Conference Papers - Center for Ropeway Studies

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Amusement transportation by wire rope
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Doman, D. Mark; International Organization for Transportation by Rope. North American Continental Section
There are significant parallels and commonalities between the ski and amusement industries and passenger transportation by wire rope goes back at least as far in amusement settings as it does in skiing. Every major amusement park has a "Sky Ride" made by one of the same suppliers that supply the ski industry, but the amusement industry uses wire rope to solve passenger transportation problems in some unique and interesting ways. The original way that the amusement industry used to turn large passenger carrying structures at slow speeds from high speed output shafts was with wire ropes. The obvious example is the Ferris Wheel but early drive mechanisms for many common amusement rides used wire ropes. "Pinch wheel" drives, like the drives used to propel detachable carriers in terminal conveyors, have replaced the old wire rope drives in the amusement industry, but new rides use wire ropes to do new and remarkable things. The tension resulting from the mass per length of roller lift chains limits conventional roller coaster heights to approximately two hundred feet. Using wire ropes however, roller coaster manufacturers have been able to build coasters more than 450 feet tall and to launch their trains at over 125 mph. One solution uses an approach similar to a jig-back tram where what would be the tram car latches to a roller coaster train and hauls it up the 300 feet lift hill at detachable lift speeds using 800 hp. Another approach accumulates energy in a bank of hydraulic accumulators and releases it to accelerate a 15,000 pound train to 125 mph in two seconds - enough energy for the train to summit a 450 foot hill. This approach uses rotation resistant rope and water cooling.
Under cover items of interest in the Information Center for Ropeway Studies Collection
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Roslund, Sid; International Organization for Transportation by Rope; North American Continental Section 200 : Lakewood, Colo. (North American Continental Section)
Presently the Information Center for Ropeway Studies Collection has over 800 books on diferent aspects of ropeways systems. There are the usual books such as CF&I Roebling Wire Rope Handbook or Aerial Tramways and Funicular Railways by Z. Schneigert. One collection of books from Casper D. Meals is a unique compendium of varied materials (papers, journal articles, manufacturers catalogues, etc.) that were bound into books during the first decades of the 20th Century. The binding of the printed materials into books captured a "snapshot" of the wire rope industry for a short time period in each book. This paper will look at several of the information threads that weave through these books and several other book series in the Collection.
Importance of the visual inspection for Ropeway ropes, The
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Kopanakis, George A.; International Organization for Transportation by Rope; North American Continental Section 2009: Lakewood, Colo. (North American Continental Section)
A dramatic incident athe the Schilthorn, a renowned ski area in Switzerland, almost ended up in a fatal disaster.The sudden loss of more than 50% of the metallic cross-section of a locked coil track rope due to deterioration mechanism unknown within rope and ropeway professional circles (Hydrogen Induced Stress Corrosion Cracking "HISCC"), roused the whole ropeway community. Thorough visual inspections subsequently carried out on aerial trams of similar build, brought to light the existence of surface damage in an unexpected high number of track ropes. The current paper: summarizes briefly the incident, shows the importance of the visual inspection as a part of the maintenance procedures, explains the goals of the visual rope inspection, shows how visual inspection should be carried out and finally points out and explains the fact that the visual rope inspection and the magneto inductive rope testing methods are complementary and therefore cannot substitute each other.
Ski areas and environment
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Manhart, Michael; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
Congress paper stresses importance of environmental considerations in all aspects of ski area management. Illustrative photographs. (CFD).
Economic aspects of investments in ski areas
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Feuz, Peter; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
Congress paper evaluates economic aspects of investments in ski areas with particular emphasis upon the ropeway transport facilities involved. (CFD).
Dolomiti Superski. 12 valleys united by a single, unique skipass
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Vanzi, Gerhard; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
Congress paper describes the Dolomiti Superski, a unique ski pass widely used in Europe. Ski area operations and ski lifts facilities are influenced. (CFD).
Prevention of aerial tramway failure by safety factors?
