8 replies to this topic

[lstone19]

I hope I'm not repeating something (if I am, I couldn't find it).

I was at Steamboat for a week ending a few days ago. Although I did not ride it, I was able to watch the new gondola in operation.

First, it has a very slight bend in it as it crosses the knoll. I appears that it's done with slightly canted sheaves as it crosses two towers there.

With that out of the way, given how much plans obviously changed given what I've read, here is what ended up there. It's a fixed grip gondola. Eight six-passenger (I think) cabins in sets of two. Since it's fixed grip and cabins, of course it slows for the terminals.

Articles I've read say they want it to eventually replace the Meadows lots shuttles although given the location of the lower terminal, it will be a long walk to it from many parts of the parking lot. The terminal is by the new resort at one corner of the parking lot. Also, I doubt it has the capacity without more cabins. If you assume each set of two cabins depart every minute (I didn't time it but I bet it's less frequent than that), that's only 720 people per hour.

I don't think I ever saw anyone actually on it.

[skier2]

It bends because The Steamboat Grand has plans to double in size eventually.

[Peter]

Is this the first time Leitner-Poma has done a turn with canted sheaves?

[brad82]

Any pictures?

[lstone19]

brad82, on 21 February 2010 - 09:18 AM, said:

Any pictures?

Sorry, no. I didn't think of it at the time (plus, with no zoom, I doubt my iPhone would have shown the needed detail).

[skierdude9450]

Here's one:

Credit trooper1556

EDIT:

Skier, no on many Alpha fixed grips, the bull wheel is smaller than the gauge, so they use canted sheaves to adjust the track width.

This post has been edited by skierdude9450: 21 February 2010 - 10:52 AM

[lstone19]

lstone19, on 19 February 2010 - 09:22 PM, said:

Articles I've read say they want it to eventually replace the Meadows lots shuttles although given the location of the lower terminal, it will be a long walk to it from many parts of the parking lot. The terminal is by the new resort at one corner of the parking lot. Also, I doubt it has the capacity without more cabins. If you assume each set of two cabins depart every minute (I didn't time it but I bet it's less frequent than that), that's only 720 people per hour.

A couple of articles I've now found say capacity is 340 people per hour. No way that can replace the parking lot shuttles. They do say they can add more cabins but that would increase trip time as the slow periods as the cabins go through the terminal would need to be longer.

[skier2]

lstone19, on 21 February 2010 - 12:28 PM, said:

A couple of articles I've now found say capacity is 340 people per hour. No way that can replace the parking lot shuttles. They do say they can add more cabins but that would increase trip time as the slow periods as the cabins go through the terminal would need to be longer.

I'm assuming that it is also upgrade-ready so if the time comes when a detachable would be more viable, they can retrofit with just a little digging.

[brad82]

Just a note:

L-P Have some pics of the lift on the gallery @ their site ;)