139 replies to this topic

[Conrad]

Just a heads up about Roebling. In 1965, Hopkins took over the Roebling brand so pretty much all amusement park lifts that look like Roeblings are Hopkins. The company Hopkins actually began in 1962 when it began installing lifts for Roebling. Note that according to the Canobie Lake Park Wikipedia page their chairlift was built in 1986.
More about Hopkins:
https://en.wikipedia...ki/O.D._Hopkins
https://en.wikipedia...i/Hopkins_Rides
Supposedly in 1986 the company again was renamed Skyfair Inc. but I'm questioning that because it's the only source I've ever heard that from and I was under the impression that the spin-off occurred 2001-2002 when it was reorganized to SkyTrans

[RibStaThiok]

Thanks, that's what I was referring to, what you posted about Hopkins.

[sheave]

Conrad, on 15 June 2016 - 03:26 PM, said:

In 1965, Hopkins took over the Roebling brand so pretty much all amusement park lifts that look like Roeblings are Hopkins. The company Hopkins actually began in 1962 when it began installing lifts for Roebling.

For me the main question is when did Hopkins changed something significantly that the result could not be seen as a "Roebling built by Hopkins" any longer? The same applies to Borvig/Partek.

A quick update with regards to my trip: I spent two days in the Poconos to visit some of the lost ski areas there, but all I could see were abandoned lodges, abandoned golf courses and abandoned buildings (not to mention millions of private property signs). I sent several inquiries to landowners, but I got either no response or access to their property (mostly gated communities) was denied.
I tried to take a few pictures of the old Hall double at the former Camp Tamiment site. Some people warned me not to talk to the landowner, but I found her working in one of the abandoned buildings on site. Unfortunately she didn't even allow me to walk around the building and take a few pictures from the distance.
So I only had a look at the abandoned Split Rock area (just the j-bar is left) and also talked to the very nice people at Shawnee Mountain. There it was no problem to walk around and take a few pictures...

Two Borvigs:
 DSC_5266.jpg (393.79K)
Number of downloads: 199

Partek double- now what is the difference:
 DSC_5268.jpg (397K)
Number of downloads: 194

On my way to the coast I passed the Dutchess lost ski area, but all the runs were overgrown and there is almost nothing left. I hope New England will be a good finale for my trip.

This post has been edited by sheave: 18 June 2016 - 02:12 PM

[Tramway Guy]

For what it's worth, the Hall double chair that was at Dutchess ended up at Dartmouth Skiway in 1977.

[NHskier13]

Today it has a Dopp-Ctec drive though...

[sheave]

My question of the day is: how many chairs did Pohlig install in the States before the cooperation between PHB and Hall (so before 1962)? I think the Black Chair at Magic Mountain is one of those chairs I would call rare. Very interesting stuff, hope I will get at least the chance to enter the property.

I spent the last couple of days with driving around New England. Gunstock, Sunapee, Mad River Glen, Cochran's, Stowe (just been to the museum there looking at the old C&S gondolas) and some smaller lost ski hills... I hope there is much more to come.

Here are a few pics from the Duck (btw can I somehow add attached pictures to the post so that they are shown in full size?)

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Number of downloads: 164

I guess I don't have to show pics from the single chair at MRG here. :) The famous Mr. Video Snow Report gave me a great tour of the whole place (including the little private tram in the woods) and told me some of the famous stories (the trough). I've never been to a place where the people are more dedicated to skiing than here.

Some nice stuff at the Ski Museum:

 ski_museum.jpg (240.53K)
Number of downloads: 134

This post has been edited by sheave: 23 June 2016 - 05:05 PM

[NHskier13]

DonaldMReif may know how, I've seen him do it. Basically you need to find an image uploading website that this website supports. Maybe something like flickr? I normally use imgur but this forum board does not let it be used

Love those pics, by the way :)

[sheave]

NHskier13, on 23 June 2016 - 09:27 PM, said:

DonaldMReif may know how, I've seen him do it. Basically you need to find an image uploading website that this website supports. Maybe something like flickr? I normally use imgur but this forum board does not let it be used

It looks like there is no way to use the pictures url (e.g. http://www.skilifts....attach_id=26000) to show the image full size, but I don't want to hassle around with an external website right now. I guess I just leave it as it is.

NHskier13, on 23 June 2016 - 09:27 PM, said:

Love those pics, by the way :)

Thank you!

Nashoba Valley just told me they don't allow people near the lifts in summer and they don't do tours to the lifts any longer (which ski area has ever offered official tours to their lifts?!). I hope at least Butternut will allow me to see their Thiokol from the not too far distance.

