Sky Rides, Ski Lifts, Gondolas, Aerial Trams

I have been on many sky lift rides but I have always wondered how they worked. When I look at them they dont look safe because it's connected to a thick wire and it looks like a gust of wind can flip it over. I know they are safe and I usually ride them but I have always wondered how they work. I mainly want to know how they stay secured to the wire thing. Can anybody clear it up for me? During the off season some parks bunch them up in the station or take them off. How do they do that?

For those of you who don't know, im talking about these- http://www.ncstatefair.org/webgraphic/e ... ylift2.jpg

This webpage may help.

http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/fall_97/beyerly/design.htm

The lift in that picture is a fixed grip lift, which means you basically have to jump into the gondola as it goes through the station. The cable is attached at the top of the gondola and a bull wheel (the big horizontal wheel usually in the station) pulls the cable through the line.

The versions that can stop while the rest of the line is in motion are a bit more complicated.

Lake Compounce has an awesome Garaventa fixed lift. It takes a half hour to complete the circuit and the views are outstanding.

I shouldn't know this stuff...

The detachable ones move through a mechinism that releases or rejoins the clamp on the wire. Occasionally a lift of this type needs to travel backwards when I clamp hits the point where the long wire is joined to itself. More modern lifts like Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort's Gondola move on a conveyance system after detaching and move slowly through unload/load, while the older styles found at most theme parks the buckets have to moved manually around the corner.

Its kind of like the bucket has a hand on top of it and when it moves through the mechanism it either grabs hold of the wire or lets go of it. The more modern ones speed the bucket up so when it attaches to the wire its a smooth transition, while the older ones start with a jolt.

BUMP

With a shot of our old sky ride at Playland, during our PNE.

I always liked this shot. Although during rainy days, it wasn't much fun, lol

The current chat about the sky rides over at the Cedar Point thread,

made me nostalgic for our old (gone a long time ago) one.

Taken in 1976.

Thought i would jump in on this . Im a Von Roll VR 101 historian,model builder, parts consultant,mechanic ,operator of these great rides. I was reading back and the cable is supplied by a company in Switzerland called Fatzer. 27mm if i recall. All the parts for Von Roll VR 101 Skyrides are supplied by Doppelmayr. There are 11 such Von Roll VR 101 Skyrides in the USA and 15 World wide. The oldest was built in 1953 and still is in great operating condition. As for the cable being welded together . That is false . It is spliced together. The splice is about 80 feet in length. I do run a group on Facebook that is nothing but Von Roll Skyrides past and present. Look up VonRoll type 101 Skyrides and the Disneyland Skyway.

Awesome, thanks for that info!

Do you know anything about how the trip mechanism works?

While I admit that I'm much more interested in the Von Roll Type 101 than I am with fixed grips, there's a really cool video here of the installation of seats on the brand new ride at the North Carolina State Fair.

Don't get me started on Ski (or Sky) Lifts!

You might enjoy this article I wrote back then, because after coasters, this is another thing I really love.

It's also funny to note that, while coaster-wise we europeans are jealous of the US ; in matter of ropeways we are century ahead of you guys! Ropeways in the US seriously look like the equivalent of "Jet Coasters"! They lack so many safety features, and have no design...

A retro photo I like, of the last version of the DL sky ride traveling through the Matterhorn, with a glimpse of

the first Abominable created for the attraction. But back in 1963, the mountain wasn't totally enclosed,

so going up the lift hill, you could see all of it's insides, and the sky ride passing through, and the two sets

of tracks weaving in and around it. It was still kept pretty dark though, so you could only make out so much of it, inside.

Thank you to you who took it, in the right hand corner, there.

in matter of ropeways we are century ahead of you guys! Ropeways in the US seriously look like the equivalent of "Jet Coasters"! They lack so many safety features, and have no design...

That better have been sarcasm considering Lietner-Poma and Doppelmayr-CTEC (both European companies) are the main manufacturers here in the U.S. (Oh, and the safety features are outstanding. ) Seriously folks, if you have any questions about lift safety here in the U.S., ask away, I'm an actual lift operator.

Tue, but for instance:

Dopplemayr in the US:

Dopplemayr in Europe:

So, while it's the same companies, they somehow don't have the same product lines.

In the US, there are still ropeway that operate WITHOUT ANY RESTRAINTS:

And now, look at the supports and especially the wheels for the cable to run on. No maintenance plateform, no catch-cable in case of derailment, etc. Never EVER you'll see that in Europe.

Even Blizzard Beach's chairlift look kind-of scary:

Here is a similar chairlift in Europe. A little bit bulkier, in my opinion.

