47 replies to this topic

[SkiLiftsRock]

Does anyone know where the oldest lift still in operation is today? How old is it? Who manufactured it?

If you have any more specs, I would like that too. Thanks, :-)

[Bogong]

I was waiting for someone more knowledgeable than myself to post, but maybe this will act as a stimulus. 

I know there are some ski lifts from the 1940's still operating in Europe. But you can go back many more years if you count funiculars and rack railways as ski lifts.

The oldest ski lift still running in Australia is the 1953 Nutcracker lift that operates at the small "club field" at Mt St Bernard in the state of Victoria, which is about 10 km from the major ski resort of Mt Hotham. 

[liftmech]

The single at Mad River has got to be a late 30's installation, but I'm not sure if it still counts as it has been extensively rehabbed.

[Andy1962]

liftmech, on 24 June 2010 - 07:03 PM, said:

The single at Mad River has got to be a late 30's installation, but I'm not sure if it still counts as it has been extensively rehabbed.

The single at Mad River Glen is no longer the oldest ski lift in the USA since it was removed in 2007 and a new duplicate built to the same specifications was built with new materials by Dopplemayr CTEC in time for the 2007-2008 season. The new chair is also a single seater.

http://www.skilifts....tall_na2007.htm

This post has been edited by Andy1962: 25 June 2010 - 01:59 AM

[william b]

In New Hampshire, the first tow was built in January of 1935, in Lisbon, according to the late Albert (Bill) Currier. A tow operated in Lisbon off and on until maybe 10 years ago, although I do not know if this is the one that was built then.
The first overhead cable lift was built in 1935 also, for the '35-'36 ski season. It first used short lenghts of hemp rope which hung from the haul rope onto which the passengers would hang on tightly for the trip up. These proved problematic, and the ropes were removed and replaced by short-handled shovel handles with the 'd-type' handle. The lift became known as the "Shovel-Handle Tow"; the Shovel Handle Pub still operates at the base of the hill to quench your thirst. The lift operated for many years in this manner, and was finally converted to a J-bar, which still operates today.
I believe that the following represent the oldest operating lifts of their type in New Hampshire:

Double Chair: 1955 Mueller upgrades
Triple Chair: 1977 Borvig
Fixed Quad: 1987 Doppelmayr
Detachable Quad: 1988 Poma
Detachable Gondola: 1957 Savio

wbl

[william b]

william b, on 25 June 2010 - 05:51 AM, said:

In New Hampshire, the first tow was built in January of 1935, in Lisbon, according to the late Albert (Bill) Currier. A tow operated in Lisbon off and on until maybe 10 years ago, although I do not know if this is the one that was built then.
The first overhead cable lift was built in 1935 also, for the '35-'36 ski season. It first used short lenghts of hemp rope which hung from the haul rope onto which the passengers would hang on tightly for the trip up. These proved problematic, and the ropes were removed and replaced by short-handled shovel handles with the 'd-type' handle. The lift became known as the "Shovel-Handle Tow"; the Shovel Handle Pub still operates at the base of the hill to quench your thirst. The lift operated for many years in this manner, and was finally converted to a J-bar, which still operates today.
I believe that the following represent the oldest operating lifts of their type in New Hampshire:

Double Chair: 1955 Mueller upgrades
Triple Chair: 1977 Borvig
Fixed Quad: 1987 Doppelmayr
Detachable Quad: 1988 Poma
Detachable Gondola: 1957 Savio

wbl

Correction: The Savio Gondola was removed in 1997, so it doesn't belong on the 'currently operating' list. The oldest operating gondola is a 1987 Doppelmayr.
wbl

[Bogong]

By the way, I read somewhere that the world's first J-bar was in North America. (I can't remember the source.) 

But that's wrong, the first J-bar was built in 1938 at Charlotte Pass in Australia. Skiers nicknamed it The Meat Hook for obvious reasons.

[SuperRat]

liftmech, on 24 June 2010 - 07:03 PM, said:

The single at Mad River has got to be a late 30's installation, but I'm not sure if it still counts as it has been extensively rehabbed.