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Kieselbach, R.; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
In December 1996, an accident occurred on a cableway which caused the death of one passenger and injuries to several others. The cause of the tragic accident was the unexpected failure of the axle that carries the deflecting wheels for the wire rope. During the course of the official investigation it was demonstrated that the failure was due to a fatigue crack that had already propagated through a large portion of the cross- section. This fatigue crack had been initiated by fretting. Furthermore, it was found that safety factors prescribed by the regulations for cableways had not sufficiently been considered in the design calculations. It also became clear that if different calculating philosophies are to be combined in a project great care is necessary in order to assure that all the important design parameters and failure modes are considered during the analyses, e.g. finite element calculations are employed together with design standards that contain overall factors, to account for stress concentrations and manufacturing inaccuracies. In general, it may be concluded, that a simple compliance with the factors of safety will not always provide the necessary margin of safety against failure. Safety can only be guaranteed if all the important mechanisms of possible damage have been fully accounted for in the design.
Economic significance of cableways illustrated by the example of Titlis Rotair in Engelberg, near to Lucerne, Switzerland
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Ruegger, Eugenio; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
Congress paper studies economics of ropeway operations in alpine areas. The Engelberg Tourist Resort is used as an example. Ropeways are considered the backbone of alpine tourism. (CFD).
Lifts without a tensioning device
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Marocchi, Andrea; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
In Barcelona I spoke about the work I had been doing with the Polytechnic di Torino on the tensioning devices; afterwards, the theoretical work was developed and we made a series of tests with a device able to measure the tension of the rope in the drive station of a moving 12-passenger gondola lift. As further development, I am proposing now a series of cases where a circulating lift can work in a simpler and safer way without a tensioning device, often without any increase in the rope diameter. One of the reasons why the classic circulating-multi-tower lifts had a tensioning device was the line calculation: years ago it was quite impossible to perform such a calculation by hand! Now we have good and affordable computer programs that can solve this problem: these programs make possible to build lifts without tensioning device when it can be useful, or to use an intelligent variable-tension device, if this solution offers advantages. We need some norms for these new designs, so I suggest some issues emerging from the test calculations, which I did on lift lines with no tensioning device. In many countries, the approval of new concepts lift design by the Surveying Authorities needs Norms. A big obstacle in developing Norms and methods of calculation is the lack of experiments and the high cost of them; I propose a new approach to the experiments on the rope configuration, using a mixture of model testing and computer simulation. The computer simulation is calibrated using a model of lift that can be configured in many different ways; this low-cost model is built using standard materials and it is really easy to take measures and data.
Utility conduits suspended between ropeway towers
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Peterson, Charles R.; International Organization for Transportation by Rope. North American Continental Section
The presentation will be based on experience gained in the installation of a natural gas, potable water and wastewater utility lines on the Iron Mountain Tramway in Colorado. We will look at the design construction, and operation of the utilty lines that are suspended between the tower heads.
Dimensioning carrier-components of modern circulating monocable ropeways
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Zbil, H. U.; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
A contribution concerning the verification of service strength of carrier components with regard to the operational loads occurring at stations entry. (CFD).
Use of complex electronics in the ropeway industry based on the example of a revolutionary fail-safe rope position detection switch, The
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Fuchs, Elmar; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
The use of complex electronics in the ropeway industry based on the example of a revolutionary development - the fail safe RPD switch. Complex electronics are increasingly used in ropeway engineering to perform control and monitoring functions. Several factors must be taken into account to ensure safe functioning. Disregarding these factors may have fatal consequences, and the speaker wants to show how potential hazards can be correctly identified and classified. Working out the guidelines and regulations which should be binding for all manufacturers in the ropeway industry will be essential if risks are to be reduced. The speaker will discuss the application of these safety criteria on the basis of the newly developed extraordinary RPD switch and explain the function of this new rope position monitoring systems at the same time. With his speech the speaker wants to create better understanding of complex electronics in the ropeway industry and ensure that safety relevant principles are adhered to.
Maintenance system for safe operation of out-dated aerial ropeways
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Jarec, Bojan; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
Congress paper discusses maintenance systems used to assure safe operation of out-dated passenger ropeways operating in Slovenia. Graphs. (CFD).
Integrated rescue on the Aiguille du Midi cableway, Chamonix, France
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Petit, France H.; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
Congress paper describes operation of the new, second section, passenger ropeway Aiquille du Midi at Chamonix, France. Emphasis is on the rescue system by Denis Creissels, a concept known as "integrated rescue." Descriptive drawings. (CFD).
