Chairlift

From Freepedia

A chairlift, also known as a fixed-grip chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a constantly moving loop of steel cable strung between two end terminals and generally over intermediate towers. They are found at many ski areas, amusement parks, and various tourist attractions.

Chairs, which can seat from one to eight people, are connected to the cable with a one-piece grip, which does not require any special springs, or clamps, hence the name "fixed-grip". These grips allow chairs to be taken on and off the cable with minimal hassle. Some lifts also have bubble chairs, which have an additional plastic covering to protect skiers in bad weather.

The lifts are usually powered by an electric motor, often with a diesel engine for backup in case of blackouts (which are fairly common since ski resorts tend to be in remote areas).

History

The first known chairlift was created for the ski resort in Sun Valley, Idaho in 1936. It was built on Proctor Mountain, to the East of Bald Mountain where the Sun Valley Ski Resort currently resides. The chairlift was created by James Curran of the Union Pacific's engineering department. Prior to working for the Union Pacific, Curran worked for Paxton & Vierling Steel in Omaha, Nebraska, which had engineered installations for loading bananas on fruit boats. Curran took the mono cable tram idea and replaced the banana hooks with chairs. Thus he created a machine with a greater capacity than the up-ski toboggan (cable car) and more comfortable than the J-bar (rope tow), the two most common ways of transporting skiers up a mountain at the time with the possible exception of mountain climbing. His basic design is still used for chairlifts today. W. Averell Harriman, the ski resort's creator and former mayor of New York City, financed the project.[1] [2]

Future

Fixed-grip chairlifts are already less common-place at most major ski areas in North America, replaced by the faster Detachable chairlift. It is important to note however that the relative simplicity of the fixed-grip design results in lower installation, maintenance and other operational costs. For this reason they are likely to remain popular at smaller community hills, and for short distances such as beginner terrain.

See also

• Aerial tramway
• Gondola lift
• List of aerial lift manufacturers
• Detachable chairlift
• Funitel
• Skiing and Skiing Topics