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Sunday River lift evac

steamboat1

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The diesel emergency/backup motors on detachable lifts do not have the HP (usually around 400 HP) of the electric motors (usually closer to a 1,000) and thus the line speed is reduced. Did they really do this, especially during a busy period?
Several years ago I spent a week at Sugarloaf & the Superquad ran on diesel all week. Seemed plenty fast to me.
 

Newpylong

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Yes the CTECs could run at full speed on diesel power. They usually run it every year on backup as part of their maintenance program.

While not detachable, the Skyline quad also has same HP electric and backup drives. Pretty handy.
 

zoomzoom

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you can spec whatever APU capacity you want when building a new lift, or upgrade your old lifts also. from 100% capacity / 100% speed, or a reduction in either. you may run your detachable with reduced carriers if the lift is designed and tested for those conditons. 100% capacity at 80% speed is not uncommon for newer detachables in a "main hauler" location. mt snow's the bluebird has two mongo APU's, couple them both together and you have 100%/100%.

these setups are not inexpensive, so unloading a lift under minimum speed just to get passengers off to commence repairs is pretty standard in older lifts.
 

benski

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The diesel emergency/backup motors on detachable lifts do not have the HP (usually around 400 HP) of the electric motors (usually closer to a 1,000) and thus the line speed is reduced. Did they really do this, especially during a busy period?

Yes they were running the diesel and it took 20 minuets to download. They already had lincoln peak open top to bottom with upper jester, upper organ grinder, ripcord and lower downspout but only rim run at Mt. ellen. open so very few ventured over to Mt. Ellen. I am not sure you can run the lift full speed with downloading anyway.
 

steamboat1

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I am not sure you can run the lift full speed with downloading anyway.
When I skied Mt. Ellen & they were using the GMX for downloading because only the summit was skiable not only did they run the chair slow but it stopped everytime someone was unloading at either the top or bottom. We had to carry our skis on the chair since the lift wasn't ski on/ski off. I don't remember them stopping the lift for either uploading or downloading though.
 

chuckstah

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More lift problems at the River this weekend. The Barker quad, required to reach all the open terrain went down for the count before noon on Saturday. It took them a couple hours to fire up Locke as a replacement as it wasn't prepped. They had to send a groomer up to farm snow and build a ramp. Also, Locke requires a hike, although quite short, to access the Barker and Spruce terrain. They are "hoping" that it will be repaired in time for next weekend. As for the skiing, great spring conditions, but getting thin. Many laps on Shockwave, WH and Obsession as that's where I was stranded when Barker went down.
 

machski

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That lift has been quite cantankerous this year. Not the first time it has gone down for multiple days. Never a good lift to loose, but with South Ridge done, makes moving around that much more of a pain. The plus in this was that Right Stuff and Ecstacy/South Paw had sweet smooth corn snow for the slaying all day without being cut up. Real nice payoff for the hike.
 

chuckstah

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That lift has been quite cantankerous this year. Not the first time it has gone down for multiple days. Never a good lift to loose, but with South Ridge done, makes moving around that much more of a pain. The plus in this was that Right Stuff and Ecstacy/South Paw had sweet smooth corn snow for the slaying all day without being cut up. Real nice payoff for the hike.

Agree. Southpaw was sweet. Didn't make it to Right Stuff. Shockwave was run of the weekend however!
 

zoomzoom

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"I am not sure you can run the lift full speed with downloading anyway."

you betcha! downloading is a completely different animal, as only the APU/trans must be able to control the downhill load. control is almost always these days by use of engine braking. a forward overhauling lift event (i know of an example) is damn scary. modulating the speed using the service brake quickly toasted the pads.

download capacity is proven during acceptance testing, and the 7 year follow-up tests. depending on the lift machinery, there is approx 15-17% line friction inherent in a skilift, so for gas engines/auto trans about 20% downhill loading is not unusual. greater download capacity possible when using a large diesel/hydrostatic drive. no real need for yuge download capacity unless you've got a large crowd at the top, i.e. lodge or restaurant for example.
 
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