6 replies to this topic

[passengerpigeon]

Hello,
A while ago I read the South American reports on remontées-mécaniques.net, and was intrigued by all of the old lifts relocated from far away. I found a Riblet double with unique tower heads and a strangely-refurbished drive terminal, an old Poma double with SACMI sheaves that must have been moved from Europe, and a second-generation Montaz-Mautino double that was again bought secondhand from Europe.
This has made me wonder:

1) Have any lifts been relocated from North America to Europe or vice versa?
2) Have any relocated lifts kept their old name?

Also, speaking of South America, I found these reports on ski lifts №2 and №3 at Pucon, Chile. The manufacturer is listed as Riblet, although the only Riblet parts I can see in the lifts are the insert grips. The chairs are clearly Ski Lift International, and the towers seem to be Doppelmayr but I am not 100% sure. Does anybody know the manufacturer of certain parts?

[liftmech]

The Riblets at Pucon are, as far as I know, original installations. Riblet did sell lifts down there.

[Peter]

passengerpigeon, on 10 February 2015 - 03:30 AM, said:

Hello,
1) Have any lifts been relocated from North America to Europe or vice versa?

I believe the 2nd gondola at Big Sky was relocated from somewhere in Europe.

[Backbowlsbilly]

Crested Butte's original gondola was too, I think from Italy, but it was removed a few years later because of some issues with it. (http://www.chairlift...estedbutte.html)

[2milehi]

I bet some chairs would hit the ground with a fully loaded lift and an E-Stop in that long span.

[RibStaThiok]

sure was a pretty lift though..

[boardski]

Some of the towers were lattice style- might have been reused from the former gondola. The old Silver Queen also had a noticeable roll-back when it was stopped. Nothing dangerous but definitely noticeable. The lift was very similar to Copper's "F-Lift" except the chairs were black and Copper's chairs were white. The window part could separate from the footrest part which had the lower part of the canopy mounted on it. The newer designs started by the former "Vista Bahn" at Vail were better since the footrests did not have any of the canopy paneling mounted to them. Unique lifts, did any lucky individual end up with an old chair from either of those lifts (Old Silver Queen or 'F' Lift)?