7 replies to this topic

[DonaldMReif]

I don't know what these are called or what they are for. I think they are bristles or some sort of brush type material and they often show up in the contours of a lot of detachables. It doesn't show up on all, though. They make a distinct hissing noise if you can call it that. I've circled an example from the Avanti Express lift. What are these bristles used for?

 Bristles in the contour.jpg (1.69MB)
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[snoloco]

Mountain Creek has them in the drive terminals for their detachable lifts, but the return terminals lack them. These lifts are all top drives, so they are at the top. The American Express at Stratton has them in the return terminal which is the top since it is a bottom drive. The Kaatskill Flyer at Hunter Mountain has them in both terminals while the Zephyr Express also at Hunter Mountain doesn't have them at all. I think that they might be to keep grease from dripping off the machinery in the contours onto people who are loading or unloading, but this is pure speculation.

[vons]

The bristles on the lift terminal openings are to keep blowing snow out of the terminals. The bristles are usually only installed on top terminals since most bottom terminals are in wind protected locations

[mikest2]

They are actually there to keep snow and frost out of the station. They don't work great, but they help. Cleaning belts and pulleys is a bitch !

[DonaldMReif]

I do wonder if the decision to install the bristles is done on a lift-by-lift basis. I mean, for instance, at Keystone I think there are bristles on the upper terminal contours of the Santiago Express and Outback Express but there are none on the contours for the Dercum Mountain high speed quads. I think it's very rare for bristles to appear at the bottom terminal of a detachable, as the only one I can think of that does that is the Mountaintop Express lift.

[Yooper Skier]

They are an extra expense that isn't necessarily worth it at both ends of a lift. Of our five detaches, only one has them at both ends. They work alright until the individual bristles fall out!

[snoloco]

I think that the East Peak Express at Windham Mountain has them at both terminals, other than that, I think that only the Kaatskill Flyer at Hunter Mountain has them at both ends of the lifts I have ridden. The Cabriolet at Mountain Creek might have them removed because they lost their stiffness and are drooping down to the sides of the contours and aren't really doing anything. I don't know if the new LP HSQ going in at Gore Mountain will have them or not. Their other two detachables have them at the top only. Does it make a difference in the benefit of having the bristles if the terminal is a drive or return?

[Lift Dinosaur]

It doesn't matter if it is the Drive or the Return. What matters is the Terminal's exposure to wind and blowing snow. The purpose of the brushes is to prevent wind blown snow from entering the Terminal through the pathways that the hangers travel through and clogging up the moving parts inside the Terminal.
Dino