.00 for senior 65 and over.

Type of Structure: Other Upswept Roof / Folded Plate Roof(s): no Large Dome(s): no Large Sheet Glass Window(s): no Boomerang and/or Arrow Shape(s): no Amoebae Shape(s): no Atomic Model(s): no Starburst(s): no Exposed Steel Beam(s): yes Flying Saucer/Rocket Shape(s): yes If I knew, I'd be an architect: no Physical Address: Seattle, WA USA Web Address or URL: Not listed

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