5 replies to this topic

[SkiBachelor]

Here is an interesting picture/drawing that I found on ebay of the K-342 chairlift at some ski area in New Mexico. It almost looks like the same setup as a Bell gondola.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...6190871340&rd=1

[iceberg210]

That hanger design on the carrier is quite interesting I've never seen anything close to that before. Does anyone know the manufactuer of this lift?

[Aussierob]

Looks pretty much like a bi-cable gondola, only it's a chairlift instead. As a lft type it has lots of advantages. High capacity, big spans, low power consumption, wind resistant, few if any moving parts on towers.

[Duck]

Just wondering, how would capacity and power consumption be changed with a 2S ropeway setup?

-Iain

[vons]

looks like ski santa fe's origanal lift. The lift was a converted bi-cable mining tram moved from silverton in the late forties. This lift had some issues like the detachable grip on the hull rope often slipped and chairs would roll back into each other and then fall off...the lift was removed in the sixties after a lifty blew up the top terminal by smoking near a leaky propane tank. The lift ran from above the current Totomoff's lodge to the top of the quad and only climbed about 650vft. all that remans of this lift lift are two chair swings on the deck of Totomoff's and a little concrete from its bottom terminal's foundation.

P.S. Erne Blake the founder of toas ran the resort at this time There is a book called Ski Pioneers that has some photos and info on the lift

[Zage]

Some of the first chairlifts were bi-cable so they could go long spans without towers (as Aussierob said) because probably back then, making towers and installing them was hard.