67 replies to this topic

[iceberg210]

What happened to SLI I have only riden on one of their chairs but really enjoyed it up at Park City (in fact the thing that it was an SLI was the only reason I rode it)?
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Topic edit-
History can be found here: http://www.skilifts....?showtopic=9288

[liftmech]

I don't know- they seem to have just disappeared. Most other manufacturers were either absorbed by Leitner or Doppelmayr; stopped making lifts but still do other things (Miner-Denver, Murray-Latta); or went out of business (Heron, Riblet). But SLI didn't leave a trail that I can find. Maybe Cameron has some info on this?

I've only ridden (and worked on) one SLI- old C-5 at Crystal. It had been modified to use Riblet clips instead of the SLI grip, which I hear happened to most SLIs around. I liked their carrier design; simple, yet still good-looking.

[SkiBachelor]

Yea, I don't know anything about SLI either. It seems like they just picked up its bags and left; however, I believe I've seen some SLI lifts over in Europe, maybe they were bought out by a European lift manufacturer who started to use its chairlift design? I will look on Alpinforum and see if I can find anything, but the carriers do look like SLI.

P.S. I thought Miner-Denver was gone.

[orangegondola]

I had read that Bob Heron actually retired, didn't go out of business

[floridaskier]

PCMR has one remaining SLI lift. It still has normal SLi grips, not the riblet clip (I think)
Really old-looking but pretty well kept up, wooden seats, wooden drive terminal, etc.

[KZ]

Ive been on one, but it was quite the hybrid with yan and riblet parts as well as the original SLI chairs. (J-4 at June)

[liftmech]

SkiBachelor, on Apr 22 2004, 07:00 AM, said:

P.S. I thought Miner-Denver was gone.

Nope, they were either bought by Cutler-Hamer or were part of that company to begin with. (Cutler-Hamer makes industrial electrical equipment and you probably have one of their products sumewhere in your house's wiring.) If you go to chairlift.org and look in the manufacturer's section, there is a link to Miner-Denver and it comes up with 'part of the Cutler-Hamer group'.

[liftmech]

orangegondola, on Apr 22 2004, 07:43 AM, said:

I had read that Bob Heron actually retired, didn't go out of business

There are several stories, but basically his company kept partnering with others to keep itself viable in the market; you've no doubt heard of Heron-Poma (the precursor to Poma of America) and Heron-Wright. Those attempts failed, and the company went out of business somewhere around 1978-1979. When Copper bought A-Basin's old Molly Hogan lift in 1979 (a 1971 or 1972 Heron) they contracted with Yan to rebuild it since Heron was no longer around. Now that we're ...

[ccslider]

Ski Lift International was assumed by Riblet ~ 1975. Telluride still has one SLI that was relocated and repowered (drive and low-voltage circuitry) by CTEC in 1985 but still uses the Schneider grip and SLI tower assemblies, sheaves, chairs, etc. Telluride also has a SLI/Riblet crossbreed that was built in 1975 that features SLI towers, sheave assemblies, and carriers but utilizes Riblet insert clips and a Riblet drive terminal set-up.

[Bill]

That would explain why Riblet knew everything about the old C-5 at Crystal, I wrote them asking about that lift in 8th grade and the lady who wrote back knew everything about it and why it was built the way it was, etc.

[CAski]

Wow, you and chairlifts really do go back a long time.

[KZ]

Pretty cool. I joined in 8th grade, so i guess we will se how long this lasts.

[liftmech]

I have heard that most SLIs were modified with the Riblet clip because the Schneider grip was less than ideal- prone to cracking and slipping. One of the mechanics from Ajax brought a grip from their Shadow Mountain lift to an NDT class we took, and the indication we found was in a very critical area. I don't know if that lift still uses the Schneider grip, or has been modified.

[Warren733]

I know Wolf Laurel, NC Has a SLI from the year they opened, 1970. Their website is: http://skiwolflaurel.com and they have a webcam that shows the lift, at lower Broadway, which is a pretty new run.

[poloxskier]

liftmech, on Apr 25 2004, 08:29 PM, said:

I have heard that most SLIs were modified with the Riblet clip because the Schneider grip was less than ideal- prone to cracking and slipping. One of the mechanics from Ajax brought a grip from their Shadow Mountain lift to an NDT class we took, and the indication we found was in a very critical area. I don't know if that lift still uses the Schneider grip, or has been modified.

Shadow Mountain has been modified with Riblet insert clips.

[Lift Dinosaur]

Shadow Mountain has been modified with Riblet insert clips.

Is that going from the frying pan into the fire?

[towertop]

Big horn in Ten Sleep Wy has an old SLI

[Peter]

Here is a list of places with SLI lifts, the multiples mean they have multiple SLI lifts


49 Degrees North, Washington

49 Degrees North, Washington

49 Degrees North, Washington

Aspen Mountain, Colorado

Bighorn, Wyoming

Bryce Resort, Virginia

Bryce Resort, Virginia

Catamount, New York

Catamount, New York

Catamount, New York

Diamond Peak, Nevada

Heavenly, Nevada

Heavenly, Nevada

June Mountain, California

June Mountain, California

Park City, Utah

Sapphire Valley, North Carolina

Tahoe Donner, California

Telluride, Colorado

Telluride, Colorado

Teton Pass, Montana

The Homestead, Virginia

Wolf Creek, Colorado

Wolf Laurel, North Carolina

This post has been edited by Skier: 09 August 2006 - 11:35 AM

[SkiBachelor]

There is also another SLI at Heavenly down by the aerial tram.

I want to find out where SLI built its gondola because there is no record of one being built in SAM Magazine, but one in their SAM advertisements which can be seen on Chairlift.org.