LSS, on Oct 22 2007, 07:22 AM, said:
There is, or was a video of the track cable from the Vail Lionshead Gondola being cut as it lays on the ground. (Dead rope, not under any tension.) This is the track cable involved in the incident in 1975/76. They were using a cut off wheel. The z-locked cable was clamped and tied down to concrete blocks on both sides of the cut. At the last nip through the z-lock the thing took off and blasted the clamps off. The concrete blocks spun out with the unraveling rope. The surrounding ground was dug up etc. Fortunately the the guy cutting was on the "right" side of the rope so it spun away from him. Interesting.
Also, as the guy started to cut the rope he had the cut off wheel sparks shooting on his pant leg. About half way through, you see his hand come down to beat out the flames below his knee!
That sounds scary! Luckily for me, my experience wasn't like that! The section of track I was cutting wasn't under any tension at all (this was the remaining cable around and near the bollards at Mtn. Station) and the cable had clamps every 12-16 inches or so. This way the z wires weren't able to unravel out of control and seriously injure me, although it did scare the bejesus outta me.
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