Skilifts.org / SORT Forum

I was driving by copper yesterday and noticed that the super bee lift was not running? is it closed for the season or just mechanical stuff?

I heard they had some electric motor issues...

I was skiing with John on the 22'nd and apearently one of the electric motors blew up or something like that and caused a lot of damage. The motor was sent to Denver and as of the 22'nd the lift was using its diesel engines to provide power and only loading 4 to a chair.

It was running today when I drove by. I couldn't tell if all of them were 4 or less but it looked like not many people were on it.
This post has been edited by poloxskier: 26 March 2005 - 04:46 PM

Here's the story.
As Grant mentioned, we lost one of the electric motors and are currently running on the diesels. Brad apparently was skiing the day we lost the cooling fan pump on one of the engines (the radiators are set in the floor and the fans cannot be driven directly by then engine; they have a remote hydraulic motor driven by a pump on the engine). We pulled a 16-hour day between cleaning up the coolant from the engine overheating, diagnosing the problem, and then fixing it. We're not running without a backup; we can evacuate the lift on one diesel if we lose the other. I haven't heard when the motor is coming back.

Is there any difference in how you are running the lift?

Copper's Super Bee lift loses an engine
JENNIFER HUFFMAN
summit daily news
March 21, 2005


COPPER MOUNTAIN - One of the two electric motors on Copper Mountain's Super Bee lift shorted on Friday around 9 a.m.

Some visitors may have smelled burning after the short occurred, but Copper spokesperson Beth Jahnigen said there was no explosion.

The engine has been sent out to be repaired; however, the lift remains open, running on diesel auxiliary power. Jahnigen said the lift is running a little slower and at a reduced capacity.

Does that answer your question? I guess since it was in the paper that edits my previous post. Yes, we're running it slower because we're having a problem cooling the motor room. We've had several late nights replacing cooling fan system parts and trying to figure out why things aren't working as well as they should. I haven't been up there since Friday (someone has to cover the other side of the hill and I get the draw the last few days) but last I heard we were installing more vent fans in the ceiling/stack walls to bring in more cold air. As far as reduced capacity goes, we've turned the lift into a quad and the lines don't seem to be much longer.

How do you turn a lift into a quad? :) How many people normally fit on the chairs of that lift?

-Iain

very easily, its a sixpack.

Didn't know that- I have no idea how you guys memorize every single lift out there and know them by their first names only. :)

-Iain

What speed are you running it at?

950-1000 (vs 1100) feet per minute.

So 4.8-5 m/s vs. 5.5? Is 5.5 m/s a fairly common speed for high speed lifts?

-Iain

It is these days. I-lift, E-lift, and B-lift are all capable of running at 5.5 m/s.

What are I, E, and B-type lifts?

-Iain

Sorry- I-lift is also known as Timberline Express (1994 Doppelmayr) and E- (Excelerator) and B-lifts are 1998 Poma Omega lifts

So not that much different speedwise. Any other problems since the breakdown or has the backup been running okay?

5.5 m/s or 1100 fpm is a common speed for HS lifts. The other common operation speed for a detachable is 1000 fpm, or 5 m/s.

The only lift at Whistler blackcomb that does 5.5m/s is the Village gondola. And the only for busy upload/download. All the rest do 5.0 or 5.08 m/s (1000fpm)

Even your ex-Yan Doppelmayrs?