That looks like a pretty cool project. As for keeping critters out, I read the comments and most had the right ideas. My suggestion would be , rather than try to fill all those racoon sized holes under each car (they can get through SUPPRISINGLY tight spots), you should cut back all the weeds and tall grass at the base of the monorail cars and surround the entire thing with chicken wire. Burry it a few inches in the ground even and attach it to the base of the cars. That's gonna be the only way to really keep them out. No more zip ties, like somebody else suggested use tie wire, much more effective as zippy's get brittle in the cold and racoons can chew through them. Good luck with your monorail/cabin project, and I look forward to more rail exploration with your electric rail cart, THAT thing is cool.

Keep the weeds cut back from the base, excavate out a little bit under each side and fill most of the gap below with cinder blocks. Can even frame in an access door if you're feeling fancy.

I was involved in a restoration project, years and years ago, of a 18m satellite dish (one of the very early ones) at a Canadian government research site. When we opened the door to the place (hadn't been used in 25 years), we found the mortal remains of a juvenile raccoon that had gotten caught up in the electronics and wiring. We decided to call him "sparky"... Now involved in a

If your hand fits, it's a raccoon-sized hole. If a pencil fits, it's a mouse-sized hole.

Ah man.. we're so loveable, it's the filthy mice you need to keep out.

Wild to think I've probably ridden in that thing more than once. They were pretty neat in the late 70's :)

"we all participate in maintenance and upkeep" is a bit generous!

That would make a cool vehicle to drive around in ! All you need is a rolling chassis and drive train ( pardon the pun ) that would be sweet ! Get yourself a propane air-conditioner and mount on the roof or better yet make one from a propane fridge ! Can you imagine the looks you’d get driving a monorail truck ! And plenty of room for your friends ! Lol

you could turn the drivers cab into a actualy green house for some indoor house plants maybe even some tropical plants like a monstera etc ...

Pro-tip: any hole is a raccoon sized hole.

You are fortunate to have friends who you can trust and who participate and support these unique and very entertaining ideas and adventures!

Only you could create such a title! :-D

Good idea with the child locks on the maintenance doors!

You should cut some of that metal and copper piping and recycle it for some $$to help with improvements

Nice monorail man! I know people who own locomotives but not monorails!

I heartily recommend you check out Shawn Woods' KZfaq channel. It's all about mice and critter control.

The only way to keep critters out of any structure is live in followed by keeping the weeds etc from growing around your structure. Remember Raccoons are like Hamsters, Rats, Ferrets, which means any little hole you think a coon can't get through they can. Save yourself some money and buy a spool of "tie wire" (you can buy a spool of it at Harbor Freight for less than 10 bucks and when tying in chicken or rat wire it works much better, and coons, opossums, and other critters cannot chew though them and the cold won't make them brittle and cause them to break. Additionally you should think about laying down some lime and tar paper under the monorail and investigate measures to keep bug, salamander, and other sources of food for mice, rats, coons, possums, and any other critter other than human home in, around, and under, your monorail. You might want to consider some "old time" type/styles of vermin deterrents/elimination

I'd be costly, however, if you placed the monorail on a raised track again, you'd only have to place barriers on the supports.

Save Jimmy

Epic