43 replies to this topic

[liftmech]

JustJeepIt, on Jul 29 2007, 01:37 AM, said:

Back when I went to Winter Park in 1993, there was a single black riblet tower standing with some cable welded onto the sheaves on both sides, and two chairs attached. It was out in the middle of some trees, I wonder if this was part of the old Eskimo lift?

Ahh well, thanks again for posting it.

Cheers

More than likely you saw the practice evacuation lift. Many ski areas have something like this set up; it allows patrol and any other affected personnel to get in lift evacuation drills during the day. Otherwise, you're kind of stuck trying to get in a few minutes before opening or after closing on an active lift.
Breck has a portion of the old D chair set up this way, you can see it off the Beaver Run lift.

[EagleAce]

liftmech, on Jul 29 2007, 12:44 PM, said:

More than likely you saw the practice evacuation lift. Many ski areas have something like this set up; it allows patrol and any other affected personnel to get in lift evacuation drills during the day. Otherwise, you're kind of stuck trying to get in a few minutes before opening or after closing on an active lift.
Breck has a portion of the old D chair set up this way, you can see it off the Beaver Run lift.

Never seen something like that before. We use Red Fox to practice evac drills on since we don't run it very often.

[coskibum]

oh i know, you can tell it wasn't planned

[Lift Kid]

liftmech, on Jul 29 2007, 02:44 PM, said:

More than likely you saw the practice evacuation lift. Many ski areas have something like this set up; it allows patrol and any other affected personnel to get in lift evacuation drills during the day. Otherwise, you're kind of stuck trying to get in a few minutes before opening or after closing on an active lift.
Breck has a portion of the old D chair set up this way, you can see it off the Beaver Run lift.

It's funny how many different types of chairs there are on the old D line! It has two old Riblet towers, a chair from Beaver Run, and one from a newer Poma HSQ. (Mercury, Rocky Mountain, etc.) Also, there are Riblet chairs. They even have one from old lift 4!!

[skierdude9450]

I stumbled across this about a month ago, but I didn't decide to post it. Still it's a great movie!

[JustJeepIt]

I watched that video again tonight, it still amazes me how they were able to get her back up and running after that destructive roll back!

[skisox34]

I often thought that after the rollback test my guess is they did not restore it to how well built it would have to be to carry people but just enough to allow it to run for the fire test. I would bet there are quite a few sheaves missing especially in the lower sections!

[aug]

It has been my understanding that the low speed coupling was dis- connected when the roll back test was initiated. this explains the rapid acceleration of the lift , not having the friction of the large "western gear" gear box not connected to the the bullwheel shaft.

[Skiing#1]

Fantastic video! Sometimes it makes me laugh.

I noticed the chairs moved backward (reverse). I am just curious. Can new high speed lift chairs and new fixed grip lift chairs do move backward (reverse)?

This post has been edited by Skiing#1: 14 August 2007 - 06:19 AM

[Lift Kid]

Skiing#1, on Aug 13 2007, 11:08 PM, said:

Fantastic video! Sometimes it makes me laugh.

I noticed the chairs moved backward. I am just curious. Can new high speed lift chairs and new fixed grip lift chairs do move backward?

Some, not not all, are designed to. Doppelmayr did this with many of their late 80's to mid 90's Uni detachables. The lifts could run in reverse to get chairs onto the chair rail or just for other maintenance purposes.

[Peter]

I think all Doppelmayr detachables can go in reverse.

[liftmech]

For maintenance purposes, yes. CTEC guys can correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought they could also go in reverse. Technically any lift can if you know how, it's just that Doppelmayr designs this function into their control system.

[skisox34]

I would think with all the rollback protections on Poma's that it would be impossible. I worked Poma detach's at the big K and there are rollback protections in triplicate that would make it impossible I would think. I remember one day this year Sugarbush was running slide brook in reverse for maintence and I had to do a double take! It just looks wrong!

[chasl]

The philosophy of Doppelmayr and Leightner- Poma are a little different.
If you notice at least on the older systems, LP checks the grip force in the incoming side of the line.
Doppelmayr checks the grip force on the out going, with that being said if the system sends out a chair and the lift shuts down on grip fault, they would have to back it up to inspect or remove the carrier from service.

Doppelmayr in this case normally adds a back up motor (diesel) for this purpose.
Extra cost to the customer but also a secondary evacuation drive as it is generally a hydrostat system.
Because LP checks the grip on the incoming side they would not have to add this extra motor. Although, I am unsure as to their procedures, if the system shuts down on a profile switch at the launch point.

[BigSkier]

Oh, geez! What a mess! I only had time to watch the brake test and the rollback test. I can't believe how far those blocks were flying off of those chairs! Why did they do those tests, anyway? Were they already planning to take the lift out?

[skisox34]

Ya they were ready to take the lift out and WP was nice enough to lend the lift for this type of testing. We can only hope that more resorts would lend their used lifts for this type of testing. I would really like to see a Detach subjecting to similar testng, though I don't know if the safeties would allow any similar testing of a modern detach. It would be interesting to watch!

This post has been edited by skisox34: 27 September 2007 - 07:28 AM

[SkiBachelor]

There really aren't that many things you would do with a detachable because of all the safety switches it has and you would have to bypass them all to make it work, which would be unrealistic and not worth the destruction.

[liftmech]

I'm sure double-Eskimo had all sorts of jumpers in the control box when that test was performed. It would be more labour-intensive, but a detach would still be a good subject for a test.

[Carl]

Stowemass, on Jul 26 2007, 08:27 PM, said:

In 1990 the Eskimo Double (Riblet) at Winter Park, CO was demolished to make way for a new triple (which is gone too).  

Gone, but not forgotten. Sweetwater (Bongwater ) at JH.

Carl

[Peter]

Does anyone ever ride that lift at JH? It seems pointless.