83 replies to this topic

[Bogong]

Aussierob, on 18 February 2013 - 08:29 PM, said:

Don't know if the Peak to Peak counts but top speed is 7.5m/s (1500fpm) and we do run at this if it is busy. Usually we run at 5.5 m/s. (1100fpm)

Wow, I've never heard of any aerial lift running at over 5.5 metres a second, but I guess Peak to Peak is not a typical quad or gondola.

The fastest lift I've ever ridden was a surface lift, the Summit Access Poma-lift at Mt Buller. They ran it at 6.5 m/s (1280 feet a minute) for a few years, but slowed it down due to the understandable carnage. But that was many years ago, it was replaced by Dopp detachable quad in the 1980's.

[Peter Pitcher]

Wendy Morse rode a rope tow somewhere in the east going sixty miles per hour back in the thirties or forties. I believe it is in the Guiness book of records

[liftmech]

Bogong, on 19 February 2013 - 04:25 AM, said:

Wow, I've never heard of any aerial lift running at over 5.5 metres a second, but I guess Peak to Peak is not a typical quad or gondola.

The fastest lift I've ever ridden was a surface lift, the Summit Access Poma-lift at Mt Buller. They ran it at 6.5 m/s (1280 feet a minute) for a few years, but slowed it down due to the understandable carnage. But that was many years ago, it was replaced by Dopp detachable quad in the 1980's.

I've heard of some jigback trams (similar to Jackson or Snowbird) which run at 9-10 m/s.

[shelldog]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=iOPfgF1r7po

The last minute of this video shows the speed they are testing in Europe.

Translation -
The manufacturer of Seilbahnseilen weltmarktfuhrende, FATZER AG Drahtseilwerk the company from Romanshorn, has its on-site on 09.29.2011 Testseilbahn taken into operation. So that is once again the technology leadership of the company's more manifests itself. At a length of 110 meters can 6- and 8-litzige and Performa-Seile with up to 60 millimeters in diameter with a maximum speed 18 m/s will be tested.

[liftmech]

18 m/s? Sounds like quite a ride!

[SidBurn]

Gondola 1 at Vail is said to be the world's fastest

[DonaldMReif]

SidBurn, on 23 March 2013 - 07:15 AM, said:

Gondola 1 at Vail is said to be the world's fastest

I can't tell you if I could compare it's ride time to the old Vista Bahn. I think the original HSQ was nine minutes, and the Gondola's about seven.

Out of curiosity, where did you get that fact?

[liftmech]

One can run up to 1200 fpm. When we toured it last week they had it at around a thousand.

[snoloco]

Skyeship (1994 Poma gondola) at Killington runs at 1200fpm all the time. They need to due to its length. South Peak Express (1998 Doppelmayr HSQ) at Mountain Creek is rated for 1000fpm according to the worldbook. However, I think that they upgraded it to 1100 when the terrain park was moved to the trails it serves. It seems to run very fast. I think that they wanted the extra capacity since it sees very high traffic. Okemo runs the Northstar Express, Jackson Gore Express, and South Face Express at 1100. I don't know of any chairlifts or monocable gondolas that can go over 1200.

[Peter]

snoloco, on 10 December 2013 - 03:29 PM, said:

Skyeship (1994 Poma gondola) at Killington runs at 1200fpm all the time. They need to due to its length.

Can you explain?

[snoloco]

Peter, on 10 December 2013 - 04:26 PM, said:

Can you explain?

Skyeship is actually 2 seprate lifts with different drives and tensioning systems, both are top drive, bottom tension. They can run seprately or be connected together to act as one lift with a single set of controls. There are two stages. The first stage runs up from Skyeship Base Area on Route 4 to the Northbrook Station. When the cabins reach the top of the first stage, they leave the top terminal of the first stage and are moved to the bottom terminal of the second stage using a tire bank that is individually powered. The second stage runs from the Northbrook station to the top of Skye Peak. The first stage is 7848 feet long, the second stage is 5105 feet long. That means that the lift is over 13000 feet long. To make that trip in a timely manner, they must run at 1200fpm at all times. Even at 1200fpm it still takes over 12 minutes due to time spent going through the terminals. If they slowed it, the ride could easily be 15 to 20 minutes.

[2milehi]

DonaldMReif, on 15 February 2013 - 01:50 PM, said:

I believe Breckenridge runs the Mercury and Rocky Mountain SuperChairs at 1,100 fpm. Crested Butte doesn't have crowds as an issue, and all of theirs run around 1,050 fpm (except Red Lady).

Only Indy runs NOW at 1100 fpm. The other Breck lifts run at 1000 fpm except Falcon and Colorado and that is 900 fpm.

[SuperRat]

snoloco, on 10 December 2013 - 05:52 PM, said:

Skyeship is actually 2 seprate lifts with different drives and tensioning systems, both are top drive, bottom tension. They can run seprately or be connected together to act as one lift with a single set of controls. There are two stages. The first stage runs up from Skyeship Base Area on Route 4 to the Northbrook Station. When the cabins reach the top of the first stage, they leave the top terminal of the first stage and are moved to the bottom terminal of the second stage using a tire bank that is individually powered. The second stage runs from the Northbrook station to the top of Skye Peak. The first stage is 7848 feet long, the second stage is 5105 feet long. That means that the lift is over 13000 feet long. To make that trip in a timely manner, they must run at 1200fpm at all times. Even at 1200fpm it still takes over 12 minutes due to time spent going through the terminals. If they slowed it, the ride could easily be 15 to 20 minutes.

I've been on the Skye Ship when it wasn't running 1200 fpm. If conditions require them to run it slower they do. Better to get up the mountain slowly than not at all.

[DonaldMReif]

And both stages of Skyeship Gondola are in some cases longer than entire chairlifts are. The second stage is long enough that it is just slightly shorter than the Rocky Mountain SuperChair, for a comparison. And the first stage is about a similar length to the Mercury SuperChair.

[skierdude9450]

2milehi, on 10 December 2013 - 06:07 PM, said:

Only Indy runs NOW at 1100 fpm. The other Breck lifts run at 1000 fpm except Falcon and Colorado and that is 900 fpm.

Really, is this new? I remember several rides on Mercury and Rocky Mountain at 1100.

[DonaldMReif]

skierdude9450, on 10 December 2013 - 11:25 PM, said:

Really, is this new? I remember several rides on Mercury and Rocky Mountain at 1100.

If you look at this video I filmed of the Rocky Mountain SuperChair last January, it clearly states on the lift stats sign at the loading area "Speed 1,100 fpm / 2.24 m/s":

https://www.youtube....h?v=aWUep3w3KzA

[liftmech]

Given that 1100 FPM is roughly five and a half metres per second, the sign could be wrong. If 2milehi says the lifts run at a thousand, I'd believe him.

[2milehi]

Thanks liftmech. The design speed of Merc and Rocky is 1100 fpm BUT they don't run at that speed. A previous lift maintenance director did not want to run any lift more than 1000 fpm.

BTW I was the guy with the hand tach adjusting and confirming that those lifts ran at 1000 fpm.

[Kicking Horse]

There is no point to run the lifts at 100% speed, It's more wear and tear and higher cost in power. If the crowds are not there no need to run 100% speed.

[2milehi]

When someone is paying $100 for a lift ticket, they should be hauled as fast as possible. Granted there are times when the lifts are ran at a reduced speed.

This post has been edited by 2milehi: 12 December 2013 - 12:53 PM