8 replies to this topic

[Nordo]

I've wondered for years why Dopplemayr used 3 bullwheels for the return station on this lift in Norway. If memory serves (and it might not), this isn't a particularly long or special lift...so it seemed strange that so so many resources went into the return station. I've seen similar setups like this on lifts that need to make up for a lot of extra rope (old 2S gondolas, Silver Mountain gondola). I also thought that maybe there was a restricted amount of space for the terminal, but that doesn't seem to be the case either. Anyone know why this design was used? At any rate, its interesting to watch in action.

More on this lift here: http://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/bdd/reportage-tsd4-hafjell-i-doppelmayr-2501.html

[backyard lift]

It allows for a 360 degree wrap on the drive bullwheel, which allows a greater difference between the incoming tension and outgoing tension on the drive bullwheel (for a typical bullwheel with 180 degrees of wrap, the ratio of incoming to outgoing tension cannot be greater than ~1.9). This can make quite a difference on a long lift such as the Silver Mtn gondola in keeping the maximum rope tension down.

[Nordo]

backyard lift, on 16 July 2016 - 08:57 PM, said:

It allows for a 360 degree wrap on the drive bullwheel, which allows a greater difference between the incoming tension and outgoing tension on the drive bullwheel (for a typical bullwheel with 180 degrees of wrap, the ratio of incoming to outgoing tension cannot be greater than ~1.9). This can make quite a difference on a long lift such as the Silver Mtn gondola in keeping the maximum rope tension down.

Thanks for the response, but this is the return that station at the bottom of the lift with 3 bullwheels. The drive for this lift is located at the top...

[vons]

There was a short period in the late 80s to early 90s that doppelmayr produced this type of terminal and from what I can tell there was not many built.

I think that the three bull wheels attempted to provide more tension carriage travel in a small footprint and to provided a fixed stationary bull wheel to operate the conveyor equipment.

[NHskier13]

Did it ever make it to the US? From flipping through a lot of pages I haven't come across a US built lift that looks like this

Interesting to share though

[vons]

The only lift I have seen with a similar setup is the von Roll Gondola at silver mountain Id.

[Tramway Guy]

vons, on 18 July 2016 - 04:01 PM, said:

The only lift I have seen with a similar setup is the von Roll Gondola at silver mountain Id.

The Gondola at Sterling Vineyards also has a 3-bullwheel setup. The reason is because the lift is triangular and the drive/tension carriage needs to move. If it didn't have the extra wheels, the rope positon would change in relation to the launcher sections too much to be functional. In sterling's case the drive/tension bullwheel track bisects the angle between incoming and outgoing topes.

And, yes; Silver Mountain's Gondola has the setup mostly for the ability to accommodate the carriage movement that a 3-mile long gondola needs.

This post has been edited by Tramway Guy: 18 July 2016 - 07:57 PM

[RibStaThiok]

http://www.skilifts....ola/gondola.htm

That is a magnificent Gondola.

[backyard lift]

I should have read the original post a little closer! I think Vons has the correct explanation.

This post has been edited by backyard lift: 19 July 2016 - 03:10 PM