Cable Blog ^beta

Translated from original entry 27-08-2014

About the Dachsteinseilbahn, near to Obertraun and Hallstatt in Salzkammergut, Austria.

Short introduction:

The first and second section of aerial tramway system to the Krippenstein mountain was handed over to the general public in 1951 and 1956, respectively. The base height of valley station not far from the settlement Obertraun is 609 meters, the second terminal is at 2100 meters height. The mountaintop offers a grandiose view to the Hallstatt-Lake and the peaks of Dachstein. At the end of the first section can be found the Dachstein Ice cave (Dachstein-Rieseneishöhle) and the gigantic Dachstein Mammut Cave captivating UNESCO World Heritage. Another lift has been built from the Krippenstein peak, 300 meters down to Gjaidalm in 1961. This became eventually the third section of the aerial tramway system. The first two sections were refurbished in 2007. Above the terminus of Gjaidalm, a military training camp of Austrian Bundesheer at Oberfeld (1835 m) was set up in the 1930s. Ropeways was installed unto this facility at the end of the fifties, which also started from Obertraun. The cable car was only used by military personnel, it was not allowed for tourists. The camp had been used by the Austrian Federal Army until 2009 and it is currently empty. According to Local newspapers it has been bought by private entrepreneur for tourism purposes.

Near the center of the map can be found Krippenstein, on the right side Gjaidalm. Above these areas, peaks of Dachstein are located. Close to the ski slope which is indicated with red line on the graphic, is situated the trace of military cable car. As it did not function as public means of transport, not seen on the ski map at all. (Source of map: www.sielok.hu)

At the valley station one of the former cabins has been exhibited. There is a stairway to it and a bench in it, but entering was impossible, because it was closed down. Telling the truth, I had been in it several times when it was in function. In vain, time is running..

 The successors: recent cab-pair of the lower section underway. The lift system has double stationary cables, on which roller gears of cabins are running along. The triangular structures which are mounted on these support ropes are responsible for the cables being spaced apart, for example in the case of heavy cross-winds.

 Krippenstein, mountain station. After a brief photo shooting we had to leave the platform to give it over the passengers travelling downhill. The cable car system was totally renewed, among others with bigger capacity cabins, but the building has remained the original, that is why the platform, seen on right-bottom side of the picture, slips toward left or right, depending on which cabin arrives.

 The same mountain station as on former image. The cables which led from the building are the cable car's stationary supporting ropes..

.. are robustly anchored inside this building.

The third section, starting from top of Krippenstein, is the only one which has not been refurbished yet. In the background are the peaks of Dachstein mountain.

Aeral lift pylon, which was on the former picture as well.

Along the way, peeping from the cabin window. This old cable car is characterized by a proper kind of nostalgic atmosphere: the rattling windows, the riveted sliding door closable with tube key, the operator who stares at the landscape underway through the pulled down and drafty window. Technique of the new lifts is naturally fascinating, but these old structures are somehow closer to my soul.

And what is he (i.e. the operator) watching throughout the journey? For example the Lake Hallstatt.

We have arrived to Gjaidalm. On the opposite side is Krippenstein.

 Above Gjaidalm is the abandoned military training camp of Oberfeld. Behind it the rocky Dachstein situated. From the barrack to the right, the smaller building is the mountain station of the military cable car.

 The terminal of military cable car, close up. The wooden doors are closed, the place for loading and unloading was inside the building. In the camp building, incidentally, there were one or two workers. One of they opened the window inquiringly. I said eftsoon that I would take only one or two photographs. He closed the window with saying a "passt schon" (that means 'OK' here).

 Shortly afterwards, a group-lift appeared on the ropeway, shown above in the picture. One of the mechanics sprang out the cabin, climbed up the supporting pylon and started to cut the uppermost cable with a disc grinder. Certainly, that rope did not participate in the operation of the lift system. During the action, a colleague with a quad-vehicle supervised the area from below, because a falling cable might have cut off something or somebody.

They repeated that kind of operation by several supporting pylons before went back to the valley. By the looks of things, preparations of the demolition of the military cable car has begun.

A cargo lift was built between the barracks and the Gjaidalm Hütte too. It seems it had been used a great while ago.

Especially in the last decades the cable transport market has become increasingly colorful. That is why for easier systematization and definition, different lift types have received specific codes.

The code structure:
[person]-[type]/[additional equipment], where the [person] means: capacity, per passenger unit.

