Bottom terminal with underground cabin parking.Top terminal with vault drive.View down from the summit.Last section of the lift line.Crossing over Porcupine.Lower lift line.The bottom terminal from above.Side view of the return station.View up from the base.Top station with motor room below.
This lift was originally called Middle Bowl Express, but was quickly changed to Needles Express, presumably to avoid having two lifts called Middle Bowl. The Middle Bowl Express name was reused on the LPOA 6 pack that replaced the Middle Bowl triple.
This is one of 3 cases I can think of where a lift was called one name, then quickly renamed, only for the original name to be reused elsewhere. One of them is the Birds of Prey Express at Beaver Creek, which was renamed to the Cinch Express. The Birds of Prey Express name was reused on the Doppelmayr high speed quad that replaced the Westfall Double. The other one is the Bear Mountain Quad at Killington. This name was not always carried by the lift that has it now. It was the original name for the Devil’s Fiddle Quad, which was built when the current version was still a triple, and thus called the Bear Mountain Triple. When it was converted to a quad, it took the Bear Mountain Quad name, and the other lift was renamed the Devil’s Fiddle Quad.
You know something I am wondering, I noticed that on all of Snowbasins gondola cabins they have removed all branding and logos. I wonder if they are going to replace the cabins soon as they are getting pretty rough.
For another example, there’s the Beaver Run SuperChair at Breckenridge. That lift was originally known as the Mercury SuperChair when it was built in 1990, then renamed to the Beaver Run SuperChair in 1993 to reflect its starting location. The Mercury SuperChair name was then reused in 1997 for the high speed quad constructed parallel to it on upper Peak 9 that replaced Lift B.
I thought that initially, but after seeing the cabins on the Eagle Bahn Gondola, I was unsure whether the cabins on the Needles Gondola were the same. Thank you!
Appears to be some new cabins for Needles. Additional cabins? replacements for old cabins? refurbished? Obviously Needles gets used winter and summer, and we are about 2 years away from 30th anniversary (1998)
The cabins are all getting refurbished, it started some time back in 2024. New windows that have a blueish tint to them to probably block out the sunlight better and not reflect so much light.
the old cabins also had a blue tint so I am not sure, I remember going there in 2023 and the cabins didnt have the flags or logos on them anymore? Maybe they are doing another thing for the 2034 Olympics but I can’t imagine these cabins could last until then.
Its a different color of blue. definitely more strong than what the windows used to be. They pretty much stripped each one down and put them back together with new hardware. the little front and back flip out windows actually stay open now.
Lift Blog 
This lift was originally called Middle Bowl Express, but was quickly changed to Needles Express, presumably to avoid having two lifts called Middle Bowl. The Middle Bowl Express name was reused on the LPOA 6 pack that replaced the Middle Bowl triple.
This is one of 3 cases I can think of where a lift was called one name, then quickly renamed, only for the original name to be reused elsewhere. One of them is the Birds of Prey Express at Beaver Creek, which was renamed to the Cinch Express. The Birds of Prey Express name was reused on the Doppelmayr high speed quad that replaced the Westfall Double. The other one is the Bear Mountain Quad at Killington. This name was not always carried by the lift that has it now. It was the original name for the Devil’s Fiddle Quad, which was built when the current version was still a triple, and thus called the Bear Mountain Triple. When it was converted to a quad, it took the Bear Mountain Quad name, and the other lift was renamed the Devil’s Fiddle Quad.
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You know something I am wondering, I noticed that on all of Snowbasins gondola cabins they have removed all branding and logos. I wonder if they are going to replace the cabins soon as they are getting pretty rough.
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For another example, there’s the Beaver Run SuperChair at Breckenridge. That lift was originally known as the Mercury SuperChair when it was built in 1990, then renamed to the Beaver Run SuperChair in 1993 to reflect its starting location. The Mercury SuperChair name was then reused in 1997 for the high speed quad constructed parallel to it on upper Peak 9 that replaced Lift B.
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What are these cabins called?
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I thought that initially, but after seeing the cabins on the Eagle Bahn Gondola, I was unsure whether the cabins on the Needles Gondola were the same. Thank you!
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Appears to be some new cabins for Needles. Additional cabins? replacements for old cabins? refurbished? Obviously Needles gets used winter and summer, and we are about 2 years away from 30th anniversary (1998)
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The cabins are all getting refurbished, it started some time back in 2024. New windows that have a blueish tint to them to probably block out the sunlight better and not reflect so much light.
LikeLike
the old cabins also had a blue tint so I am not sure, I remember going there in 2023 and the cabins didnt have the flags or logos on them anymore? Maybe they are doing another thing for the 2034 Olympics but I can’t imagine these cabins could last until then.
LikeLike
Its a different color of blue. definitely more strong than what the windows used to be. They pretty much stripped each one down and put them back together with new hardware. the little front and back flip out windows actually stay open now.
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more blue is always nice, it is very 90s. I want to see the flags and logos back, it was a kinda cool olympic thing
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very cool.
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