Bottom terminal at South Ridge.Riding up near the base.View up the line.Doppelmayr European-style tower.Top terminal arrival side.Unloading area.View down the line.Bottom terminal from above.Another view of the bottom station.Underside of the Uni-G station.Cabin parking facility, if you can call it that.Chair side unload ramp.Side view of the drive station.
The listed design speed for this lift is 1000 fpm, but I’ve clocked it at 1042 fpm (5.3 m/s) multiple times in the last 5 years (I hadn’t actually done the math until now). It seems to run that speed all of the time.
Significant figures show that 1000 fpm could be ± 50 fpm so its probably a conversion from metric units. I would imagine ANSI outlines how far ± the listed speed can be compared to actual speed.
If you know the length it’s pretty easy. Divide the ride time in minutes by the length in feet, and that gives you the speed in feet per minute. I actually use a Gopro to get my times.
Last night, an incident happened. This is the resorts press release:
NEWRY, ME (February 23, 2022) – At 5:37PM, a gondola cabin detached from the haul rope of the resort’s Chondola lift as a result of a high gust of wind causing the cabin to misfeed into the top terminal of the lift. The cabin fell approximately 10 feet and was occupied by one guest who sustained minor injuries and was transported to the base of the mountain by ski patrol and released. The guest is a 17-year-old and was released to a parent.
Due to increasing winds, the lift was being unloaded and running at half speed under high wind protocol at the time of the incident. All guests remaining on the lift were safely unloaded and night skiing operations were suspended.
Does anyone know how something like this could happen?
Last night, an incident happened. This is the resorts press release:
NEWRY, ME (February 23, 2022) – At 5:37PM, a gondola cabin detached from the haul rope of the resort’s Chondola lift as a result of a high gust of wind causing the cabin to misfeed into the top terminal of the lift. The cabin fell approximately 10 feet and was occupied by one guest who sustained minor injuries and was transported to the base of the mountain by ski patrol and released. The guest is a 17-year-old and was released to a parent.
Due to increasing winds, the lift was being unloaded and running at half speed under high wind protocol at the time of the incident. All guests remaining on the lift were safely unloaded and night skiing operations were suspended.
Does anyone know how something like this could happen or if it was because of wind or something else
My interpretation is that a gust got the cabin at exactly the wrong time and it missed the trumpet, detached as normal, then fell as it was unsupported on one side. If it only fell 10 feet it must have been inboard of the terminal end, beyond the end of the terminal carriers are 12-15 feet above grade. I don’t think it’s a case of the carrier detaching mid-line. Similar thing happened at Banff Sunshine a bunch of years ago.
Is there any sort of regulation (including in states beyond Maine) on trumpet size? If this is the cause, and this is what happened at Banff years ago, then perhaps this is something worth looking into?
Press release says the derailment was because of high wind. The lift was being run at slow speed when the incident happened. take a look at Photo #5 of Chondola Sunday River pics to see how the lift cable feeds into the top terminal. The lift was being run at low speed to minimize the swinging of the gondola cabins, but the cabin still swung too much and hit the cable feed rails. (if i read the Press Release correctly)
Lift Blog 
The listed design speed for this lift is 1000 fpm, but I’ve clocked it at 1042 fpm (5.3 m/s) multiple times in the last 5 years (I hadn’t actually done the math until now). It seems to run that speed all of the time.
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Did they possibly run it over the design speed or did they put in a drive that could handle more than 1000 fpm?
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Significant figures show that 1000 fpm could be ± 50 fpm so its probably a conversion from metric units. I would imagine ANSI outlines how far ± the listed speed can be compared to actual speed.
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I’d be interested to learn how to clock a lifts fpm through timing the lift.
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If you know the length it’s pretty easy. Divide the ride time in minutes by the length in feet, and that gives you the speed in feet per minute. I actually use a Gopro to get my times.
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What is the reason behind the European style chairs on this lift?
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Wider line gauge than typical six-packs and/or imported lift from Europe.
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Last night, an incident happened. This is the resorts press release:
NEWRY, ME (February 23, 2022) – At 5:37PM, a gondola cabin detached from the haul rope of the resort’s Chondola lift as a result of a high gust of wind causing the cabin to misfeed into the top terminal of the lift. The cabin fell approximately 10 feet and was occupied by one guest who sustained minor injuries and was transported to the base of the mountain by ski patrol and released. The guest is a 17-year-old and was released to a parent.
Due to increasing winds, the lift was being unloaded and running at half speed under high wind protocol at the time of the incident. All guests remaining on the lift were safely unloaded and night skiing operations were suspended.
Does anyone know how something like this could happen?
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Last night, an incident happened. This is the resorts press release:
NEWRY, ME (February 23, 2022) – At 5:37PM, a gondola cabin detached from the haul rope of the resort’s Chondola lift as a result of a high gust of wind causing the cabin to misfeed into the top terminal of the lift. The cabin fell approximately 10 feet and was occupied by one guest who sustained minor injuries and was transported to the base of the mountain by ski patrol and released. The guest is a 17-year-old and was released to a parent.
Due to increasing winds, the lift was being unloaded and running at half speed under high wind protocol at the time of the incident. All guests remaining on the lift were safely unloaded and night skiing operations were suspended.
Does anyone know how something like this could happen or if it was because of wind or something else
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My interpretation is that a gust got the cabin at exactly the wrong time and it missed the trumpet, detached as normal, then fell as it was unsupported on one side. If it only fell 10 feet it must have been inboard of the terminal end, beyond the end of the terminal carriers are 12-15 feet above grade. I don’t think it’s a case of the carrier detaching mid-line. Similar thing happened at Banff Sunshine a bunch of years ago.
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Is there any sort of regulation (including in states beyond Maine) on trumpet size? If this is the cause, and this is what happened at Banff years ago, then perhaps this is something worth looking into?
LikeLike
Press release says the derailment was because of high wind. The lift was being run at slow speed when the incident happened. take a look at Photo #5 of Chondola Sunday River pics to see how the lift cable feeds into the top terminal. The lift was being run at low speed to minimize the swinging of the gondola cabins, but the cabin still swung too much and hit the cable feed rails. (if i read the Press Release correctly)
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