Monorail techs work on emergency windows

Wednesday, May 18, 2005 | 10:56 a.m.

Inspectors discovered a new problem on the Las Vegas Monorail when the emergency windows didn't open while examining the cause of what stopped the monorail in its tracks earlier this month.

Technicians for Bombardier, the Canadian company that built and operates the $650 million system, decided the problem warranted an immediate fix.

The monorail shut down for several hours May 1 and 2 because communications were lost between the control room and the trains. The exact cause of the problem is under investigation by Bombardier and Clark County officials.

During the company's examination of the trains, engineers discovered that the emergency windows on the trains failed to open. Ron Lynn of the county Building Department said that some of the passengers trying to open windows had the handles come off in their hands.

Lynn, who said he asked county and Bombardier inspectors to test all of the emergency windows on all trains, said almost all of the windows failed the test. He said the problem stemmed from the sun melting the rubber to the window frames.

The heat affected chemicals in the rubber, Lynn said, causing the windows to stick, and glass cleaner used on the windows eroded parts of the lever and caused it to break.

Las Vegas Monorail spokesman Todd Walker said Bombardier added a heat-resistant silicon lubricant to the rubber around the windows so they will open more easily, and Bombardier changed the glue on the window levers, so they would not break.

Walker said the passengers stuck on trains earlier this month were not in any danger. Four emergency exits are available on each train, when only one is required, he said.