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Old and rare lifts in the US

sheave's Photo sheave 05 Jul 2016

Question of the day: who built this terminal (I don't think it's the company that is responsible for the other parts)?

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NHskier13's Photo NHskier13 05 Jul 2016

First guess would be hall, second guess would be an older riblet.
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Conrad's Photo Conrad 06 Jul 2016

Not really sure, but Poma would be my first guess.
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Tramway Guy's Photo Tramway Guy 06 Jul 2016

It is not a Hall. But the bullwheel (with internal ring gear) yells 'PHB'. So I'm guessing it is at Magic Mt. (VT). Probably constructed after they found out that the newly purchased triple chairs would not go around the drive terminal. Could have been done by YAN or POMA. Or just a consulting engineer working with a fabricator.
This post has been edited by Tramway Guy: 06 July 2016 - 03:47 AM
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sheave's Photo sheave 06 Jul 2016

It is the black/blue chair at Magic Mtn. Here is a picture of the original terminal, but I'm not sure if it is the one still standing: http://newenglandski...1960s-0000b.jpg
It doesn't look like a Pohlig terminal to me. Only the towers and the chairs do and I'm also not sure about the crossarms (some later PHB t-bars have the same crossarms).

Here are some more pictures:

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Those must have been added later when it was converted to a triple:

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Another added tower further up the hill (not in focus):

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I guess that is the only chair lift installed in the US before Pohlig became PHB and started its cooperation with Hall?
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NHskier13's Photo NHskier13 06 Jul 2016

I saw another pohlig lift photo and it looks quite similar. I haven't seen many, so I don't know them apart from other guesses I would have had.
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sheave's Photo sheave 20 Jul 2016

I guess the reason for the different looking terminal is that they installed the counterweight on top. The standard Pohlig drive terminal didn't work so they put the drive on this unusual looking construction.
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sheave's Photo sheave 21 Aug 2016

I went back to Sunapee for riding the Duck. Thanks to Tom and the lifties for making this very special ride possible!

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Anyone interested in more pictures from the other lifts I've been to?
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Conrad's Photo Conrad 23 Aug 2016

Love the photos of Duckling! Is the room in the first photo underground?
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sheave's Photo sheave 23 Aug 2016

Yes. And you enter the basement through the lift shack.
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NHskier13's Photo NHskier13 18 Sep 2016

Late to post but wow! That looks nice.
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julestheshiba's Photo julestheshiba 13 Oct 2016

I don't know if I have already said this but Squaw Valley has the only Funitel in the U.S.
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julestheshiba's Photo julestheshiba 19 Oct 2016

on NESH there is an abandoned resort called Eaton Mountain Ski Area that has a lift made by Cianbro.
http://www.newenglan...lift.php?id=918
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reaperskier's Photo reaperskier 19 Oct 2016

The towers remind me of a hall chairlift.
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Tramway Guy's Photo Tramway Guy 24 Oct 2016

View Postjulestheshiba, on 19 October 2016 - 10:51 AM, said:

on NESH there is an abandoned resort called Eaton Mountain Ski Area that has a lift made by Cianbro.
http://www.newenglan...lift.php?id=918


Looks like Mueller grips to me.
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sheave's Photo sheave 27 Nov 2016

View Postjulestheshiba, on 19 October 2016 - 10:51 AM, said:

on NESH there is an abandoned resort called Eaton Mountain Ski Area that has a lift made by Cianbro.
http://www.newenglan...lift.php?id=918

I was talking to the guys from Kleimschmidt and Cianbro this summer. Unfortunately they could not find anything of interest in their archives and the person who worked on building that lift passed away a few years ago. There is one person left who managed the mountain back in the 1960s, but I couldn't get him on the phone.
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Smacpats's Photo Smacpats 30 Nov 2016

Stratton old gondola cabins (don't know why I never mentioned these in this thread). Both outdated and rare (only other lift built with these in North America was whistler village gondola). Still remember trying to sit on the "seat" and getting out at the top in the howling winds as you got blown around.
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sheave's Photo sheave 14 Oct 2017

I went back to MRG this fall to finally ride the single chair. :smile:

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sheave's Photo sheave 18 Oct 2017

So I stopped at Butternut yesterday to check out their Thiokol triple. Unfortunately I didn‘t get a response to the emails I sent before. It is a really nice little ski area with some interesting lifts (the Carlevaro&Savio double has quite unique towers and drive), but the welcome was a bit strange. After a little discussion I got a short tour and was able to see the lift from the distance (I wasn‘t allowed to take pictures). The person I met knows a lot about the lifts what was really interesting. The sheaves and towers as well as the terminals all still original, but various other parts like the drive and some chairs have been replaced by CTEC. It is a very reliable lift but it slowly gets to the end of its life. Before I left the person told me that they thought I‘m a lawyer looking for information to sue them.

After that experience I only made a quick stop a Catamount to check out their SLI from the distance. They didn‘t respond to my emails too. I know that ski areas are pretty busy right now getting everything ready for the season, but at the same time that’s a good time to check out the lifts as someone knowledgeable is always around.

Regarding the Pohlig/Yan triple at Magic: I met the founder‘s son a couple of days ago. He was able to answer my main question: why did his father choose Pohlig. The answer is quite simple: it was the best offer from any European lift manufacturer (he didn‘t like Hall and the other manufacturers from the US).
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sheave's Photo sheave 21 Oct 2017

I finally made it to Tweetsie Railroad to ride their 1959 Goforth Bros. double chair (the last one left after the one at Funtown/Guntown Mtn., KY will likely not reopen). Most of the parts are still original, some sheave wheels have been replaced with parts from Sunray and it just got a new haul rope. Both the drive and the return got different housings over the years and the chairs have been modified (safety bars, mining car look). They don’t load every fifth chair to spare it a bit. A really nice lift that does its job.

With regards to North Carolina, I was wondering what happened to the balloon lift from the Land of Oz? Someone told me they reused the towers for chair 6 at Beech Mtn. and they should still be there. Is that possible?
This post has been edited by sheave: 21 October 2017 - 05:55 PM
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