47 replies to this topic

[Peter]

Here is what I posted in response to that thread:

This was a picture I took in February of the gondola accident at Big Sky. It has not run since and the cable and cabins were removed a few weeks ago.



The gondola was installed by Heron-Poma in 1973 and now has a high speed quad running right next to it, so it is not needed. It was retrofitted by Poma in 1997 with a new bottom terminal and tower modifications.

The blue gondola cabins actually came to Big Sky from Park City when they removed their gondola in 1997. Until 2000, the Big Sky gondola had Heron-Poma round "bubble" style gondola cabins.

I highly doubt that a 1970's gondola that had a very bad accident would be reinstalled, but who knows. It is a really old school lift, the cabins are pushed through the terminals by the lift operators.

[skierdude9450]

That's gotta be a backbreaking job!! Pushing the old Poma eggs (that's what the frenchies call them) through the terminal.... I don't think that Heron had any part in the gondolas. They're 100% Poma.

[Lift Dinosaur]

skierdude9450, on May 28 2008, 10:24 PM, said:

I don't think that Heron had any part in the gondolas. They're 100% Poma.

In the 70's, POMA operated in the U.S. in partnership with HERON on various projects. These projects were under the Heron-Poma name.(Much like Garaventa and CTEC partnered for detachable technology) POMA came to the U.S. as a stand alone company in 1981 and established Poma of America in Grand Junction.

Dino

[skierdude9450]

That's true, but as I recall, those gondolas were Pomagalski S.A. AKA Poma of France.

[Peter]

The bottom station is being disassembled. You can see it here: http://www.bigskyres...deos/Webcam.asp

[skisox34]

Was there any word on exactly what happened? Was it just a deropement gone haywire?

[Peter]

chomp

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[Kicking Horse]

I may be taking this off topic but,

What other Gondolas has this happened to in the past?