I finally found a useful monorail.

(Thanks also to Grotto de Peo in Ronco sopra Ascona. If you're ever in the area, their food is delicious.)

Camera: Alicja Pahl

(you can find contact details and social links there too)

[TomScottGo]

I didn't realise, on the day, how strange the camera shots of under the rail would look! To be absolutely clear: the rail is static, the wheels are moving. But because the camera's also moving, you're getting the same effect that makes car wheels look like they're going backwards sometimes. Hopefully it's obvious what's going on!

[h-qj]

I like the reassurance that this isn't an ad, as if we'd find it difficult to believe Tom's enthusiasm for an unusual and obscure piece of infrastructure.

[siristhesalamander]

Tom's just trying to find more rollercoasters to get on for free or cheap, let's be honest. His conquering of fear towards coasters has evolved into an addiction for them.

[alecgolas]

I love Tom's disclaimer that this isn't an ad for a monorail as if any of us are going to go out and buy one

[kilianso]

For anyone wondering: This is in “Ronco sopra Ascona” in the italian speaking part of Switzerland. The monorail is used by a restaurant called: “Osteria Grotto da Peo” - highly recommended!

[natewp]

Came across this at a village hill vacation home in Kuching, Malaysia. They use it to bring cargo up and down the vacation home including your bags, so you can hike up and down without hauling heavy luggage. Genius honestly

[JovanLemon]

As a monorail enthusiast enthusiast, I am really glad you mentioned monorail enthusiasts in this video.

[bonelesswatermelon]

Glad to hear you survived the wrath of **shudders** monorail enthusiasts

[KatherineCrawford]

The wider shots of Tom just crawling along at a snails pace are so funny

[codyamann]

I love the enthusiasm for being proven wrong on something, and so openly sharing it. It's a level of humility and honesty the world can never have enough of.

[ZiranaCain]

I like that Tom did not specify whether or not the company actually said yes to letting him ride it.

[BenjiSun]

Farming monorails are also not uncommon in rural Japan for farming along steep inclines, mainly for certain kinds of fruit orchards but also for mushroom farming below the canopy of trees to shade from direct sunlight. Nikkari, Koei-Sangyo, Masatomi are companies that produces farming monorails.

[mjohnson]

As an anti-monorail enthusiasts, I am outraged we lost such a valuable member

[revolver]

I love that even Tom Scott has plot arcs like "angering monorail enthusiasts" or like "Chris was never called Toast"

[UberOcelot]

What I like is this eschews the need for a dusty muddy road up a step incline that would cut back and forth and create conditions for landslides. There is an environmental quality about this. I wonder if larger smoother passenger-centric versions of these are planned or exist? I suppose at that point we move into cable gondola territory, but those tend to climb in straight lines between towers with cleared paths.

[nazariipetelskyi]

It's almost scary how enthusiastic Tom is about this monorail

[MenachemASalomon]

Ah. So a cog railway normally required three rails, two for the wheels and one for the cog track. This one is elevated, and so building just the cog track, making it strong enough to support the carriage, is easiest. Cool, nifty, and fascinating. Thanks, Tom.

[ArchJ_]

The second you hear 'I have a history with monorails' you know it's gonna be a weird video

[Alex-gzlu]

I remember seeing monorails like these when I visited Cinque Terre, Italy over the summer. Definitely makes sense for climbing the steep terraced hills and moving supplies around.

[jliller]

I'm pleased to see someone thought to combine a cog railroad with a monorail. A reminder that sometimes you can make good new technology simply by combining the best of two existing technologies.