This classic Mueller detachable operates in spring, summer and fall for as many as 14 hours per day.The top terminal is accessible by car but the bottom terminal is very remote.Descending down into the gorge.Tall Mueller lattice towers.Lifting frames have been added.View up the steep lift line.Because cabins are launched manually, the number on the line can be easily varied based on demand.Mueller tower.T4.Hold down tower.View up near the bottom station.The lodge at the bottom is only accessible by gondola or on foot.Tension column at the bottom return station.Loading area.Side view of the lower terminal building.The lift crosses the Bluestone National Scenic River.Tower 1.The entire operation is part of the West Virginia State Parks system.CWA cabin for four passengers.Bottom station integrated with a restaurant and gift shop.Middle part of the line.Cabins waiting for passengers.Return bullwheel.Riding up.The lift passes a large cliff and waterfall.Nearing the summit.View from the top.Drive equipment.Loading area up top.Tower 9.Top station overview.A cabin nears the summit.Carrier and hanger with double grip.
This looks like a still operating version of the long closed/abandoned Gondola at Mt. Whittier NH, aside from that Gondola’s crumbling buildings, it looks to bo in solid shape! Hopefully parts of this are able to be preserved if replacement goes through, because it’s a very cool old lift.
I just called and they said the gondola was supposed to open on West Virginia Day (June 20th) but has now been postponed to August or September. The lift was mostly completed a long time ago but the platforms around the terminals are being built by a different contractor. That’s where the holdup is.
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If the elevation wasn’t so low, this could be a great place for skiing, as it’s pretty steep for the southwest.
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This looks like a still operating version of the long closed/abandoned Gondola at Mt. Whittier NH, aside from that Gondola’s crumbling buildings, it looks to bo in solid shape! Hopefully parts of this are able to be preserved if replacement goes through, because it’s a very cool old lift.
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This lift reminds me of the Téléferico de Montetaxco in Mexico:
https://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/bdd/reportage-tcd4-teleferico-de-montetaxco-gmd-muller-8156.html
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…and I put the accents in the wrong places…
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Are there any replacement plans for this lift?
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There are:
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What is the status and updated completion date estimste?
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Late June/July 2025
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I just called and they said the gondola was supposed to open on West Virginia Day (June 20th) but has now been postponed to August or September. The lift was mostly completed a long time ago but the platforms around the terminals are being built by a different contractor. That’s where the holdup is.
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How many Mueller detachables are still in operation?
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This was the last one in the USA or Canada. There are two Mueller gondolas in Mexico but I think they are fixed grip.
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According to RM.net, the Mexican ones are detachables like this one was.
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