24 replies to this topic

[julestheshiba]

Recently RemonteesMechanics.net has posted images from the colorado school of mines of the old river run gondola

http://www.remontees...ering-5782.html

[floridaskier]

Great find, thanks for posting.

Anyone know how the grips worked on this? They don't look like the same ones that Yan used on the HSQs. Were they contracted from someone else?

Was the removal of this one mostly due to the Teller accident, or if not what other issues did it have?

[2milehi]

Rumor has it that there were big issues with Yan gondola. Braking and grips were the biggest concern. The electric motor contour evokes a small fear in me.

[NHskier13]

I'd possibly see trouble in stopping the lift if proper braking on each motor was overlooked or didn't function.
Also seriously, why that many? Why not a chain?

[_litz]

I'm looking at all those motors and adding up the costs .... lots of $$$$$ there.

An axle with a wheel on one side and a pully/chain cog on the other is vastly vastly cheaper.

[Tramway Guy]

I was told back then that it was a knockoff of a Von Roll grip. The jaws moved symmetrically in both directions in the main body. There was a toggle that pushed a lever over center from clamped to unclamped and vice versa. The grip stayed open on its own until back on the closing rail.
There were VERY few of the original Swiss grips in service(maybe only one or two) and they were not adequate for a 6-passenger Gondola. So Yan scaled it up to hold a cabin using a single grip, which at the time was not allowed in Europe. Naturally, a single grip required a larger rope (due to shear ratio) so Keystone was stuck with a 55mm rope; and when Von Roll took out the Yan and put in the 1986 River Run, they elected to re-use the almost new larger rope, which of course required 500mm support sheaves. If they had a clean slate, it could have been built with a 48 mm rope, and in fact was changed to that with new grip jaws and rope when both parts needed replacing at some point years later.

[julestheshiba]

2milehi, on 19 April 2016 - 08:35 AM, said:

Rumor has it that there were big issues with Yan gondola. Braking and grips were the biggest concern. The electric motor contour evokes a small fear in me.

If one motor breaks the whole thing is screwed

[2milehi]

And not just the motor - there is fusing for each motor, a contactor, terminal blocks. And when mountain power goes out???

[Andy1962]

2milehi, on 19 April 2016 - 07:14 PM, said:

And not just the motor - there is fusing for each motor, a contactor, terminal blocks. And when mountain power goes out???

So how many motors for tires were in EACH Terminal.

[NHskier13]

also, wouldn't that mean there would need to be additional power at the return? I'm guessing like most bigger resorts have that this was a top drive, so the contour at the bottom would be able to run off a power supply of something nearby i.e a lodge or other chair lift. Didn't look at the map but still, looks like lazy design to me.

[julestheshiba]

It is YAN what else would they do?

[julestheshiba]

I do like YANs tires and sheaves with their shiny round stainless steel look.

[Mike12164]

So what happens when the power goes out? does each station require and APU generator to power the contour or does a mechanic have to climb up and painstakingly install v-belts on EVERY SINGLE tire?

Most other clutchless spacing systems I've seen use 2-3 motors and require only the same number of belts added to have the contour powered by the PTO sheaves if the lift needs to be run without mains power.

[julestheshiba]

I know Squaw had one for 2 years and was replaced for the same problems

[2milehi]

The return of the River Run Gondola (Von Roll flavored) had a decent sized gen set that powered the tension system. I'm assuming it was a leftover for powering the return "motor contour".

[Lift Dinosaur]

All of you 2016 engineering consultants are forgetting 1 key thing- this was in 1984. The only 'new' option at that time was chains, gearboxes, drive shafts and more chains. Prior to that is was Gravity launching and manual transport of the cabins through the turn arounds. PTO's and geared contours didn't show up for about 10 years.
As for power outages, I imagine there was genset back up....and in my 20 years at a Ski Area I remember 2 power outages....
Dino

[2milehi]

Sorry Dino, you are not seeing our point. This seems to be an overly complicated solution for a contour when you consider that the AC motors must of been driven by some type of variable frequency drive (for different speeds). The Von Roll had a haulage chain and that seems to be an easier solution.

This post has been edited by 2milehi: 21 April 2016 - 06:46 AM

[Lift Dinosaur]

Yan wasn't always into status quo and easier solution is all I'm saying.
Dino

[jaytrem]

I found it interesting that the parking rail/chain thing looked so much like the old Mt Snow chain conveyor lifts. Cool pics, thanks for posting it.

[barnstormer]

You can run multiple motors off of one VFD. In the contour, they would all be running at the same speed. Also, TEFC AC motors are pretty bulletproof. Yan used gearboxes in the turn around, in fact throughout the terminal, until their demise.

I really like the photos of what looks like an early Series 3 control system and Sabina 8800 drive.

This post has been edited by barnstormer: 21 April 2016 - 11:48 AM