Worlds oldest operating single chair? Mt. Eyak
#1
Posted 17 December 2013 - 07:56 PM
Most of you know this was one of the first chairlifts ever built and started it's life in Sun Valley, built by American Steel & Wire
From Wikipedia:
The chairlift was purchased from Sun Valley, Idaho, and transported by train to Seattle, then by ferry to Cordova. The Sheridan Ski Club painted the towers and repaired the chairs before the army used its helicopters to put the towers in place in 1974.[2] The single chair lift was originally constructed in 1939 and serviced Bald Mountain. It is the oldest working chairlift in North America and one of only two single chairs still in operation. The other is located at Mad River Glen, Vermont.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=ejfWAKgi_CQ
http://www.skilifts....in/liftline.jpg
#2
Posted 01 January 2014 - 01:59 AM
In 1957 a ski lodge owner named Bob Hymans at Falls Creek in Victoria, Australia was tired of his customers complaining about the nutcracker tows that dominated the resort at the time. But there were a lot of wooden power poles lying around from a nearby hydro electric scheme that had been reduced in size, so showing a bit of initiative he built his own wooden chairlift. It ran for 5 years before the state government lifts and cranes inspector caught up with Hymans and closed it down.
Sadly the days when people could build home made projects like this are long gone.
Red tape and bureaucracy have taken much of the individuality and quirkiness out of ski lifts.
This post has been edited by Bogong: 16 August 2015 - 06:41 AM
#3
Posted 01 January 2014 - 12:07 PM
Bogong, on 01 January 2014 - 01:59 AM, said:
In 1957 a ski lodge owner named Bob Hymans at Falls Creek in Victoria, Australia was tired of his customers complaining about the nutcracker tows that dominated the resort at the time. But there a lot of wooden power poles lying around from a nearby hydro electric scheme that had been reduced in size, so showing a bit of initiative he built his own wooden chairlift. It ran for 5 years before the state government lifts and cranes inspector caught up with Hymans and closed it down.
Sadly the days when people could build home made projects like this are long gone.
Red tape and bureaucracy have taken much of the individuality and quirkiness out of ski lifts.
FIRST POST OF 2014.
#4
Posted 10 January 2014 - 05:52 AM
I guess it helps that I'm in a different time zone than most of you, it was 8.00 at night on 1 Jan, when I posted it.
#5
Posted 10 January 2014 - 01:19 PM
Bogong, on 10 January 2014 - 05:52 AM, said:
I guess it helps that I'm in a different time zone than most of you, it was 8.00 at night on 1 Jan, when I posted it.
Sure. What would you like?
#6
Posted 02 August 2015 - 12:43 AM
Bogong, on 01 January 2014 - 01:59 AM, said:
Red tape and bureaucracy have taken much of the individuality and quirkiness out of ski lifts.
It appears not! Professional snowboarder Mike Basich built a single chairlift in his Lake Tahoe backyard in 2012. The chairs on the Falls Creek lift were at least equipped with armrests and backrests - this lift has nothing of the sort.
#7
Posted 16 August 2015 - 06:55 AM
BTW, there are a few rather scary looking single chairlifts still operating in Japan at Niseko and nearby resorts. In our summer (your winter) a lot of Australians head up there to get a ski fix when there's no snow in this country. I've seen photos of the single chairs at Niseko that are almost as full on as that Tahoe video.
#8
Posted 16 August 2015 - 07:25 AM
... not that there's anything wrong with that.
I'd like to see an honest comparison between recorded mishaps on lifts prior to, let's say 1960 (when even deropment sensors weren't used) and those "safety-sterilized" ones being forced on us today. The result would probably be surprising.
"A measure of security can be obtained at the expense of reliability - but then a lift that isn't reliable isn't really safe". Rudy Schule.
#9
Posted 04 September 2015 - 12:39 PM
Ropeways are (and always have been) a very reliable, safe and efficient mode of transportation.
As per the rate of mishaps the complexity of modern lifts (ie electronic controls, detachable grips, etc.) increases the number of things that can go wrong, so there's that.
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