Latest trends on vehicles and testing of gondola cabins
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Wehrli, Rico; International Organization for Transportation by Rope; North American Continental Section 2009: Lakewood, Colo. (North American Continental Section)
In the last few years the ride with a Gondola, Aerial Tramway, Funicular, Shuttle in different areas bacame more and more a special experience. We would like to show the different passenger configuration possibilities as well as heated seats and cabins. We will also discuss the VIP cabins that include: Special Theme cabins, Sauna cabins, and others. In a second part of our paper we would like to inform you about special tests we did for research and development reasons, such as: Fire tests, Crash tests, Wind Tunnel tests, Window forces.
Marquam Hill aerial tramway, The: a connection to Portland's future
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Gmuender, Joe C.; International Organization for Transportation by Rope. North American Continental Section
The politically charged Marquam Hill Tramway is designed to connect Portland's largest employer, the landlocked Oregon Health Sciences University, with 120 acres of underused, industrial land at the edge of the Willamette River. Logistical challenges associated with the alignment and the construction of the tram as it passes over a national historic district and fits into the existing footprints of existing structures are just part of the unique issues of this public transportation link project.
Safety analysis
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Brunet, P.; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
Congress paper details a procedure scheme to identify the most sensitive parts of a ropeway system regarding safety. A safety analysis involves setting forth a principle ? methodology, establishing a preliminary hazard list, and the hazard severity categories. (CFD).
Birth of the cable car, The
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Okreglak, Les M.; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
Congress paper covers technical considerations involved in design and operation of the historical San Francisco cable car system. Challenges of the modern system are included. Illustrative drawings and photographs. (CFD).
Ropeway people movers for ski resorts
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Jakes, Andrew S.; International Organization for the Study of Transportation by Rope; Internationaler Seilbahnkongress 1999: San Francisco, Calif.
Las Vegas, Reno, Sun City, Foxwoods, Tunica, Broad Beach, and several other international mega-resorts have discovered that People Movers (Automated Guideway Transit) improve their image and subsequently attract new customers. In addition to presenting the rope-propelled People Mover technologies, this paper reviews how specific installations have solved visitor circulation needs in many hotel resort complexes in Las Vegas and elsewhere. This approach can be duplicated to many ski resorts worldwide since the level of ridership in Las Vegas frequently exceeds levels typically found on ski resort shuttle bus systems worldwide. We particularly focus on existing, proven technologies and specific installations, including ropeway Horizontal Elevators (Mandalay Bay, Mirage, Primadonna, and Circus-Circus Automated people Mover installations). People Mover systems represent major changes and advances in equipment, facilities, operations, and services in comparison with conventional rail, bus, taxi, and other street modes. System performance and capacities can be tailored to match expected loads and a broad range of performance and operational requirements. Suppliers usually claim, with justification, that they can adapt their product to buyer's specific needs. Vehicle size can be expanded or reduced. Seats can be added or removed from vehicles. Altering guideway design and speeds can accommodate various grades and curves. Riding the circulation People Mover system can be as convenient, safe and comfortable as riding a modern elevator. Stations can be sufficiently numerous to provide development-wide access. Passengers experience little or no waiting for vehicles. The operation can be environmentally friendly with no emissions, very little noise and minimum visual impact. The system could be fully integrated with both existing and future developments. This inherent design flexibility of People Movers has been demonstrated very well in Las Vegas and other gambling oriented resorts, and now can be duplicated in various ski resorts.
Balancing trail with lift design
(Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library) Von Allmen, Beat; Salzmann, Stefan; International Organization for Transportation by Rope. North American Continental Section
This paper reviews different methods for estimating trail capacities for winer sports and summer use of lift served Alpine areas. It offers some rules of thumb for synchronizing uphill and downhill capacity with the aim of retaining high recreation quality. Three different points of view are represented: 1) Justification of seasonal or peak demand for lift capacity, 2) The waiting line concept, 3) Preservation of a comfortable carrying capacity of trails at traffic bottlenecks. More recent research conducted in Austria on the subject is reviewed to analyze the complex skier and snowboarder traffic relationship. Expectations have changed and goals for matching these capacities are the subject of discussion. It appears that with better grooming and snowmaking, trails can endure higher traffic; however, high-speed and high-capacity lifts raise the traffic flow. Some useful guidelines are summarized to dimension trails to fit lift capacity. During summer, trail capacities are normally less significant. It is possible to estimate the hiking, biking and other trail carrying capacity based on the social space, using group size, distance or departure interval and pace. By including the simpler summer traffic in the discussion, the variables of comfort and choice are explained in a general form.

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