14 replies to this topic

[PhilippK]

Hi,

i've got a question about the Chairlift Page @skilifts.og

where the following picture come from:


Whats happend there. The page is not aviable (only the 404 error page), nut from the discription of text near this picture it sounds like they wantet to test the terminal of the destroying on fire, is this right, or whats else??
Was this a fixed grip or a detachable lift and from what manufacturar comes it?

best regards,
Philipp

PS: Sorry for the bad english

[SkiBachelor]

That is the Eskimo Double Chair at Winter Park and it was destroyed in a chairlift destruction test, a Riblet fixed double. A series of tests were done on the lift including the one you see, to see what would happen if one of those tests were to happen in real life. I hope to that page up and running soon, but I have been busy with other stuff so that's the reason why your getting that error page.

P.S. If you can get your hands on the Eskimo lift destruction video, it's pretty cool to watch.

[KZ]

They lite a fire in the motor room while the lift was running, and they showed how fast it spread and burnt down the lift shack.

[iceberg210]

Didn't they also cut trees down and land them on the lift sever the haulrope weaken towers etc?

[Allan]

The tests were... in no particular order... Rollback, Rollback with drive shaft disconnected (my favorite) trees on haul rope, drive station fire - that resulted in a haul rope failure, oil on drive sheave liner, and tower pull. I think that's it.

[PhilippK]

Who make this test? Riblet?
Buildt they a new lift there, or was this lift out of order? And who payed thist tests.

best regards,
Philipp

[Bill]

The tests were conducted by the Colorado Tramway Board with cooperation from Doppelmayr, Poma, Lift Engineering (Yan) and a company called Jerlynn (I think). They conducted the test on the Riblet double chair Eskimo at Winter Park, this lift was slated to be replaced and rather than selling the lift, it was destroyed as a victim to put a lift through actual stress tests.

Test #1 - Rollback with drive connected.
Test #2 - Rollback with drive disconnected.
Test #3 - Oil on bullwheel liner.
Test #4 - Tree fall on the line (one lower and one upper)
Test #5 - Fire test (destroyed the lift)
Test #6 - Tower pull (lateral and sideways)

Since then the lift has been replaced again, this time with a a high speed lift. I do have a copy of this video.

[Kicking Horse]

one highlight is that Blocks of Concrte went flying from the chairs...... during a couple of the tests..... :)

[Bill]

That was only on test #2, the rollback test...

[liftmech]

I think a weld also failed on one of the tower pulls. The company you're thinking of, Bill, is JenLynn International, an engineering firm.

[Bill]

Yup thats it. I had to go watch it to verify that I got it wrong last night, and then I didn't feel like changin' the post. :)

[Patrick Sullivan]

Just like that warren miller movie.....Snowriders2 I believe.... should have done an explosives test.... :D One way to get rid of a lift! But then again...there'll always be a soft spot in my heart for an old riblet....
and then again and again, in the words of AC/DC "FIRE!!!!!"

[Allan]

I agree... I quite like our old Mueller, however I would also like to see it end in a bunch of tests I get to conduct.. or at least watch!!

[floridaskier]

Something like that would be incredible to see in person

[liftmech]

Patrick Sullivan, on Aug 5 2004, 07:15 PM, said:

But then again...there'll always be a soft spot in my heart for an old riblet....
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Me too, having started my careers both as a skier and a mechanic on Riblets. But it was definitely an interesting video to watch. I'd like to see the same tests conducted on a Yan... although I can't say that too loud or it will damage my credibility when I defend Yan fixed-grip lifts.