45 replies to this topic

[SidBurn]

Is the clock tower building going to stay? Or will they build a different tram terminal?

[aug]

SkiBachelor, on Feb 10 2006, 07:00 PM, said:

It looks as if the top terminal has actually been started and is just sitting there waiting for the machinary to installed before the rest of the building in completed. I was up there 2 years ago when I thought the lift was going to be built. The tram will terminate right next to the parking garage but there is a new hospital wing/building that the tram will be connected to but the tram will be on the far side, so vibration should be minimal.

i have read that special engineering went into the design of the building so that NO vibration will be transmitted to the building. comforting to me if i was having brain surgery in that building connected to a large mechanical device such as a tram. sorry to get off topic gents see ya.

This post has been edited by aug: 10 February 2006 - 10:31 PM

[SkiBachelor]

Because the clock tower is also connected with the ticket office, I have a feeling that it will stay. However, because Jackson Hole is still in the process of building a new village, it might be removed and replaced with a new clock tower. I guess the best way to find out is to E-mail Jackson Hole.

[boardski]

The gondola cars on the Silver Queen were definately unique, however, it is wierd riding up the mountain backward and facing directly out the window and it has looked as if some of the doors are not closing all the way for the past few years. I wish Ajax would consider a HSQ spanning from bottom of Little Nell/ Silver Queen to the top of Bell Mountain (Little Nell and Bell Mtn lifts could then be removed) and a HSQ replacement for the Gents Ridge FGQ. This would take some traffic off of the gondola and spread people out more on the mountain. I wonder if ASC takes requests. As for Jackson Hole, the tram being removed will have much greater impact. Hopefully they can keep all of their terrain open continuously and install a comparable replacement as soon as possible.

[Carl]

The JH Tram's cabins WERE replaced back in the late 1980's. I took a pic of the occasion; first new cabin headed up, last old cabin headed down.


They were painted red because area founder, Paul McCollister was from California and was a Stanford football team fan. Standford's team color was red!

The Jackson Hole tram is worn out and needs replacing. Nothing is alarming as far as integrity, to the best of my knowledge, but, as mentioned in a post above, refurbishment is just not cost effective. A Doppelmayr/CTEC lift is slated for East Ridge, as mentioned in the press release quoted above. I hear weighted double chairs on Quad sized towers to give lots of clearance. The towers will have combo sheavetrains, as well, with support and hold down sheaves. This is the info circulating amongst some of the employees and is not written in stone!!!

The ski area is well aware that the tram is their signature and I'm sure they are gonna end up doing whatever it takes to retain that 4000+ vert. experience.

Carl

[carrietride]

At this time I know that Jackson Hole is in France shopping for a new Tram.... along with Grouse Mountain

[Peter]

Does that meaan they are looking at POMA in France?

[Carl]

I've not heard any brand names but I do know the Master Plan deletes the Clock Tower.......

Carl

[skierdude9450]

I think that they're at an equal loss. What would it be like on SQ if you didn't have to sit back to back. The cars are what signify the gondola. They need to save the cars and put in a HSQ paralleling the gondola the whole way and wiping out two lifts that never get used in the first place.

[SidBurn]

skierdude9450, on Feb 15 2006, 08:12 PM, said:

I think that they're at an equal loss. What would it be like on SQ if you didn't have to sit back to back. The cars are what signify the gondola. They need to save the cars and put in a HSQ paralleling the gondola the whole way and wiping out two lifts that never get used in the first place.

My point exactly. Aspen just isn't Aspen without a gondola consisting of quirky little egg cars with clamshell doors and back to back seating. I still don't understand why they had to pick replacement cars that look like everyone elses.

[poloxskier]

skierdude9450, on Feb 15 2006, 06:12 PM, said:

I think that they're at an equal loss. What would it be like on SQ if you didn't have to sit back to back. The cars are what signify the gondola. They need to save the cars and put in a HSQ paralleling the gondola the whole way and wiping out two lifts that never get used in the first place.