But yeah, those are just my observations, and not a general truth. The US do have more modern and cool-looking installations.

Thought i would jump in on this . Im a Von Roll VR 101 historian' date='model builder, parts consultant,mechanic ,operator of these great rides. I was reading back and the cable is supplied by a company in Switzerland called Fatzer. 27mm if i recall. All the parts for Von Roll VR 101 Skyrides are supplied by Doppelmayr. There are 11 such Von Roll VR 101 Skyrides in the USA and 15 World wide. The oldest was built in 1953 and still is in great operating condition. As for the cable being welded together . That is false . It is spliced together. The splice is about 80 feet in length. I do run a group on Facebook that is nothing but Von Roll Skyrides past and present. Look up VonRoll type 101 Skyrides and the Disneyland Skyway.[/quote']

 

Awesome, thanks for that info!

 

Do you know anything about how the trip mechanism works?

You mean the Dispatcher that holds the gondola until a timer sends it out on the cable?

I do run a group on Facebook that is nothing but Von Roll Skyrides past and present. Look up VonRoll type 101 Skyrides and the Disneyland Skyway.

Not sure how I missed this post but hi Rob. Welcome to TPR

I do run a group on Facebook that is nothing but Von Roll Skyrides past and present. Look up VonRoll type 101 Skyrides and the Disneyland Skyway.

 

Not sure how I missed this post but hi Rob. Welcome to TPR

Woah, thanks for bringing this post back up because I didn't see it either. That's my kind of Facebook group, because Sky Rides are fascinating.

Added you. I can confirm that it's the best group on the interweb if you're a complete dork like I am.

Two things always fascinated me as a kid at amusement parks, manually operated skid brakes on coasters and Sky Ride mechanisms. Imagine my delight when this year there has been proposals for a sky ride system of mass transit in St Pete and Clearwater. The clearwater one really makes sense as the causeway to the beach is a big B****. The St pete one would have a line north to south and on east to west running for miles through the city. Multiple stops on the route even to the beaches. Cool concept, but I don't believe it will happen. But still cool. A link. http://www.tampabay.com/news/in-bid-for-40-million-federal-grant-st-pete-looks-to-gondolas-tampa-to/2265256.

And the Clearwater version.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/baybuzz/gondolas-in-clearwater/2262838

I do run a group on Facebook that is nothing but Von Roll Skyrides past and present. Look up VonRoll type 101 Skyrides and the Disneyland Skyway.

 

Not sure how I missed this post but hi Rob. Welcome to TPR

Woah, thanks for bringing this post back up because I didn't see it either. That's my kind of Facebook group, because Sky Rides are fascinating.

I joined today, such a cool group! Kind of impressed that it has over 1,000 members.

^That would be absolutely amazing.

I do run a group on Facebook that is nothing but Von Roll Skyrides past and present. Look up VonRoll type 101 Skyrides and the Disneyland Skyway.

 

Not sure how I missed this post but hi Rob. Welcome to TPR

Woah, thanks for bringing this post back up because I didn't see it either. That's my kind of Facebook group, because Sky Rides are fascinating.

I joined today, such a cool group! Kind of impressed that it has over 1,000 members.

Hopefully we'll talk about the Sky Ride for 6 months. That was my plan at least...

Bill you are giving away classified information

Well, plans are leaked.

Skyride Nation is taking over the Cedar Point thread.

Happy Halloween, Everybody!

Well, Chairlift season is upon us, so.....

WHEEEEEEEEEE!

Hopefully we'll talk about the Sky Ride for 6 months. That was my plan at least...

Bill you are giving away classified information

 

Well, plans are leaked.

 

Skyride Nation is taking over the Cedar Point thread.

LOL, You have to admit, given the last few posts alone you can already see that the Sky Ride discussion plan is way better. I can't wait until someone posts the picture of Gröna Lund soon to chime in on this "out of room" argument. You know it's coming... we have this argument at least 700 times a year. They're not out of room.

Bayside Sky Ride is a bucket list ride for me. And to top it off it's recently been brought to my attention that you can bring beer on it. Can you imagine riding that ride when that picture was taken sipping an ice cold beer? I could die happy.

To move this back in the direction it should be headed...

Bayside Sky Ride is a bucket list ride for me.

Got em!

Bayside Sky Ride is a bucket list ride for me.

What this post proves to me is that Bill would be the champion of "name that Skyride."

To move this back in the direction it should be headed...

Bayside Sky Ride is a bucket list ride for me.

Got em!

Good catch. That really wasn't intentional but I like it.

Bayside Sky Ride is a bucket list ride for me.

 

What this post proves to me is that Bill would be the champion of "name that Skyride."

Damn right.