91 replies to this topic

[highspeedquad]

I meant that there are very few funitels in North America and I think it would be nice if we could see some more.

[Kicking Horse]

i think a Funtel would be te best option. or a mono Cable system. Which would cost more in the long run for maintaince / power / staff for a funtel or a mono cable system?

[highspeedquad]

I would think that a funitel would have more operation costs due to the fact that there are two different ropes being driven, towers that might be harder to work on, etc.

[liftmech]

NOt necessarily, because a funi is designed for the same sheave loading as any other lift. The only difference is that there are just more sheaves on a funi than a similar sized monocable installation.

[highspeedquad]

I just meant that it would be harder to get to the sheaves, but I haven't looked very carefully at funitel towers.

[UTmorMAN]

So does anybody know of anywhee else in the world where a system bearing any sort of resembelance could be found. Does anybody know anything about Aosta, Italy? We have been told that that bears some resembelance, but it is hard to find information. I really appreciate the comments and suggestions. You all certainly know much more about this kind of stuff than I do and your knowledge and suggestions help out a lot.
THanks :) :D

[Kicking Horse]

First off what company built the one out in Aosta, Italy?

Once we know that maybe you should contact the company and ask for more info. explann to them the project that you are doing.

(i'm currenting seeing if i can find any info on the one in italy)

[UTmorMAN]

Kicking Horse, on Feb 21 2005, 08:39 PM, said:

First off what company built the one out in Aosta, Italy?

Once we know that maybe you should contact the company and ask for more info.  explann to them the project that you are doing.

(i'm currenting seeing if i can find any info on the one in italy)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not sure about that one. I guess it just seems to be a myth around our group. They say (now imagine in your head the sound of a legend being told [you know, that dusty, windy sound with a flash of light lifting you to somewhere else]) that this city is in Northern Italy near the border of France in the Alps, but is little noticed because of its loction in in Northern Italy. They say that some years back they built some type of conveyance going from their town to a ski resort and that it has magically helped the city become a better place. How was that for a legend! But seriously, that's about what is said, and I don't know where the info. has come from, but it seems hard to get info. and pictures from there.

[Kelly]

Seems like bus systems are usually a better value. Notice all of the links have a unique reason for there installation.

links
http://www.trans.ci....ojects/Tram.htm
http://www.jakesassociates.com/knowledge_c...ions_papers.htm
http://www.railwayag...ple_movers.html
http://web.presby.ed...it/Detroit/DPM/
http://www.rioc.com/...sportation.html
http://www.ntsb.gov/...003/rar0303.pdf

Ryan B

[KZ]

The idea at heavenly was a gondola connecting the stateline/south lake tahoe and the casino area to the mountain with one lift. The solution was a 2.5 mile long gondola that runs straight up the steep mountains above lake tahoe. Its a pretty good idea but the long ride time (15+ minutes) really takes away from your day if you aren't eating on the mountain.

Squaw Valley is the only place with a true funitel in california. It was built in 97/98 and opened i believe in december 98. Its only 8000 or so feet long with 2000 vertical and 10 towers. The advantage of the funitel system is it can almost always run. The design allows it to run in crosswinds up to 75MPH so unless there are crazy headwinds it is always running. It can have long spans and runs at about 6 m/s so it has a high capicity, i think around 3000-3500 an hour, but I'm sure they can do closer to 4000. The garaventa design used at squaw has 14 bullwheels, 3 at each end with one double groove drive bullwheel then they have 2 on both the acceleration and deceleration sides to deflect the cable up out of the vault motor room. Each tower has about double the normal number of sheaves and it makes sense. I think the doppelmayr design now used only has 6 bullwheels as the ones in the terminal were replaced with deflection sheaves.

An old write-up on the system
More Info and Pictures

[edmontonguy]

Other places with long Gondola accesses are Silver Mountain as mentioned before and Sunshine. Sunshine has a long gondola ride up to the main base primarily due to environmental reasons. Though it's a ski lift it functions mostly as a transport lift. As well it features 2 turns one at 90 degrees and one at 30 degrees.

