12 replies to this topic

[Kelly]

Leitner Gondola - one of the longest - played on Discovery Channel on Dec 21 - 50 minutes.

Filmed over the course of a year - filming stopped before cabins were on line.
Huge towers, footers (looked like a freeway excavation) due to common typhoon patterns.
Has an annoying background siren to impart drama in key parts, this was offset by Leitners no-nonsense employees – definitely not "This Old House" actors.
If you're unfamiliar with ski lift construction types – these are the "real deal" types – no dress codes for these guys! Funniest part of the show was when they were pulling track rope and had a jam – did they reach for the shiny 6' pry bar … nope just grabbed a piece of 1/2" rebar and muscled it into place – classic lift construction, but I suspect the "Chiefs" back at the office rolled their eyes when they saw that portion.

Synopsis and sales pitch for DVD
http://shopping.disc...duct-59411.html

http://www.hktrader.net/200412/serv/servic...chung200412.htm

http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/infrast...atures/html/041
029en06001.htm#

http://www.leitner-lifts.com/content.asp?L...c=964&idmen=129

For more forthcoming information as this lift is finished, try entering Hong Kong "cable car" in google search.

[arialropewaymillwright]

Damn, I missed it! Went to the discovery website and it doesn't say anything about a re run. (probably never gonna air in Canada anyways)
Ryan if you know if it will be airing again please let me know!
Thanks
A.R.M out

[vons]

tonight there is a show on the Dubai ski resort on the same program but they only seem to post thee weeks at a time

[SkiBachelor]

I decided to purchase the DVD since my chances of being able to watch it are very slim since I only have one Discovery channel.

[spunkyskier01]

is it a gondola, or cable car, i have to say, its a pet peeve of mine when the two get mixed up

[Lift Dinosaur]

spunkyskier01, on Dec 29 2005, 07:21 PM, said:

is it a gondola, or cable car, i have to say, its a pet peeve of mine when the two get mixed up

Its a 2S (Bi-cable) gondola with 17 passenger Sigma cabins.

[SkiBachelor]

Today I received my copy of this episode and I must say it was well worth the $24. I just wish that the Discovery Channel would have stuck around to finish filming the rest of the gondola being built but the Discovery Channel expected the gondola to be finished for the Chinese New Year, but it was 12 weeks behind schedule do to bad weather. Another nice thing about this documentary is that it not only fallowed the construction of the gondola, but also the manufacturing of the haul rope and the discussions that were happening at Leitner's headquarters in Switzerland.

After watching it, it really makes me want to go out and make videos like this for Skilifts.org when I have the time and equipment.

I thought Leitner was an Italian lift company or did Leitner's headquarters just relocate to Switzerland?

This post has been edited by SkiBachelor: 09 January 2006 - 09:19 PM

[Lift Dinosaur]

Leitner's headquarters is in Sterzing (Vipiteno), Italy. They do have an office in Switzerland, though. I haven't seen the video so I don't know what you are referencing.

[lastchair_44]

I loved that coverage they did! I was laughing because it reminded me so much of our Doppelmayr pirates that come up to build lifts in the summer. Also, I had never seen how haul rope was made and when they showed the cable at Fatzer it made a lot more sense, although I would have liked to watch more.

[Tramway Guy]

SkiBachelor, on Jan 10 2006, 03:17 AM, said:

Today I received my copy of this episode and I must say it was well worth the $24. I just wish that the Discovery Channel would have stuck around to finish filming the rest of the gondola being built but the Discovery Channel expected the gondola to be finished for the Chinese New Year, but it was 12 weeks behind schedule do to bad weather. Another nice thing about this documentary is that it not only fallowed the construction of the gondola, but also the manufacturing of the haul rope and the discussions that were happening at Leitner's headquarters in Switzerland.

After watching it, it really makes me want to go out and make videos like this for Skilifts.org when I have the time and equipment.

I thought Leitner was an Italian lift company or did Leitner's headquarters just relocate to Switzerland?

I think that the Bicable technology came from Waagner-Biro which Leitner acquired some time ago. That is probably why they were in Switzerland. Waagner-Biro also made Funiculars and large cabin ropeways.

[Lift Dinosaur]

Tramway Guy, on Apr 8 2006, 12:19 PM, said:

I think that the Bicable technology came from Waagner-Biro which Leitner acquired some time ago. That is probably why they were in Switzerland. Waagner-Biro also made Funiculars and large cabin ropeways.

The Bi-cable technology did come with the acquisition of Waagner-Biro's Ropeway Division in 1999, but they are an Austrian company - not Swiss.
I think the producers were confused by the fact that Geni Manetsch, Leitner's Chief of Ropeway Installations, is Swiss as were many on his crew; and the company doing the engineering for the foundations was Swiss; and the Kamov helicopter they used was from Heli-Swiss.
The most recent update is for completion in the end of May.
Hope this helps.

[Aussierob]

They showed that episode here last week. It was OK. Unfortunately it seemed to be mostly about how weather interrupts construction schedules rather than the lift itself.

[arialropewaymillwright]

I too laughed alot watching this discovery channel documentary as I find much humor in Swiss running around like mad trying to fix everything with a random chunk of re-bar and endless amounts of over time. (apparently Hong Kong employee's aren't much into overtime) Anyways it was very comical until I caught an old mate from my lift building days who had be recently flown in to work on the project. Turns out the guy he was replacing had unfortunately put his head between a large piece of a tower assembly while placing it with the Kamov. Try getting out of bed to go to work and looking at the blood of your predecessor on the ground everyday. ( The swiss guy died from what I hear).
Anyways not trying to bum anyone out just enjoy sharing the things that happen behind the scenes of the highly polished glossy world of the ski industry.
A.R.M out