14 replies to this topic

[kfellows]

I'm new here, but am an industry employee. I'm interested in old mining tramways, since that's our industrial heritage in the lift business. Is any one interested in discussing or researching old mining tramways, especially the one at Rock Candy Mountain near Grand Forks, BC? If this is too far off the normal topics, I apologize. But, I have been interested in trying to figure out the manufacturer of this particular tramway for a number of years, and to no avail. Anyone have any information?

Thanks.

[SkiBachelor]

Have you read the book 'Riding the Hire Wire' by Robert Trennert?

This tramway might be listed in it. I read the book over the summer, but can't remember if it talked about this particular tramway or not. However, it did list several in the B.C. area. I'll have to check in my free time though.

http://www.amazon.com/Riding-High-Wire-Aer...TF8&s=books

[Emax]

Have you tried the Colorado School of Mines?

If you can track him down, I'll bet that Rick Jewett could help you.
Any old-timers here know how to hget in touch with Rick?

[Allan]

kfellows, on Dec 5 2006, 07:44 PM, said:

I'm new here, but am an industry employee. I'm interested in old mining tramways, since that's our industrial heritage in the lift business. Is any one interested in discussing or researching old mining tramways, especially the one at Rock Candy Mountain near Grand Forks, BC? If this is too far off the normal topics, I apologize. But, I have been interested in trying to figure out the manufacturer of this particular tramway for a number of years, and to no avail. Anyone have any information?

Thanks.

I've been to it! It's an hour and a bit from me. There's not much left of the lower terminal left, but you can still dig around in the dirt and find some of the old crystals. I've also been to the top to the mine itself, which is where these crystals came from. You have to pay to go up there now. All I remember seeing was a wire rope laying on the ground and a tower of some sort.

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[Allan]

We actually have a restored mining tram right in town here, as well! Amazingly enough... I don't even have pictures of it!

[spunkyskier01]

i couldnt find any mention refering to the specific ropeway your asking about in "riding the Highwire", but if i had to take a guess, its most likely a riblet, as most mine trams in that area were riblets. this is only a guess however.

This post has been edited by spunkyskier01: 05 December 2006 - 09:22 PM

[liftmech]

Emax, on Dec 5 2006, 09:04 PM, said:

Have you tried the Colorado School of Mines?

If you can track him down, I'll bet that Rick Jewett could help you.
Any old-timers here know how to hget in touch with Rick?

Not an old-timer, but anyway- I believe Rick still does a few projects and inspections in this area. I don't have his number but you could most likely get in touch with him through the Colorado Tramway board.

A few photos I took of the London Mine tramway east of Mosquito Pass, near Leadville and Alma.

London Tram

[WBSKI]

I have photos of the remains of the Silverdaisy Mine Tram (A silver mining tram in the first half of the 20th century) between Manning Park and Hope, BC

http://skiingbc.info...daisy/index.htm


Also, photos of a tram that was recently removed going from the Coquihalla Hwy near Hope.

http://skiingbc.info/mtn/Other%20Lifts/Coq...a%201/index.htm

This post has been edited by WBSKI: 06 December 2006 - 04:21 PM

[WBSKI]

Heres a couple photos of the Red Mtn Mining lift that I took Summer 2005. These towers interested me because they looked very similar in design to the towers that were the first chairlift at Red Mtn

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This post has been edited by WBSKI: 06 December 2006 - 04:18 PM

[kfellows]

Actually, I've talked to John West, who asked Rick if he knew, and neither of them did. Apparently someone from BC wrote a book on Riblet (only when they were based in Canada), and stated it was a Riblet lift. I believe that's incorrect though, because the owner of Riblet told me he had record of each and every tramway the company had ever built and that wasn't one of them. Most old lifts like this still have "RTC Co." and a part number, even from the early 1900's, and this one does not. Although it does have the typical 15/16" square nuts, like even the earliest lifts. I've looked as far as I can, and still don't know for sure. It's an interesting lift- 8km. long, with large sections still in the air with carriers waiting for their next load of ore 150' overhead... it's quite a treasure, but falling down more by the year.

[Peter]

The Riblet book is called Tramway Titan. It is really interesting, but unfortunately this lift was not in it. It must not be a Riblet lift.

[kfellows]

Allan, on Dec 5 2006, 08:34 PM, said:

I've been to it! It's an hour and a bit from me. There's not much left of the lower terminal left, but you can still dig around in the dirt and find some of the old crystals. I've also been to the top to the mine itself, which is where these crystals came from. You have to pay to go up there now. All I remember seeing was a wire rope laying on the ground and a tower of some sort.

We know the owner, and have spent some time at the top. We hiked down to the 4th tower, and last year both track ropes and the haul rope were airborne with carriers hanging high over the canyon.. Unfortunately last year, it looks like a hunter may have shot the rope and things have come down significantly. I've seen the treasure 18' long lift profile, hand-drawn in 1916. Even it says nothing of the manufacturer. I don't know how long other mining tramways are, but this one is 8km! Amazing, considering the date it was constructed.

[kfellows]

Skier, on Dec 6 2006, 07:19 PM, said:

The Riblet book is called Tramway Titan. It is really interesting, but unfortunately this lift was not in it. It must not be a Riblet lift.

That's it! I did find this tramway mentioned in the index, and the author states it's a Riblet. But I still disagree.

[WBSKI]

How do you get to this tramway? I am interested in checking it out next time im in the area..

[kfellows]

WBSKI, on Dec 7 2006, 04:10 PM, said:

How do you get to this tramway? I am interested in checking it out next time im in the area..

It's private property; for a small fee you can go to the mine at the top terminal. You can find info on the web, geologyadventures.com, or searching for a Canadian site that is specifically for that mine. There's a small trail up there that takes you to an overlook where you can see the towers. It's possible the owner might take you over or let you look at the top terminal location, where the boiler and other equipment is still in place. The bottom is near Granby I believe, but I haven't been there. There's another old copper mine tramway in Northern Idaho where even the cottonwood band brake is still in place, just like the ski lifts today!