When I was there last year there was talk of a long term plan of replacing Shadow Mountain with a hsq that had a turn in it that would start at the gondola base replacing little nell too that would travel up to the catwalk above the shadow mountain base to be a mid turn station and would continue to the top of the current Shadow Mountain lift. Also as part of this plan would be that the area below the mid station to the current base would become real estate.

[skiersage]

I know that some people consider aspen taking down the gondola cabins a loss but personally I am looking forward to the new ones. This is not because I don't think the old ones are cool or anything but they are very small and very cramped. So if the new cabins are bigger than I will be happy.

[vons]

In the paper they said they first triied to get simular cabins but they were not avalable, Aspen looked at back to back seating cabins but the size of the modern ones would have cut capacity by 1/3 so traditional cabins where the only choice. Over the holidays they had a pair of the new cabins in the plaza they are very nice and significantly more roomy, overall its a huge improvement. Having spent 45min yesterday in one of the clamshells with five freinds, at lest after that much time they are freinds now, I found those cabins ato be quite uncomfortable.

This post has been edited by vons: 16 February 2006 - 06:40 PM

[SkiBachelor]

Are the new CWA lll cabins that are going to be used on Silver Queen going to be 6 person or 8 person cabins? That would increase the lift's capacity quite a bit too.

[carrietride]

Skier, on Feb 12 2006, 02:43 PM, said:

Does that meaan they are looking at POMA in France?

They are looking at Trams in France that are POMA's... shopping at this point...

[boardski]

poloxskier, on Feb 15 2006, 10:48 PM, said:

When I was there last year there was talk of a long term plan of replacing Shadow Mountain with a hsq that had a turn in it that would start at the gondola base replacing little nell too that would travel up to the catwalk above the shadow mountain base to be a mid turn station and would continue to the top of the current Shadow Mountain lift. Also as part of this plan would be that the area below the mid station to the current base would become real estate.

Hopefully they will re-consider that plan, Shadow Mtn really works fine as a FGD. There is hardly ever a line. Two HSQ (one replacing Little Nell and Bell Mtn and the other replacing Gent's Ridge) would drastically improve the skiing experience since some of the expert terrain on Bell Mtn is difficult to get to without the lift running and even if it is running, who wants a 13+ min lift ride anymore??. Same issue on the Gent's Ridge except an even LONGER lift ride due to more frequent stops. (People have trouble loading FGQ's especially those with those uncomfortable mid-80's Poma carriers which hit you in the lower back unexpectedly when loading). Gondolas are a hassle to do laps on due to the necessity to dismount equipment every time. As long as Aspen Mtn continues to charge top $$ for their old and slow chairs to access advanced terrain, there is always the Highlands which has invested in needed improvements to deliver what people pay for.

[SidBurn]

I do agree the back-to-back seating arrangement didn't quite foster social interaction between passengers, also half the interior was taken up with the mechanical parts used to open the doors, but it was still an icon. Just as the JH tram was always crowded and always had long lines and was always windy at the top, you gotta take the good with the bad.

[Outback]

SidBurn, on Feb 15 2006, 09:35 PM, said:

My point exactly. Aspen just isn't Aspen without a gondola consisting of quirky little egg cars with clamshell doors and back to back seating. I still don't understand why they had to pick replacement cars that look like everyone elses.

Imagine if you owned a 1985 Citron and you opened and closed the doors every 12 minutes for 21 years? I think it's time for an upgrade or maybe some new hinges. I personally liked the french design cuz you could look at something interesting instead of someone else's mug!

[SidBurn]

Outback, on Feb 18 2006, 04:51 PM, said:

Imagine if you owned a 1985 Citron and you opened and closed the doors every 12 minutes for 21 years? I think it's time for an upgrade or maybe some new hinges. I personally liked the french design cuz you could look at something interesting instead of someone else's mug!

Yea, but the gondolas at Keystone and Steamboat are as old or older than the SQ and they work fine.

[liftmech]

River Run- 1985
Silver Queen- 1986
Silver Bullet- 1988

Perhaps Ajax's unique cabin design is harder on equipment than the other two.