This Riblet quad is the newest lift at Andes Tower Hills.Upper part of the lift line.Lower lift line.Bottom terminal.Counterweight.Side view of the drive terminal.View from the bottom terminal.Loading area.Tower 1 with added lifting frame.Closely spaced towers.Arriving up top.Return bullwheel.
This is most likely a one-off- that motor room typically sat on a carriage frame with vertical, not angled, supports and had a side-pull counterweight. If it was relocated from another area I could see a custom frame being built.
It was just a thought. Definitely a 1 off. I’ve ridden several Riblets (and 1 mixed Riblet/Hall) with that motor room on the terminal frame you’ve described. Wild Side at Snoqualmie Summit, old Chair 6 at Crystal come to mind.
Utah Lost Ski Area ProjectNovember 16, 2022 / 8:20 pm
Could this be the Riblet from Royal Valley, Michigan? From comments on MILSAP’s page, it looks like the area closed in 1990 and both lifts gone by 1993. This design of the bottom terminal looks like it was from the mid 70s and early 80s and the lift from Royal Valley was from 1977.
I was thinking the same thing. The lift at Royal Valley or Ski World had center pole chairs though. Must have gotten a replacement in the 90s when it was relocated.
This could be the Royal Valley Quad. The crossarm extensions on both sides would make sense. The Royal Valley Quad was a lift that loaded from the center, in a valley, and proceeded up the hill in 2 directions thus needing the crossarm extensions on both sides not just a single side like most other Riblet quads had in this era. I have never seen an up close picture of that lift.
Lift Blog 
I wonder if this was Riblet’s attempt at an answer to the Thiokol/CTEC Enterprise terminal design.
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This is most likely a one-off- that motor room typically sat on a carriage frame with vertical, not angled, supports and had a side-pull counterweight. If it was relocated from another area I could see a custom frame being built.
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It was just a thought. Definitely a 1 off. I’ve ridden several Riblets (and 1 mixed Riblet/Hall) with that motor room on the terminal frame you’ve described. Wild Side at Snoqualmie Summit, old Chair 6 at Crystal come to mind.
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Could this be the Riblet from Royal Valley, Michigan? From comments on MILSAP’s page, it looks like the area closed in 1990 and both lifts gone by 1993. This design of the bottom terminal looks like it was from the mid 70s and early 80s and the lift from Royal Valley was from 1977.
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I was thinking the same thing. The lift at Royal Valley or Ski World had center pole chairs though. Must have gotten a replacement in the 90s when it was relocated.
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This could be the Royal Valley Quad. The crossarm extensions on both sides would make sense. The Royal Valley Quad was a lift that loaded from the center, in a valley, and proceeded up the hill in 2 directions thus needing the crossarm extensions on both sides not just a single side like most other Riblet quads had in this era. I have never seen an up close picture of that lift.
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Just found these pictures. Tower heads are identical. Typical Riblet Quads of this era only had the tower head extensions on the load side.
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1043565349901074&set=pcb.940086256915651
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1043565223234420&set=pcb.940086256915651
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