# Alweg > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alweg > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alweg.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alweg > Source revision: 1350045531 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Transportation company (1953–1964) ALWEG Industry Passenger transportation Defunct 1964 Successor Krupp **Alweg** was a German transportation company known for its development of straddle-beam [monorail](/source/Monorail) technology.[1][2] ## History Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System, pictured in 1963 Alweg was established in January 1953 by Swedish industrialist [Axel Lennart Wenner-Gren](/source/Axel_Lennart_Wenner-Gren) as **Alweg-Forschung, GmbH** (lit. 'Alweg Research Corporation'), based in [Fühlingen](/source/F%C3%BChlingen), a suburb of [Cologne](/source/Cologne) in [West Germany](/source/West_Germany). The company originated from the **Verkehrsbahn-Studiengesellschaft** (lit. 'Transit Railway Study Group'), which had presented early monorail designs and prototypes the previous year. The name "Alweg" is derived from Wenner-Gren’s full name.[2] [Seattle Center Monorail](/source/Seattle_Center_Monorail), pictured in 2008, still uses its original Alweg-built trains Alweg developed several monorail systems during its operational years. Its most notable projects include the [Disneyland Monorail](/source/Disneyland_Monorail) (originally branded the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System), which opened in 1959, and the [Seattle Center Monorail](/source/Seattle_Center_Monorail), constructed for the 1962 [Century 21 Exposition](/source/Century_21_Exposition).[3] Both systems remain in operation, with Seattle's still using original Alweg-built trains. Turin Monorail Another Alweg monorail system was constructed in [Turin](/source/Turin) for the [Italia '61](/source/Expo_61) exposition. The line ceased operation shortly after the exposition ended and was later damaged by fire in the late 1970s, reportedly due to vandalism. It was dismantled in 1981, and its northern station was repurposed as an office building. In 1963, Alweg submitted a proposal to the [Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors](/source/Los_Angeles_County_Board_of_Supervisors) for a privately funded monorail system in the county. The plan included design, construction, and operation of the system at Alweg's financial risk, with construction costs to be recouped through fare revenue. The proposal was ultimately rejected. Some sources attribute the decision to opposition from automotive and petroleum industry interests, including [Standard Oil of California](/source/Standard_Oil_of_California) and [General Motors](/source/General_Motors).[4][5] Author [Ray Bradbury](/source/Ray_Bradbury), a supporter of the proposal, later criticized the city's decision to develop a subway system instead.[6][7] In the 1960s, Alweg licensed its monorail technology to [Hitachi](/source/Hitachi), which continues to manufacture monorail systems based on the design.[1] Notable examples include the [Tokyo Monorail](/source/Tokyo_Monorail), opened in 1964, and the [Chongqing Rail Transit](/source/Chongqing_Rail_Transit) system in China. Alweg's operations were taken over by the industrial conglomerate [Krupp](/source/Krupp) following financial difficulties in the early 1960s. The company ceased operations by 1964.[1] ## See also - [Trains portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Trains) - [List of monorail systems](/source/List_of_monorail_systems) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hitachi2_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hitachi2_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-hitachi2_1-2) Kirscher, Reinhard. ["Hitachi-Alweg"](http://alweg.de/hitachialweg.html). The ALWEG Archives. Retrieved 14 October 2017. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-koln2_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-koln2_2-1) Kirscher, Reinhard. ["Alweg Cologne"](http://alweg.de/alwegcologne.html). The ALWEG Archives. Retrieved 14 October 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-nyt20062_3-0)** Yardley, William (25 September 2006). ["In Seattle, a Dream From the Past Has a Hazy Future"](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/25/us/25monorail.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved 13 December 2009. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** American Society of Civil Engineers (2014). *Los Angeles Section: 100 Years of Civil Engineering Excellence 1913–2013*. AuthorHouse. pp. 170–171. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Kim Pedersen. ["LA's Worst Transit Decision"](http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/LA1963.html). *The Monorail Society*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190702180848/http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/LA1963.html) from the original on 2 July 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Sam Gennawey (23 May 2013). ["Why the Monorail Failed in Los Angeles"](https://www.micechat.com/29530-why-the-monorail-failed-in-los-angeles/). MiceChat. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Ray Bradbury. *Bradbury Speaks: Too Soon from the Cave, Too Far from the Stars* (2005), essay: "L.A., We *Are* the World! A New Millennium Revelation" (1989) ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [ALWEG](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:ALWEG). - [Los Angeles monorail proposal (The Monorail Society)](http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/LA1963.html) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alweg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alweg) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alweg?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.