This lift is a Miner-Denver with Yan chairs.Two of the three towers.Top drive bullwheel.Unloading area and operator house.Tension carriage and counterweight.Lift overview.
There are many different factors. One could be that chairs are old and in need of a replacement (though I am curious as to whether Little Hawk has always had these chairs or there used to be another style of chair by Miner Denver). Another could be that a resort wants some parts uniformity.
They had alphanumeric designations based on design year and capacity. For example, these angular box-tube ones are listed in our prints as D(ouble)B(ail)-76 (although they certainly existed before 1976 so there must have been some minor design tweak). Michael probably knows more about it.
Do you know what the names of some of the other Yan chairs are? I just mean the different designations based on design, not the year designation as I would assume that would be the same regardless of the style of chair.
The round pipe bails appeared in 1978, so they would be DB- or TB-78, and so forth depending upon modifications. There were several QB models as well. I’m not sure what the designation was for the centre-pole style seen at Alta- DCP maybe?
The quad chairs changed drastically in 1987. Sunday River’s White Cap Quad (Lift 9) was the first to feature the new bail shape. Yan also used at least four different chairs on their detachable quads, the 1986-87 Pentagon style, at least two different styles of Teardrop chairs (one seen on Pico, VT’s Summit Express, and the other on Christmas at Sun Valley, ID), and the bubble chairs at Whistler. Loveland (Lift 2, 1985) and Sunrise Park (Cyclone, 1983) also had another style of triple chair with plastic seats.
I don’t recall any of Yan’s chairs having names. As you said, they were either DB or TB with the version year included. As for the center post chairs, I only remember installing them at Alta- they probably still have drawings. I do know of at least 3 versions of the round pipe triples- 1) Seats welded to the bails, 2) The seat bolted to the bail with brackets and 3) plastic seat inserted in to a complete loop bail.
Hope this helps.
The grips likely got too old on the original miner denver chairs and given that no one supports that equipment anymore, it was easier to get some used Yannie chairs which still has plenty of support for the chairs and grips.
The original center-post Miner Denver chairs were replaced when Challenge lift was installed in 1993, which was also when the center post chairs on Cannonball were replaced, with those same style Yan chairs.
This lift began life in 1968 as our Four Points lift here at Steamboat Resort. It was said to be the first in the country to feature “bullwheel loading and unloading” whereby passengers move in line with the cable. Top vault-drive terminal featured a ski patrol hut, later turned over to the public. It served the “weather front” runs: Cyclone, Tornado, Twister, Hurricane and Rainbow. I pulled up old home-movie footage to confirm that the OEM chairs were replaced by Yan chairs. The lift was removed in 1992 and acquired by Eldora. The vacated lift line is now Nelson’s Run. I’m pleased to see it’s still in service.
This lift did not have hydraulic drive as did three of our other Miner-Denver lifts. Hydraulic (or hydrostatic) drive was somewhat troublesome and inefficient. Thunderhead (1965) was repowered by Heron-Poma in 1972. Lift Engineering (Yan) would repower the Burgess Creek Lift in 1984. The Headwall beginners lift (1969) would hang on to hydraulic drive till the end in 2007.
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Why do some random lifts have “upgraded” the chairs?
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There are many different factors. One could be that chairs are old and in need of a replacement (though I am curious as to whether Little Hawk has always had these chairs or there used to be another style of chair by Miner Denver). Another could be that a resort wants some parts uniformity.
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Im am not entirely sure if these are Miner Denver or Telecar chairs. Does anyone know if it is Miner Denver and that they used these chairs?
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The chairs in the photos are Yan chairs. They also use the Yan Type D grip.
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do yan chairs have names. I see these chairs and then the more rounded double chairs.
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They had alphanumeric designations based on design year and capacity. For example, these angular box-tube ones are listed in our prints as D(ouble)B(ail)-76 (although they certainly existed before 1976 so there must have been some minor design tweak). Michael probably knows more about it.
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Do you know what the names of some of the other Yan chairs are? I just mean the different designations based on design, not the year designation as I would assume that would be the same regardless of the style of chair.
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The round pipe bails appeared in 1978, so they would be DB- or TB-78, and so forth depending upon modifications. There were several QB models as well. I’m not sure what the designation was for the centre-pole style seen at Alta- DCP maybe?
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The quad chairs changed drastically in 1987. Sunday River’s White Cap Quad (Lift 9) was the first to feature the new bail shape. Yan also used at least four different chairs on their detachable quads, the 1986-87 Pentagon style, at least two different styles of Teardrop chairs (one seen on Pico, VT’s Summit Express, and the other on Christmas at Sun Valley, ID), and the bubble chairs at Whistler. Loveland (Lift 2, 1985) and Sunrise Park (Cyclone, 1983) also had another style of triple chair with plastic seats.
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@maxhart Also the plastic seats were on Eagle Feather also built in 1985 at Sunrise Park.
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Eagle Feather must be the one I was thinking of. That makes more sense, both it and Chair 2 were built in 1985.
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I don’t recall any of Yan’s chairs having names. As you said, they were either DB or TB with the version year included. As for the center post chairs, I only remember installing them at Alta- they probably still have drawings. I do know of at least 3 versions of the round pipe triples- 1) Seats welded to the bails, 2) The seat bolted to the bail with brackets and 3) plastic seat inserted in to a complete loop bail.
Hope this helps.
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Is this the last Miner Denver lift still in operation?
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There’s also one at Copper Peak, Michigan.
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Peter- Has the triple at Otsego Ski Club, MI been removed/replaced?
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Here is a cool old photo of the Miner Denver lift at Copper Peak, MI.
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That one is still running:
https://liftblog.com/adventure-ride-copper-peak-mi/
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The grips likely got too old on the original miner denver chairs and given that no one supports that equipment anymore, it was easier to get some used Yannie chairs which still has plenty of support for the chairs and grips.
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The original center-post Miner Denver chairs were replaced when Challenge lift was installed in 1993, which was also when the center post chairs on Cannonball were replaced, with those same style Yan chairs.
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Awesome history lesson, sweet
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This lift began life in 1968 as our Four Points lift here at Steamboat Resort. It was said to be the first in the country to feature “bullwheel loading and unloading” whereby passengers move in line with the cable. Top vault-drive terminal featured a ski patrol hut, later turned over to the public. It served the “weather front” runs: Cyclone, Tornado, Twister, Hurricane and Rainbow. I pulled up old home-movie footage to confirm that the OEM chairs were replaced by Yan chairs. The lift was removed in 1992 and acquired by Eldora. The vacated lift line is now Nelson’s Run. I’m pleased to see it’s still in service.
This lift did not have hydraulic drive as did three of our other Miner-Denver lifts. Hydraulic (or hydrostatic) drive was somewhat troublesome and inefficient. Thunderhead (1965) was repowered by Heron-Poma in 1972. Lift Engineering (Yan) would repower the Burgess Creek Lift in 1984. The Headwall beginners lift (1969) would hang on to hydraulic drive till the end in 2007.
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