L’Express du Nord – Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC

This 1987 Doppelmayr detachable features a top drive with tensioning at the bottom.
There is also a large parking facility at the base.
The parking rails.
Interestingly, the return bullwheel is located behind the rest of the bottom terminal.
This station has the hydraulic tensioning system.
Like many early model detachable lifts, the terminals are chain driven and not arranged in clean U shapes.
The top terminal.
View down the lift line.
Middle part of the line.
Lower line.
Tower 1.
Arriving at the drive station.
Overview of the top terminal.
Riding up.
View back down the line.
The top station with a bulge where the drive equipment is housed.

21 thoughts on “L’Express du Nord – Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC

  1. Max Hart's avatar Max Hart January 21, 2019 / 11:43 am

    Does this lift remind anyone else of Big Burn at Snowmass? Both are 1987 detachables (Doppie here and Poma at Snowmass) and they were both major manufacturer’s first attempts at overhead drive detachables. Also at the same time Yan was pioneering the more compact (than the CLD-260 and Performant/Alpha-Evolution) detachable systems.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Teddy's Lift World's avatar Teddy's Lift World January 21, 2019 / 12:25 pm

      It does remind me of Big Burn in the way that the terminals are stacked. Yan was truly ahead of their time with their detachables.

      Liked by 2 people

      • Owen Natorp's avatar Owen Natorp January 25, 2019 / 11:48 am

        Yes, I agree, I ski Snowmass every year and the big burn lift is pretty advanced for its time!

        Like

      • Bob's avatar Bob October 21, 2022 / 7:04 pm

        Too bad they weren’t ahead of their time with their grips.

        Liked by 1 person

    • Donald Reif's avatar Donald Reif February 16, 2020 / 10:35 am

      You can’t really unsee it.

      Like

  2. skiz's avatar skiz October 10, 2019 / 1:25 pm

    why the weird separated return bullwheel????

    Like

    • Donald Reif's avatar Donald Reif December 22, 2019 / 10:48 pm

      Spacing constraints, maybe.

      Like

    • pbropetech's avatar pbropetech December 23, 2019 / 9:12 am

      That’s the tension carriage- same concept as the separated Alpha terminals without the drive equipment. The terminals pictured here had plenty of space inside so I doubt that was the issue.

      Like

  3. Teddy's Lift World's avatar Teddy's Lift World December 29, 2019 / 3:55 pm

    I wonder how much longer this lift will last. It can’t be economical to run these rust buckets…

    Like

    • WH2OSHREDDER.'s avatar WH2OSHREDDER. October 2, 2024 / 7:43 pm

      Probably not for a long time, RCR does not have the capital needed….

      Like

      • MagicWizard_'s avatar MagicWizard_ October 3, 2024 / 8:08 am

        Ye they have it, they just don’t spend it. Result = bad ownership

        Like

        • WH2OSHREDDER.'s avatar WH2OSHREDDER. October 3, 2024 / 4:12 pm

          Compagnie de ski du Québec needs to buy this resort

          Like

        • MagicWizard_'s avatar MagicWizard_ October 3, 2024 / 6:11 pm

          It would be an interesting end up. I think the best would be that government expropriates RCR (Return the Cash in the Rockies), and the MSA management would go to the SÉPAQ. CMSQ is scaring me, because it smells like a mini-vail…

          The government annouced this week that they are planning to give money to RCR to modernize the mountain. Smells like corruption. That is the last thing they should do, according to me.

          Like

        • WH2OSHREDDER.'s avatar WH2OSHREDDER. October 16, 2024 / 7:59 am

          100% everything you said

          Like

        • magicwizard423's avatar magicwizard423 October 3, 2024 / 6:16 pm

          CMSQ smells like a mini-vail. I think the best would be that the government expropriates RCR (Return the Cash in the Rockies), and gives back the management to the SÉPAQ (as it was before RCR came in).

          After that, this week, RCR announced that the governement of Quebec is planning to give money to RCR to upgrade the mountain. What a shame to take public founds to help criminals like RCR.

          Like

        • Sam's avatar Sam October 17, 2024 / 7:11 pm

          Le Massif got 400M$, who’s corrupt. Average family can’t go there anymore. Getting RCR out will end up costing more. CMSQ will probably end up asking for funds eventually as well. It’s all the same…

          Like

        • magicwizard423's avatar magicwizard423 October 17, 2024 / 7:36 pm

          Well in that case the best option would be SÉPAQ. Prices are increasing with RCR, meanwhile the mountain is deteriorating. At Massif, prices are increasing, but they are able to justify it with the services. SÉPAQ would still use the government’s money, but at least, it will be injected in the governement, and not in a private corporation.

          Like

  4. SilverSubaru's avatar julestheshiba February 22, 2020 / 6:50 pm

    who else loves these quirky old express lifts, even with their faults it is still cool to see some resorts keeping them running for just a little while longer.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Faery's avatar Faery April 19, 2023 / 10:37 am

      I do! I just wish there were still more around–like the Stadeli triple ones in Switzerland. Those were very advanced for 1983.

      Like

  5. B774's avatar B774 March 10, 2024 / 12:44 pm

    Those chairs look like early EJ prototypes!

    Like

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