Looking down the lift line near the summit.Middle part of the line.Lower lift line.Tower 1.Return station with 90-degree loading.View up from the base.Leaving the bottom.Riding up.Note the small extension on tower 12.The breakover.Arriving at the drive.Top station unloading ramp.Poma Omega drive station.Drive-tension station.Lower terminal overview.Looking at the bottom from FIS.Lift overview.Top station from below.
Are there any photos out there of the original Ajax Express? I wonder why it was replaced after only eighteen years. I’ve seen lifts from the 1980’s like the original Ajax Express still standing until the 2010’s and even present day. I’m assuming the original Ajax Express was an Alpha Falcon?
The original Ajax Express only had a capacity of 1700 pph, which is lower than most fixed grip triples. The detachables that are still standing from the mid 80s are on their last legs, especially the Poma detachables. It wasn’t uncommon to replace these early detachables after less than 20 years. Winter Park’s Summit lift comes to mind.
Although, the Winter Park Summit lift you mentioned did end up living on at Mission Ridge Washington for sixteen more years! Although it did become too much of a pain for Mission Ridge and they ended up replacing it with another detachable quad that was from 1987… Hope it works well for them.
I guess if Aspen was looking to increase the capacity of the Ajax Express, and it was nearing two decades of age, it probably was just worth replacing the whole thing, to get a much higher hourly capacity and a fresh lift that will last a while.
Alpha Evolutif (Evolution), yes. I’m beyond blue-in-the-face, but there’s no such thing as an Alpha-Falcon as y’all seem to think. As to why they replaced it, they needed more capacity. UPS- I disagree that the Pomas from this era are in worse shape than any other lift. Witness Hunter Mountain moving and refurbishing their ’85 (or was it ’86?) and continuing to run it. I’m pretty sure we could have done the same with our old Flyer. I threw parts at it but I was pretty much on the home stretch as far as long-term parts replacement went.
Ah, I learned the term Alpha-Falcon from skilifts.org, a site which hasn’t been updated in well over a decade!
I also agree in that there are some detachable chairlifts from both Poma and Doppelmayr from the 1980’s that are still going strong. But I guess Aspen just replaced the original Ajax Express for additional capacity and more longevity.
Pioneer Express at Winter Park is also a Poma-Falcon with a Alpha drive. It is still standing, but a new Leitner-Poma HSQ is planned with a mid-station. Other than Pioneer, there are not many, if any at all, Falcons left.
Paradise Express at Crested Butte, Sam’s Knob at Snowmass, Alpine Springs at Snowmass, Exhibition at Aspen Highlands, and Summit Express at Buttermilk.
And that’s just from Colorado alone. There are a lot of Falcons still in operation.
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It’s Leitner-Poma
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Are there any photos out there of the original Ajax Express? I wonder why it was replaced after only eighteen years. I’ve seen lifts from the 1980’s like the original Ajax Express still standing until the 2010’s and even present day. I’m assuming the original Ajax Express was an Alpha Falcon?
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The original Ajax Express only had a capacity of 1700 pph, which is lower than most fixed grip triples. The detachables that are still standing from the mid 80s are on their last legs, especially the Poma detachables. It wasn’t uncommon to replace these early detachables after less than 20 years. Winter Park’s Summit lift comes to mind.
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Although, the Winter Park Summit lift you mentioned did end up living on at Mission Ridge Washington for sixteen more years! Although it did become too much of a pain for Mission Ridge and they ended up replacing it with another detachable quad that was from 1987… Hope it works well for them.
I guess if Aspen was looking to increase the capacity of the Ajax Express, and it was nearing two decades of age, it probably was just worth replacing the whole thing, to get a much higher hourly capacity and a fresh lift that will last a while.
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Alpha Evolutif (Evolution), yes. I’m beyond blue-in-the-face, but there’s no such thing as an Alpha-Falcon as y’all seem to think. As to why they replaced it, they needed more capacity. UPS- I disagree that the Pomas from this era are in worse shape than any other lift. Witness Hunter Mountain moving and refurbishing their ’85 (or was it ’86?) and continuing to run it. I’m pretty sure we could have done the same with our old Flyer. I threw parts at it but I was pretty much on the home stretch as far as long-term parts replacement went.
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Ah, I learned the term Alpha-Falcon from skilifts.org, a site which hasn’t been updated in well over a decade!
I also agree in that there are some detachable chairlifts from both Poma and Doppelmayr from the 1980’s that are still going strong. But I guess Aspen just replaced the original Ajax Express for additional capacity and more longevity.
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Pioneer Express at Winter Park is also a Poma-Falcon with a Alpha drive. It is still standing, but a new Leitner-Poma HSQ is planned with a mid-station. Other than Pioneer, there are not many, if any at all, Falcons left.
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The replacement is permitted as a six pack.
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Paradise Express at Crested Butte, Sam’s Knob at Snowmass, Alpine Springs at Snowmass, Exhibition at Aspen Highlands, and Summit Express at Buttermilk.
And that’s just from Colorado alone. There are a lot of Falcons still in operation.
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No, none of these are Performant models.
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Ah.
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Original Ajax Express:
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In the first pic it looks like the drive is sitting on a riblet vault.
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That’s because it replaced a riblet double 😉
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chair count: 98
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