Most common types are:

CLF - ChairLift Fix

Main principle: carriers fastened to a fixed point on the rope with non-detachable grips. At the terminals (mountain and valley station) chairs turn back around the bullwheels.

1-CLF (single person) chairlift - one of the oldest passenger cableway types.
(Facebook-group Praebichl.Rettet.Den.Polsterlift)

CLD - ChairLift Detachable

Main principle is: carriers are provisionally fastened on the rope with detachable grips. At the terminals the grip releases, the chair leaves the circulating high speed cable loop. After slowing down, it turns back by a slower and full automatic transporting chain system for the convenient and safety loading and unloading.

 The Penken Express at Ziller-valley, Austria. Type code is: 6-CLD.
(www.lift-world.info Radim Polcer)

CLD/B - ChairLift Detachable with Bubbles

Same as CLD-lift (see above), but equipped with plastic bubble against wind and snowfall.

Chairlift type 6-CLD/B with orange bubble at Tatranská Lomnica, Slovakia.
(www.lift-world.info - Radim Polcer)

MGD - Monocable Gondola Detachable

The principle of operation is similar to CLD-lifts: each carrier unit, i.e. gondola, equipped with detachable grip. At the terminals the grip releases, the gondola leaves the circulating high speed cable loop. After slowing down, it turns back (or go forward) by a full automatic transporting chain system for the convenient and safety loading and unloading. The term monocable means that a single cable loop is used to carry and move the gondolas alike. In german speaking areas is often used abbreviation EUB after "Einseilumlaufbahn" , that means: circulation cable car with single rope.

Terminal of a type 8-MGD lift.
(www.lift-world.info - Radim Polcer)

BGD -  Bicable Gondola Detachable

The principle of operation is similar to the MGD-lifts (see above), but this type of construction uses two ropes: one circulating haulage loop for tractioning and one stationary that supports the cabins (or gondolas). Besides detachable grip, cabins equipped with roller gear for running along the support cable. In german speaking areas is often used abbreviation ZUB after "Zeiseilumlaufbahn", that means: circulation cable car with two ropes.

Benefits of BGD:

• Large spans can be bridged e.g. between two supporting tower.
• Fleet of relative large capacity cabins can be moved by a small constructed drive system, because the task of the moving and supporting is divided between two rope systems.

Thanks to its favorable transport capacity, it has been used in several places since the 1950s.

Zwölferhorn Seilbahn, a type 4-BGD hystorical lift, near to Wolfgangsee, in Austria. It was installed in 1957. (own image)

CGD - Chairlift / Gondola Detachable

ChairLift Detachable (CLD) and Monocable Gondola Detachable (MGD) combinated in one cable loop:

Type 6/8-CGD lift at ski area Zermatt with 6-passenger seats and 8-passenger gondolas.
(lift-world.info - Theo)

FUT - Funitel

Funitel (is a portmanteau between French words funiculaire and telepherique) attends the principle of operation of MGD, however a pair of cable loops hauling the large capacity cabins, providing greater lateral stability allowing the system to operate in higher cross-winds.

24-FUT in Hintertux, Austria. (www.lift-world.info - Radim Polcer)

There are two subtypes of Funitel systems: DLC (left side) and DMC (right side). DLC consists Double Loop Monocable with two parallel engines, DMC means Double MonoCable with one loop and drive. Disadvantage of DMC: system requires extra long rope loop (logistic problem); the rope is more exposed to mechanical stresses, resulting shorter lifetime (more costly operation). (www.alpinforum.com)

TGD - Tricable Gondola Detachable

In german speaking areas the popular abbreviation is "3S" after the term "DreiSeilumlaufbahn". The principle of operation is similar to the BGD-lifts, however this type of construction uses one circulating haulage cable loop for tractioning and two stationary cables that support the cabins (or gondolas). Besides detachable grip, gondolas equipped with a pair of roller gears for running along the support cables. The system has similar advantages as the BGD type, therefore ideal for bridging two mountain peaks or a wide river, etc.

Type 35-TGD over river Rhine, in Germany. (Wikimedia - Holger Weinandt)

AT (or ATW) - Aerial Tramway

Non-circulation cable car, i.e. reversible system: one or two carrier units shuttling back and forth between two terminals propelled by a cable loop which stops and reverses direction when the cabins arrive at the end stations. The most known instance of AT's is the large-cab version, which has relatively big capacity per transport unit: from 30 to 160 or more. It was used in many places before the Second World War, mainly for approaching high-altitude tourist attractions, the most successful producer from that period was Bleichert company in Germany. In german speaking areas is often used abbreviation PB after term "Pendelbahn" (as Pendulum cablecar) referring to its back-and-forth-shuttling movement.