[UTmorMAN]

edmontonguy, on Feb 21 2005, 09:55 PM, said:

Other places with long Gondola accesses are Silver Mountain as mentioned before and Sunshine. Sunshine has a long gondola ride up to the main base primarily due to environmental reasons. Though it's a ski lift it functions mostly as a transport lift. As well it features 2 turns one at 90 degrees and one at 30 degrees.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hold on a minute here, this is good stuff. Where is Sunshine located? Any pictures/info. avaliable? Also, is there any published info. on the idea at Heavenly? Is the idea dead?

[UTmorMAN]

Ryan B, on Feb 21 2005, 09:29 PM, said:

Seems like bus systems are usually a better value. Notice all of the links have a unique reason for there installation.

links
http://www.trans.ci....ojects/Tram.htm
http://www.jakesassociates.com/knowledge_c...ions_papers.htm
http://www.railwayag...ple_movers.html
http://web.presby.ed...it/Detroit/DPM/
http://www.rioc.com/...sportation.html
http://www.ntsb.gov/events/2003/angelsflig...d%5Fmeeting.pdf

Ryan B
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Deleted off topic comment - feel free to post in proper topic forum.
Ryan B

[KZ]

Caski may have some info on the funitel idea. I may be confusing you on the heavenly thing. A gondola was built in 2001 i believe to like south lake tahoe and the mountain, but the funitel idea connecting gardnerville was proposed last summer or something and I have no additional info. I may be able to get more info of the gondola if you would like later in the week.

[UTmorMAN]

KZ, on Feb 21 2005, 10:07 PM, said:

Caski may have some info on the funitel idea. I may be confusing you on the heavenly thing. A gondola was built in 2001 i believe to like south lake tahoe and the mountain, but the funitel idea connecting gardnerville was proposed last summer or something and I have no additional info. I may be able to get more info of the gondola if you would like later in the week.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That works fine for me. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[edmontonguy]

Sunshine is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. The lift was originally a Von-roll gondola but was upgraded to a Poma gondola in 2001. It's a monocable gondola and sunshine claims it's the fastest in the world. Pictures can be found at Sunshine's website

Poma has a few pictures in their information section. Sunshine Gondola

This post has been edited by edmontonguy: 21 February 2005 - 09:15 PM

[KZ]

An Articles of Heavenly's Gondola:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../28/TR73750.DTL

Another that was basically the same said it was though about for over 45 years to link south lake to the mountain.

[CAski]

KZ, on Feb 21 2005, 09:07 PM, said:

Caski may have some info on the funitel idea. I may be confusing you on the heavenly thing. A gondola was built in 2001 i believe to like south lake tahoe and the mountain, but the funitel idea connecting gardnerville was proposed last summer or something and I have no additional info. I may be able to get more info of the gondola if you would like later in the week.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes. There is a group of investors trying to build a destination resort at Kingsbury Grade over Lake Tahoe. The road is currently not large enough to handle the sort of traffic the resort would generate and is not likely to be widened. The solution the developers came up with was to build a bi-cable gondola going from the south shore of Lake Tahoe to the resort and then on to David Wally's Hot Springs. Later, the developer changed the proposal from a gondola to a funitel, citing the fact that far fewer towers would be installed, making for lesser scenic impact, and that the funitel would have greater operability in high winds. Instead of the 280 cabins of the gondola, the funitel would have 75. As of this last September, little has been heard of from the developer, and as far as I am concerned, the project will never happen. I hope that helps.

[UTmorMAN]

Thank you, that info. helps a lot. Another question: what is the difference between a funitel and a funicular?

This post has been edited by UTmorMAN: 22 February 2005 - 05:14 AM

[liftmech]

A funitel is an aerial lift which has cabins suspended between two haul ropes. A funicular is a train-like conveyance which runs on traditional railroad tracks but is powered by a haul rope like an aerial lift. It is usually placed on steep inclines where a traditional steel-wheeled train could not operate.
Useless but interesting trivia: funitel is coined from funicular and telepherique (French for aerial tramway).