26 replies to this topic

[Eric]

Hi,

I wanted to know why Doppelmayr has different types of towers. Here, in the east, some of our old HSQ has these towers:


This chairlift was built in 1987 by doppelmayr. It's @ Mt-Saint-Anne, quebec

and some has these towers. This chairlift is the Slide Brook Express @ Sugarbush and was build in 1995

Have more info ?

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[Eric]

Out west, you have those :D

This post has been edited by Eric: 08 April 2004 - 02:52 PM

[SkiBachelor]

Well the flat top tower head is more common out west, although there are a few Doppelmayr lifts that have the kind of tower head that is on the Slide Book Express. A few of Vail's Doppelmayr high-speed quads have the type of tower that is used on the Slide Brook.

I really wish Doppelmayr would answer these types of questions that Tom Clink answers at Poma. Doppelmayr's public relations only seems to answer the simple questions.

[edmontonguy]

The flat top design has several minor differences in bracing that varies from resort to resort. Dopplemayr FG towers also have a great deal of differences but most of these are in the bracing not the majour design.

[Eric]

Which one do you prefer ?

[SkiBachelor]

I prefer the flat top ones that are seen in the Sundown Express at Steamboat, CO. The other ones look a little bit too tacky. Anyway, Doppelmayr CTEC probably isn't making the other model anymore.

[liftmech]

I don't think that they are making the braced-V anymore either (although I think they look kind of cool). I've seen a few Yans that have that design, but I don't know if they are Doppelmayr retrofits or original Yan equipment. It's interesting that the Slide Brook lift has them- I've only seen that style on chairs 2, 4, and 11 at Vail; all are late '80s vintage.

[edmontonguy]

Personaly my favourite tower design in on late 70's early 80's FG's. These towers have the standard flat top design but have unusual diagonal crossbracing that forms a W.

[floridaskier]

On the new Birds of Prey HSQ at Beaver Creek, they have the flat-top ones like on the lift at Steamboat pictured above. But instead of the way they used to do it with the pivot shafts above the crossarms, they have them hanging below on many of the towers. pictures on Brad's site. No idea why

[Dr Frankenstein]

In the East, we have the same towers than in the west. It's just a question of years:

70s: W towers
80s: flat tops
90s: braced Vs
00s: return to the flat tops, like on the 3rd pics.

Eric, you don't beleive me? Go to tremblant.ca and check on the webcams: the gondola (which was built in 1998) have the newer flat tops.

[KZ]

Personally i like these tower heads on the newer doppelmayr gondolas and 6's. This is on eagle express. This isnt the best tower as an example becasue they built it different, but on the others the top crossbar is higher up and it looks pretty nice.

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[Dr Frankenstein]

Not just sixes and gondolas:

[Eric]

Dr Frankenstein, on Apr 9 2004, 08:58 AM, said:

Eric, you don't beleive me? Go to tremblant.ca and check on the webcams: the gondola (which was built in 1998) have the newer flat tops.

It's normal that the gondola of Tremblant has flat towers becasue it's a 1998 doppelmayr gondola

They came back everywhere in the late 1990's

[edmontonguy]

that's a european design the north american design is still the same

[floridaskier]

Brad do you have those pictures from your site of the Birds of Prey lift in a little bit bigger size?

[SkiBachelor]

It would be interesting to know if the Eagle Express was shipped over from Europe. It was the first UNI-G I think in North America and those carriers are like the ones over in Europe and not to mention the towers.

Note: Before this lift was built, the Doppelmayr six-packs and gondolas had the tower head that looks like the ones on its older lifts, the flat top kind. Also, those carriers arn't the ones made in the U.S., the armrests are different too rather than just the hanger arm. That would explain why this chair is so nice because I think Doppelmayr in Europe supplies free seat cushions with its lifts like Poma of America. Another reason why this lift makes sense that it came from Europe is that it is able to be converted to a gondola if Mammoth ever wanted to do that. So I'm pretty sure that this is from over seas.

[liftmech]

So it could be that the different lifting gantries depend upon where the lift was built- Europe or Ste-Jerome. From what I've seen of Doppelmayrs I don't think it makes a hell of a difference from my standpint- all styles appear to be perfectly functional for maintenance purposes.
SLI also had the 'w'style lifting frames on their lifts- if I can find (or if Bill has) a photo of old C-5 at Crystal it had several.

[KZ]

Eagle may very well have been shipped from overseas, but the 6 at durango was built the same year. They say special carriers were ordered for maximum comfort. I believe what happened is they ordered an 8 person gondola from europe, but instead of gondola cabins they put on 6 person chairs untill it gets converted. It would be something interesting to know.

[floridaskier]

Are those chairs any more comfortable than USA Doppelmayr HSS chairs?

[SkiBachelor]

Oh by far, they are super padded. I wish that Doppelmayr CTEC offered those carriers here too. :(