The world's oldest operating cable car which has been preserved in its original condition is the Predigtstuhlbahn in Germany. Its type code 25-AT and the manufacturer was the Bleichert company. (own image)

MGFP - Monocable Gondola Fixed Pulsed

The base structure: one or more pairs of cabin groups, involved 3-5 pieces of carrier per group which are fastened on a circulated cable loop. As the cabins which are equipped with fix grip systems arrive to the end station, the whole cable system stops. After loading and unloading, lift is restarted first with carefuly speed, because the group of cabins turns back around the bullwheel before continues the trip back. The last letter 'P' of the code string 'MGFP' also refers that kind of operation.

 Karwendelbahn (Pertisau) in Austria, type 16-MGFP. The type code is slightly inaccurate, as it does not reveal how many 16-person cabins are involved in a group. (own image)

BGFJ - Bicable Gondola Fixed Jigback

The structure is similar to the type 'MGFP' group-lift (see above), however as the group of cabins arrives to the end station and stops, the driving-gear reverses the direction, that is carriers not turns back around the bullwheel. This construction uses traction cable for hauling, and stationary cable for supporting, if necessary. Its operation is similar to the Aerial Tramway (type AT).

Gerlossteinbahn type 27-BGFJ near to Zell am Ziller in Austria.
(www.lift-world.info - Radim Polcer)

FUF - Funifor

The Funifor system can be considered as an upgraded version of the classic Aerial Tramway (AT) system. This also works with two separate rope systems: a circulating haulage loop for tractioning and a stationary that supports the cabins - which equipped with roller gears for running along support cables. In Funifor systems these two types of rope duplicated, which run along the longitudinal edges of the cabine, providing greater lateral stability allowing the system to operate in higher cross-winds:

Funifor type 60-FUF at Gressoney, in autonomous region Aosta Valley, Italy.
(www.lift-world.info - Radim Polcer)

SL - Surface Lift

Skiers and snowboarders by means of these classical lifts are pulled uphill, in which passengers remain on the ground throughout the whole journey. The most common representative of surface lifts is the so called J-bar (single person) and T-bar (double person) lift. Benefits of Surface Lift are the simple construction and low maintenance cost. Disadvantages: its low speed, uncomfortable over longer distance. Today, surface lifts are most often found on beginner slopes and very small ski areas.

Type 2-SL, i.e. T-bar lift in Sweden. (Wikimédia - Bysmon)

FUC - Funicular

Funicular also known as inclined plane or cliff railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other. Vehicles can run on a separate or shared rails in the middle with a siding section.

Budapest Castle Hill Funicular - type 24-FUC in Hungary
(Wikimédia - Misibacsi)

Special types:

BL - Bucket Lift or Basket Lift

These lifts are, by their name is, reminiscent of open basket, wherein two persons can travel standing on the floor. The lift operator locks the lattice door after boarding not to fall out during the trip. Due to its less widespread use, it does matter rather technical rarity and curiosity. Benefits are its cheap construction and operation. Its disadvantage: baskets are mounted on the ropeway with non-detachable grips, that is why the speed of the whole cable system have to be reduced by loading and unloading, or passengers have to jump up quickly. In this case, it also depends on operator's attention and skill for avoiding accidents.

2-BL at Val di Fassa, Italy.
(www.lift-world.info - Radim Polcer)

MGF - Monocable Gondola Fixed

The principle of operation is similar to CLF-lifts: each carrier unit, i.e. gondola, equipped with non-detachable grip, at the terminals (mountain and valley station) cabins turn back around the bullwheels. Benefits are its cheap construction and operation. Its disadvantage the extremely low speed for safe and comfortable boarding. There is a very interesting instance of MGF where the used cabin fleet was bought from a traditional MGD system (see below):

Type 4-MGF from ski area Herlíkovice - Bubákov, in Czech Republic.
(Facebook site of www.lanove-drahy.cz)

RPC - Ropeway Conveyor or Material Ropeway

Cargo ropeway. There are plenty of known types, such as material ropeway of mines, alpine huts or building operations in high mountains (e.g. reservoirs), etc.

The simplest version of type RPC: a material ropeway serving alpine huts.
(Wikimédia - Christoph Praxmarer)

Translated from original entry 06-11-2016

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