History Detachable chairlift

1 history

1.1 doppelmayr
1.2 poma
1.3 ctec/garaventa ctec

history

von roll habegger built first detachable lift named (adirondack express) @ gore mountain, ny in 1984. poma built first chairlift went 1,100 feet per minute named (green mountain express) @ sugarbush resort, vt in 1990. doppelmayr (north america) built first detachable quad chair in world named (quicksilver superchair) in 1981 @ breckenridge, co has been replaced (quicksilver super6), detachable 6 person chairlift poma in 1999.

doppelmayr

the detachable chairlift didn t start chairlift, rather, started platter lift in 1908, sticks left cable , attached when loaded onto stick. detachable 2 person chairlift called white lady installed in cairngorm mountain, scotland in 1961. in 1981, first ever high speed detachable quad in world installed, doppelmayr-built quicksilver superchair @ breckenridge ski resort in colorado, in 1981. lift relocated in 1999 owl s head ski area in quebec. until 1985, detachable quad in colorado when vail ski resort installed 4 doppelmayr high speed quads. in 1988, vail ski resort opened (orient express lift #21), first doppelmayr chairlift in u.s. have rectangular tower heads. (orient express) first doppelmayr chairlift in u.s. have 800 horsepower. original grip modified later before vail quads built. known spring series, these grips known ds-104 grips on high speed quads , ds-108s on 8 passenger gondolas. in 1995, newer grip introduced called torsion series. torsion grips called dt-104 if on high speed quad, dt-106 on high speed 6 pack, or dt-108 on eight-passenger gondola. torsion grip still made today doppelmayr (north america) s primary grip option.

unlike poma s grips, doppelmayr grips double position grips. when chair enters terminal, angled roller pushed down metal strip, opens grip jaw. jaw remains open until chair reattaches cable upon departing terminal. grip clamping force measured prior double position grips reattaching haul rope while carrier (chair) exiting terminal, in contrast poma s grips, in grip force can measured grip travels through contour. insufficient grip force triggers alarm , brings lift halt before carrier reaches first breakover tower after terminal. because of design, doppelmayr detachable lifts designed allow operation in reverse. allows grip force-alarmed grip , carrier backed terminal inspection or removal.

the original terminals on quicksilver quad enclosed, in 1985, in time vail ski resort high speed quads, terminal design changed classified cld-260 terminal. these , older terminals types of terminals use chains instead of tires contours. in 1989, old design officially retired addition of avanti high speed quad @ vail, , new design, called uni, introduced. design utilized 1989 last year of ds-104 grip in 1994. in 1992, design changed in entry funnels area. introduction of torsion series came uni-m terminal, underwent number of minor cosmetic changes between 1995 , 2002. currently, 2 options offered, uni-g terminal, , uni-gs terminal, can distinguished through appearance of end windows.

poma

poma entered market within 2 3 years of (quicksilver superchair s) installation. although hard prove, earliest known poma quads circa 1985, such (coney glade) @ snowmass, (liberator express) @ mission ridge (installed in 2005, formally known (summit express), ran @ winter park resort 1985 2005), , others. many of original high speed quads built known alpha evolution lifts, because utilized performance terminal alpha drive unit @ far end. these chairlifts had vault drives located under performance terminal. old (colorado superchair) @ breckenridge ski resort, , (american flyer) @ copper mountain 2 great examples of performance terminals vault drives. few lifts exist style day. later on, performance drive terminal modified house bullwheel machinery inside main terminal structure itself, eliminating need run cable through terminal. poma slower @ introducing tire contours on chains, , wasn t until 1992 tire contours used company introduction of challenger terminal. terminal undergo changes windows before officially retired in 1998. @ time, new omega t-grip came out , new terminal known phatboy (homophone , pronounced fat-boy) introduced it. replaced newer variant modified windows on ends in 2003.

unlike doppelmayr, poma grips single position. in such method, pressed down, opens jaws detach chair, , jaws close , spring released. process reversed attachment. design allows grip force measured grip travels through contour, , lift come stop before grip reattached haul rope if insufficient grip force detected. unlike doppelmayr lifts check grip force while grip , carrier leaving terminal, poma detachable lifts not built operate in reverse because grip force failed grip can brought halt within terminal.

poma known building unusual lifts, @ breckenridge ski resort, include north america s double loading chairlift (quicksilver super6), first high speed lift in colorado midway load (peak 8 superconnect), , highest lift in north america (imperial express superchair) @ 12,840 feet , highest high speed 6 pack in north america (kensho superchair) @ 12,300 feet.

ctec/garaventa ctec

eagle express @ solitude mountain resort.

ctec built first detachable in 1989 @ solitude mountain resort (named eagle express). in building lift did rare partnership von roll detachable technology. happened first detachable quad in utah. 1990 on partnered garaventa detachable technology before merged in 1992. have built detachable lifts @ many resorts, such grand targhee, stevens pass, deer valley, park city, snowbird, alta, squaw valley, stratton, , attitash. constructed lifts until 2002 when merged doppelmayr. garaventa designs used day.