67 replies to this topic

[barnstormer]

 bobby a, on Feb 7 2009, 04:49 PM, said:

We still have 3 SLI's here at 49 degrees north, including the longest still in exsistance, we have had no problems with the schiender grips, although chair 1 has been retrofitted with riblet clips. And yes Riblet still occupies the same building in spokane, they go under the name tram support inc. and still sell riblet parts, and much more, even some SLI parts.

We replaced an SLI with a rebuilt Partek at the Hideout in Lake Ariel, PA this past summer. The Hideout is a small, private ski area that is a part of a housing development. The lift was gone when I got there to wire the "new" lift but there was a SLI workchair in the bone yard. I'm betting the old lift was a relocate.

I remember the lift at Park City and it seems to me that there was one at Beaver Mountain in UT as well. The chair bail looked suspiciously like a later generation Yan double without the dreaded "Taco".

[bobby a]

 barnstormer, on Feb 8 2009, 06:51 AM, said:

We replaced an SLI with a rebuilt Partek at the Hideout in Lake Ariel, PA this past summer. The Hideout is a small, private ski area that is a part of a housing development. The lift was gone when I got there to wire the "new" lift but there was a SLI workchair in the bone yard. I'm betting the old lift was a relocate.

I remember the lift at Park City and it seems to me that there was one at Beaver Mountain in UT as well. The chair bail looked suspiciously like a later generation Yan double without the dreaded "Taco".

Wow a honest to god SLI work chair, I would love to see that, we made ours from scratch back in the 80's. I wonder where the lift went? SLI sheaves are getting harder and harder to find.

[SkiBachelor]

 bobby a, on Feb 8 2009, 09:17 AM, said:

Wow a honest to god SLI work chair, I would love to see that, we made ours from scratch back in the 80's. I wonder where the lift went? SLI sheaves are getting harder and harder to find.

If you're looking for some SLI sheaves, I would suggest contacting Telluride. When I was there, it had two full pallets of them in its boneyard although I never inspected them.

[bobby a]

 SkiBachelor, on Feb 8 2009, 10:52 AM, said:

If you're looking for some SLI sheaves, I would suggest contacting Telluride. When I was there, it two full pallets of them in its boneyard although I never inspected them.

Thanks, that is pretty interesting, considering they still have two SLI's running, But I do know they have removed a couple of them the last few years. Maybe they have a rare problem, too many spare parts

[barnstormer]

 bobby a, on Feb 8 2009, 12:17 PM, said:

Wow a honest to god SLI work chair, I would love to see that, we made ours from scratch back in the 80's. I wonder where the lift went? SLI sheaves are getting harder and harder to find.

I guess I have to clarify that statement. It was not an "honest to god SLI work chair". It was fabricated out a regular double chair, probably similar to yours. I think Hagen from Ski Lift Parts got the old lift.

Also the other SLI I remember seeing was not at Beaver Mountain but actually at Sundance.

[iceberg210]

 barnstormer, on 08 February 2009 - 06:51 AM, said:

We replaced an SLI with a rebuilt Partek at the Hideout in Lake Ariel, PA this past summer. The Hideout is a small, private ski area that is a part of a housing development. The lift was gone when I got there to wire the "new" lift but there was a SLI workchair in the bone yard. I'm betting the old lift was a relocate.

I remember the lift at Park City and it seems to me that there was one at Beaver Mountain in UT as well. The chair bail looked suspiciously like a later generation Yan double without the dreaded "Taco".

That lift actually wasn't a relocate but rather one of SLI's original installs according to the lift survey

1971 Hideout Pennsylvania
Double 831 Length, 131 Vert, 900 PPH, 350 FPM

I wonder where all of PCMR's SLI's ran off to. After all they 5 at one point, more than any other resort except Telluride with also had five at one point.

[ccslider]

 iceberg210, on 13 October 2009 - 11:27 AM, said:

I wonder where all of PCMR's SLI's ran off to. After all they 5 at one point, more than any other resort except Telluride with also had five at one point.

Telluride had 6 SLIs if you consider the 1975 Coonskin SLI/Riblet installation (still in operation). It had a Riblet style drive terminal but SLI towers & assemblies, and SLI chairs with riblet type insert clips.

This post has been edited by ccslider: 15 October 2009 - 06:05 PM

[Kicking Horse]

 ccslider, on 15 October 2009 - 06:03 PM, said:

Telluride had 6 SLIs if you consider the 1975 Coonskin SLI/Riblet installation (still in operation). It had a Riblet style drive terminal but SLI towers & assemblies, and SLI chairs with riblet type insert clips.

CCslider, Was Coonskin installed like that in 75 or was it a rebuild later on?

[ccslider]

 ccslider, on 15 October 2009 - 06:03 PM, said:

Telluride had 6 SLIs if you consider the 1975 Coonskin SLI/Riblet installation (still in operation). It had a Riblet style drive terminal but SLI towers & assemblies, and SLI chairs with riblet type insert clips.

It was installed like that in '75.

[sheave]

This chair looks like SLI too: http://www.dcski.com...ofile.php?id=26

[skier691]

SLI on Mackinac Island
 mackinaw lsi.jpg (267.62K)
Number of downloads: 94

History:
http://www.mackinacp...com/mt-humbard/

[sheave]

I wonder what happened to the lift after only operating for two seasons?

[Tramway Guy]

At one time there was a Riblet/SLI mixture at Rib Mt., WI. Had different sheave trains each direction. If I remember correctly, it had external grips.
Also, I believe that Sam Bonasso (of West Virgina) was an cofounder/engineer with SLI. He was probably best known for translating Prof. Dante Marrochi's Ropeway Design book into English.

https://en.m.wikiped...muel_G._Bonasso

[passengerpigeon]

So SLI was absorbed by Riblet? Maybe this sheds some light on the strange “Riblet” chairlifts at Pucon, Chile, with SLI chairs and other atypical parts. When I first read the reports, I assumed that these were Riblets or even other brands of lifts turned into frankenlifts over the years, but maybe Riblet built them new using SLI designs. Also, the drive terminals, at least the housings, don’t resemble any Riblet or SLI design that I’ve seen photos of before - is this an aftermarket modification or an atypical OEM design?

Also, did Ski Lift International actually build lifts in Asia/Europe, or was the "International" just marketing? I recall someone saying earlier in the thread that they found a similar lift in Europe and would be interested to know which one that is.

This post has been edited by passengerpigeon: 14 March 2017 - 07:21 AM

[sheave]

 passengerpigeon, on 14 March 2017 - 06:28 AM, said:

So SLI was absorbed by Riblet?

Kind of: http://www.skilifts....?showtopic=9288

[sheave]

Another SLI at Adventureland Park in Des Moines, IA?

https://www.youtube....h?v=DHS6BO4Ewgg

[RibStaThiok]

si

[sheave]

I was wondering why they put SLI chairs on both the Carlevaro & Savio double and the Riblet double at Ober Gatlinburg?

 sli-1734.jpg (418.91K)
Number of downloads: 162

[skiersage]

 sheave, on 23 March 2017 - 09:13 AM, said:

I was wondering why they put SLI chairs on both the Carlevaro & Savio double and the Riblet double at Ober Gatlinburg?

sli-1734.jpg

I think it is the other way around with the blue lift. It appears to be an SLI lift modified by riblet.

[sheave]

 skiersage, on 24 March 2017 - 12:13 PM, said:

I think it is the other way around with the blue lift. It appears to be an SLI lift modified by riblet.

Good point. That might explain the different towers. At least the return looks like Riblet.