41 replies to this topic

[skierdude9450]

Skier, on Apr 12 2007, 08:31 AM, said:

-Who made the first double & quad with an exterior carrier? (Obviously there wasn't ever a centerpole triple - or was there?
----I presume you mean bail chair? I am not sure but Riblet made bail chairs as early as 1963.

Actually, the first double in Colorado (possibly country) at Berthoud Pass was made by Heron, and was a bail carrier.

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[boardski]

skierdude9450, on Apr 13 2007, 09:52 PM, said:

There are cp triples in Europe. This one's detachable.

bernkogelbahn_2.jpg

I'm pretty sure that this is the only H-P center pole double.

peachtree.jpg

The Cannonball lift at Eldora, CO formerly had the Heron center bar chairs but they were replaced in 1998 with side bar Heron chairs. Could it be possible these side bar chairs came from Copper's old 'B' lift (removed in 1998)?
The former Paradise lift, also at Crested Butte had the center bar chairs (removed in 1993) and the former Olympia lift at Winter Park (removed in 1996) had them with footrests. It was easy to get whacked in the back of the head by the footrests on Olympia. Thank goodness they developed ski helmets.

[Lift Dinosaur]

The Cannonball lift at Eldora, CO formerly had the Heron center bar chairs but they were replaced in 1998 with side bar Heron chairs. Could it be possible these side bar chairs came from Copper's old 'B' lift (removed in 1998)?

Yes. You are correct.

Dino

[skierdude9450]

boardski, on May 24 2007, 08:47 AM, said:

and the former Olympia lift at Winter Park (removed in 1996) had them with footrests. It was easy to get whacked in the back of the head by the footrests on Olympia. Thank goodness they developed ski helmets.

I thought that Olympia was a Riblet.

[Peter]

Nope, it was a 1971 Heron-Poma double.

[liftmech]

Lift Dinosaur, on May 24 2007, 11:52 AM, said:

The Cannonball lift at Eldora, CO formerly had the Heron center bar chairs but they were replaced in 1998 with side bar Heron chairs. Could it be possible these side bar chairs came from Copper's old 'B' lift (removed in 1998)?

Yes. You are correct.

Dino

Yet another Copper lift lives on somewhere else!

[Allan]

mikest2, on May 17 2007, 08:48 PM, said:

Doppelmayr as well, I'm still running one.

I knew I had a picture of your lift! Taken in 2000.

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[mikest2]

Allan, on Jun 6 2007, 07:49 PM, said:

I knew I had a picture of your lift! Taken in 2000.

Nice shot on a beautiful day, The Falcon has it's own weather most days.

[Snoqualmie guy]

Why did bail chairs become the norm? Are they supposed to be safer?

[liftmech]

They're not any less or more safe than those with centre bars. They do weigh more, which can be a benefit in windy areas. Watching 75-lb Riblet carriers in a windstorm is a bit scary.

[poloxskier]

liftmech, on Jun 9 2007, 06:39 PM, said:

They're not any less or more safe than those with centre bars. They do weigh more, which can be a benefit in windy areas. Watching 75-lb Riblet carriers in a windstorm is a bit scary.

Especially when the ones you are watching are the loaded ones on-line in front of you.

[artfart]

is there an advantage to center pole lifts

[SkiBachelor]

My guess is that they can handle high winds better as there is less wind resistance.

[artfart]

yeah that makes sense

[Snoqualmie guy]

Is that because it is heavier?

[skiersage]

artfart, on Aug 19 2007, 12:15 PM, said:

is there an advantage to center pole lifts

Center bar carriers have different advantages to different people.
From a mechanic's point of view, they are light which makes them easier to move.
From a (how should I say this) dishonest persons point of view, their light weight makes them easily made into a free porch swing when they are off the line. I believe Allan can attest to this.
From a riders point of view, let me put it this way, if you get caught riding with a really fat person there is the bar to keep him/her from taking your space on the chair.

[Winterhighland]

Skier, on Apr 12 2007, 03:31 PM, said:

-How difficult is it to convert a center-pole to a exterior carrier? (I only know of a handful of Riblets ever converted)
----Buy new chairs.

B4 - sometime in 1986 (West Wall Chairlift on CairnGorm Mountain):



Almost 20years later:

[Snoqualmie guy]

That lift looks like the old T-Bird at Snoq. Summit!

[liftmech]

SkiBachelor, on Aug 19 2007, 12:55 PM, said:

My guess is that they can handle high winds better as there is less wind resistance.

Actually (as I posted above) centre-pole carriers swing more because they weigh less and aren't as stable.

[LiftTech]

liftmech, on Aug 23 2007, 10:59 AM, said:

Actually (as I posted above) centre-pole carriers swing more because they weigh less and aren't as stable.

That’s part of it but not all, although there are several variables to it wind produces a given force per square foot, so reduce the surface area and you reduce the total force applied to the object, reduce the weight of the object and you reduce the objects ability to resist the force applied. One of our MDs wanted to put padded seat backs on some of our lifts and although it would have added very little weight it would have added a great deal of surface area for the wind to push on. The reason could just be bail chairs are stronger, triangulation.