This post has been edited by sheave: 24 June 2016 - 04:02 AM

[C W Craven]

This has been a great history lesson thread.
a few more Sky glider notes.....all from memory so don't trust the Diet Coke OD......
Hopkins rides (except the chairlifts) joined with another ride manufacture, Zamperla out of Italy I think.
The Chairlift manufacturing co be came Sky Trans Mfg. They are still supporting the Sky gliders and making new lifts. They also have an operating company that operates several sky gliders around the country and that is Sky Fair inc. Lastly there is a Sky glider in Minnesota at the State Fair that is a Heron/Hopkins design (has Heron line equip and Skyglider chairs with Heron Grips. Sky glider (Hyd) drive and controls.

Glad to hear that the 2 Thiokol's are still running at Sun Valley (Hopefully you can still get a Burger + Beer and do some laundry at Grumpy's)

C W

[NHskier13]

Nashoba's thiokol looks a lot like a CTEC, not quite as good as some others around...

[RibStaThiok]

Grumpy's! That brings back memories.

[RibStaThiok]

NHskier13, on 26 June 2016 - 08:31 PM, said:

Nashoba's thiokol looks a lot like a CTEC, not quite as good as some others around...

It looks like it has a new CTEC style drive box. With that being said, there are still a good number of the original Thiokol drive terminals in use. In fact, for the first few years after CTEC was founded, they were essentially installing Thiokol lifts before they really started to stand out with upgrades to their designs later in the early 80s. On that lift in the above photo, looks like new carriers as well. Thiokol never used ones that looked like that, but more of the type that looked a lot like the Hall carrier.

This post has been edited by RibStaThiok: 26 June 2016 - 10:05 PM

[Conrad]

Speaking of old and rare lifts, I recently put together this Remontees-Mecaniques report of the old 1963 Mueller gondola at Mt. Whittier.
Original French: http://www.remontees...uller-5852.html
Translated: https://translate.go...ext=&authuser=0

[NHskier13]

My early childhood self always wondered how skiers went through the road to the gondola... :p

Didn't know for a while that there was a mid station that you loaded at, I walked up one day to see it.

Sad to see it completely wrecked. I doubt that structure isn't safe to wander around inside anymore, also the graffiti.....

[sheave]

NHskier13, on 26 June 2016 - 08:31 PM, said:

Nashoba's thiokol looks a lot like a CTEC, not quite as good as some others around...

What about the Thiokol at Butternut?

Conrad, on 27 June 2016 - 02:05 PM, said:

Speaking of old and rare lifts, I recently put together this Remontees-Mecaniques report of the old 1963 Mueller gondola at Mt. Whittier.
Original French: http://www.remontees...uller-5852.html
Translated: https://translate.go...ext=&authuser=0

Just been there today (haven't been to the mid station and the top terminal because I did not want to trespass)! I was trying to sneak a peek at the drive station but they didn't let me in. Would be interesting to see the stuff after all those years!

I have so much more stuff to post but I don't have the time right now. Another rare chair for the list: the Cianbro double at Eaton Mtn..

This post has been edited by sheave: 27 June 2016 - 04:45 PM

[Sacdelic_Skier]

if you go to eaton, you may want to check out the kind of rare t bar too. It was relocated from timberline at sugarloaf. How i wish that was never relocated!!!! it would be much easier to access the summit!

[NHskier13]

The thiokol triple looks like it's original. At least I think, I don't know many thiokol built lifts and how to tell if they have mods on them ;

Drive terminal looks like something I have never seen before. The supports look like the CTEC enterprise kind (which I believe was a thiokol design prior to CTEC's making) so I think it's original, not entirely sure
About the rest? I dunno, take a look at this since it captures the return, and a tower. Also I know those chairs gotta be original.

[sheave]

Sacdelic_Skier, on 28 June 2016 - 04:10 AM, said:

if you go to eaton, you may want to check out the kind of rare t bar too. It was relocated from timberline at sugarloaf. How i wish that was never relocated!!!! it would be much easier to access the summit!

No chance to get to the lifts as the whole area is posted. I will see if I can get in touch with the owner to get a tour or the permission to have a look around.

NHskier13, on 28 June 2016 - 04:31 PM, said:

The thiokol triple looks like it's original.

From what I've learned on page 3 of this topic, the bullwheel should be Thiokol. :)

[SuperRat]

The Triple at Mohawk in Connecticut is a Thiokol.

There are some installation pictures here: http://www.chairlift.org/mohawk.html

Ignore the history of the lift with the pictures, it's wrong. The lift is a '74 Thiokol from Snowshoe West Virginia.

[NHskier13]

Yeah, North peak is / was a CTEC and is now at Shawnee iirc