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Aslope car (スロープカー,surōpukā) is a small automatedmonorail, or a fusion between monorail,people mover,inclined elevator andrack railway. It is a brand name ofKaho Manufacturing [ja]. Since this mode of transportation is relatively unknown, it lacks a widely accepted generic name, other than the simple "monorail". The system is different from normal modern monorails in many ways. It is a development from industrial monorails used in 1960sorchards. Slope cars are installed in more than 80 places inJapan andSouth Korea.^[1]

The system is introduced generally when there are steepslopes or stairs between entrance gates and buildings. Slope cars generally function as amenities that provideaccessibilities for elderly orhandicapped people visiting particular places, such asparks,golf courses, orhotels. As most lines move fairly slowly, people without disabilities often find it faster to walk the same routes on foot, rather than to use slope cars. However, there are also places where slope cars climb very steep slopes which people without disabilities can not climb unless there arestairs. In Japan, slope cars are not legally considered asrailways.

There is a type that is 3 m (9 ft 10 in) long, having a 4 to 8 passengers capacity, and another type that is 6 m (19 ft8+1⁄4 in) long, having around 30 passengers capacity. Some slope cars are "trainsets" consisting of two cars. Most slope cars arestraddle-beam monorails, but there are suspended monorail slope cars as well.^[2]Normal monorails generally userubbertyres running on aconcretebeam, while slope cars use asteelbeam with arack rail on one side. As such, slope cars can climb 100% (45°)slopes at maximum speed. The system is powered by a "third rail" on the other side of the beam.

The system does not require a driver. A car starts when a user pushes a button, and it automatically stops at the selected destination.

In 1966, Yoneyama Industory, anagricultural machinery maker inMatsuyama,Ehime Prefecture, invented "Monorack" (モノラック,Monorakku), a freight-only rack monorail system. It soon became widespread inmikan citrus orchards in the prefecture, and in other parts of Japan. Other makers also started to build similar systems. Later in 1990, a company called Chigusa developed a passenger rack monorail system. These rack monorails were first used to transport workers in construction sites or forests. However, from 1990s, public facilities such as parks also started to use the system.Kaho Manufacturing [ja] started to sell their "slope cars" in 1990.

Similar systems were designed for vineyards in Switzerland and Germany in the 1960s. These were also transporting workers from the start. The brand name Monorack is used here for the GaraventaMonorackbahn since 1976. The main difference is the type of rail being used - the Japanese systems use 4 cm (1.6 in) and the European systems use 6 cm (2.4 in) square tubing.^[3] The cooperation between Nikkari in Japan and Habegger in Switzerland started in 1975, so the Monorack tractors are mostly identical.^[4][3][5]

As "slope car" is the brand name of Kaho Manufacturing, similar, if not the same, concepts are called differently by different manufacturers.

• Ansaku makes Trans Mobile (トランスモービル,Toransu Mōbiru).
• Chigusa makes Raxcar (ラックスカー,Rakkusukā).
• Monorail Industry makes Monorider (モノライダー,Monoraidā).
• Senyō Kōgyō makes Mountain Liner (マウンテンライナー,Maunten Rainā).
• EMTC of Korea makes the Mountain Type (which has two rails) and the monorail Inclined Type and Locomotive Type^[6]
• Doppelmayr Garaventa makes the Monorack for agricultural use. They say they have installed 650 systems worldwide.^[7]

Slope cars are similar in some ways topersonal rapid transit systems in that they offer on-demand service for individuals or small numbers of passengers.

This list isincomplete; you can help byadding missing items.(August 2008)

• (in Japanese)Kaho Manufacturing official website
• (in Japanese and English)Ansaku official website
• (in Japanese)Chigusa official website
• (in Korean)Korea Monorail official website, South Korean agency of Kaho Manufacturing.
• (in Japanese and English)Senyō Kōgyō official website
• (in Korean, English, and Chinese)EMCT Smart Monorail official website

• Monorails in Japan
• Vertical transport devices
• Driverless monorails

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