10 replies to this topic

[Peter]

I found this interesting on Coloradoskihistory.com:

"After many years of providing novice skiers with fun and affordable skiing, Ski Idlewild
closed in March of 1986 after the first tower of the double chairlift had its left sheave
system supporting the downhill portion of rope fail and fall to the ground. Luckily,
according to a 1960's Pomagalski ad, the chairlift was designed to operate even after
losing this part."

This seems crazy, I don't think the lift could operate correctly without the first set of sheaves.

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[skier691]

one, fell to the ground... probably after it shot skyward, two, operate.... yeah.. would love to watch.

[Peter]

I just can't believe that Poma designed the lift to run after falling apart.

[coskibum]

i bet they did plans to install a new depression tower or something like that. there is no way that lift could run safely w/o a new depression tower. it also has a floating bullwheel at the summit which is sketchy looking IMO.

[darkshark0159]

Hello, this is Alex from over from the ColoradoSkiHistory.com forums. I wrote that article. I have some old Pomagalski info and it WAS kind of sketchy. I don't think that they meant it could continue to operate normally with a missing sheave, but i do think that they meant you could continue to slowly operate the lift and evacuate everyone off the lift. The rope is pulling up on the bullwheel but it looks like it could still slowly operate (if it wasn't abandoned for 20 some years...). I'm not a lift expert so help me out on this one.

[skiersage]

coskibum, on Jul 4 2006, 10:50 AM, said:

i bet they did plans to install a new depression tower or something like that. there is no way that lift could run safely w/o a new depression tower. it also has a floating bullwheel at the summit which is sketchy looking IMO.

I agree that though the lift could not operate normaly without the depression sheave on that particular tower, it may be able to run at a snails pace so that the passengers would not have to be evaced off by the ski patrol. As long as the haul rope stays on the bullwheel.

Ski Idlewild always amazes me that they went out of buisness because the depression sheave train fell off. That is just one of those things where they could have put it back up with the purchace of some parts that they may have even had lying around the spare parts pile. but then again.....

As far as floating bullwheels go, they are not sketchy at all. they do bounce up and down a little bit but nothing that would lift the rope off of the idler sheaves. they stay still even when a chair goes around the bullwheel. Nubs nob still runs one of these lifts and it works pretty well for its age.

below is a picture of the lift of which I speak:

[Peter]

Was Poma the only one to use floating bullwheels?

[Lift Kid]

I've never heard of any other company with floating bullwheels. I'm thinking that it is a POMA thing. But, I could be totaly wrong.

I am wondering what the point is to having a floating bullwheel?

[darkshark0159]

i suppose floating bullwheels make adjusting tension easier. The ski idlewild floating bullwheel had sandbags added to increase tension

[SkiBachelor]

I think Hall and Miner Denver had floating bullwheels.

[Lift Kid]

That sounds like something both of those companys might do.