The original install was 1948

[SuperRat]

william b, on 25 June 2010 - 05:54 AM, said:

Correction: The Savio Gondola was removed in 1997, so it doesn't belong on the 'currently operating' list. The oldest operating gondola is a 1987 Doppelmayr.
wbl

The oldest operating gondola in NH was built in 1988

[scrutch2001]

I believe the oldest operating overhead lift in Washington is Seventh Heaven at Steven's Pass (1960) not that Mt. Baker has replaced the Pan Dome chair.

[hyak.net]

The first lift installed in WA was at Mt Baker on Pan Dome in 1935. It did not last long though before it was destroyed by an avalanche.

[liftmech]

scrutch2001, on 27 June 2010 - 03:01 AM, said:

I believe the oldest operating overhead lift in Washington is Seventh Heaven at Steven's Pass (1960) now that Mt. Baker has replaced the Pan Dome chair.

Perhaps. The nearest competition would be Chair 2 at White Pass, an early 60s vintage, as is chair 1 at Crystal. Big Chief up at Stevens is probably older, though, as its towers are the welded style of the old chair 1(Pan Dome) at Baker (1952) and not the newer clamped ones employed starting in the late 60s. Now that I've shown that I'm a lift geek in addition to a mechanic :)

[hyak.net]

Anyone know how old the 2 lifts are (rope tows) at Meany Lodge on Stampede Pass?

[skiersage]

Bogong, on 25 June 2010 - 05:09 PM, said:

By the way, I read somewhere that the world's first J-bar was in North America. (I can't remember the source.) 

But that's wrong, the first J-bar was built in 1938 at Charlotte Pass in Australia. Skiers nicknamed it The Meat Hook for obvious reasons.

Somehow I am having a hard time believing this fact. The first chairlift built in the U.S. was constructed in 1936. It doesn't seem right that the first j bar came after the first chairlift. I would think the j bar was invented first but I don't know when that would be. Does anyone else have any info on the subject?

Whenever the subject of old lifts comes up, I always like to throw Hemlock at boyne mt in the mix. Not the oldest lift but it does have the oldest terminals in operation.

Attached File(s)

•  hemi.JPG (95.95K)
  Number of downloads: 93

[vonroll101]

If we can count Amusement parks.1961 Von Roll Type 101 Located at Cedar Point in Ohio.Transports close to 1 million people every season.There are A few Von Roll Type 101s that date back to the 1940 that still operate to this day in the Chec republic.Those Von Roll Type 101s have NO Sheave liners and consist of solid steel sheaves.

[Lift Kid]

The Hall/PHB Gondola at Lutsen (former Loon Mountain) was originally installed at Loon in 1966. It was relocated in the 80s, along with some electrical updates and grip rebuilds over the years. Lutsen has mentioned previously that it plans on keeping that lift in operation for years to come because of its nostalgia.

Granted it isn't the oldest gondola in operation, it's at least one of the older ones in operation.

[vonroll101]

Lift Kid, on 28 June 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

The Hall/PHB Gondola at Lutsen (former Loon Mountain) was originally installed at Loon in 1966. It was relocated in the 80s, along with some electrical updates and grip rebuilds over the years. Lutsen has mentioned previously that it plans on keeping that lift in operation for years to come because of its nostalgia.

Granted it isn't the oldest gondola in operation, it's at least one of the older ones in operation.

Thats Cool.

[vonroll101]

Here is a link to a 1949 Von Roll Vr101. http://www.seilbahn-....ch/snezka.html

[scrutch2001]

liftmech, on 27 June 2010 - 07:14 PM, said:

Perhaps. The nearest competition would be Chair 2 at White Pass, an early 60s vintage, as is chair 1 at Crystal. Big Chief up at Stevens is probably older, though, as its towers are the welded style of the old chair 1(Pan Dome) at Baker (1952) and not the newer clamped ones employed starting in the late 60s. Now that I've shown that I'm a lift geek in addition to a mechanic :)

Big Chief at Stevens was built in 1964. When I started learning to ski there in 1966 they still had a couple of the old rope tows in place on that hill. They also had a rope at the top of Big Chief that extended up to the right. It wasn't running very often, as I recall.

This post has been edited by scrutch2001: 02 July 2010 - 03:37 PM

[piotrek21]

I'm going to be really disappointed if they remove those two lifts in the Czech Republic. That lift has a lot of history to go with it, not to mention the fact that it is superbly comfortable compared to the detachables of today. On my ride on the lifts I noticed that the tower foundations of the second part were new, and the lift did not appear to be in a bad shape.