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A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, often called a cable car, which consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in the terminal, which is connected to an engine or electric motor.
Types
In some systems the passenger cabins, which can hold between four and 16 people, are connected to the cable by means of spring-loaded grips. These grips allow the cabin to be detached from the moving cable and slowed down in the terminals, to allow passengers to board and disembark. Doors are almost always automatic and controlled by a lever on the roof or on the undercarriage that is pushed up or down. Cabins are driven through the terminals either by rotating tires, or by a chain system. To be accelerated to and decelerated from line speed, cabins are driven along by progressively faster (or slower) rotating tires until they reach line or terminal speed. Gondola lifts can have intermediate stops that allow for uploading and downloading on the lift. Examples of a lift with three stops instead of the standard two are the Village Gondola and the Excalibur Gondolas at Whistler, while an example of a lift with four terminals is the Plattieres Gondola at Meribel.
In other systems the cable is slowed down intermittently to allow passengers to disembark and embark the cabins at stations, and to allow people in the cars along the route to take photographs. A system like this, or when a train of gondolas in a row stops at a station is called a pulse gondola because the lift stops to load usually three cabins at a terminal and then starts up again. It stops over and over to do this.
Another type of gondola lift is the bi-cable gondola, which has one other stationary cable, besides the main haul rope, that helps support the cabins. Examples of this type of lift include the Cable Car in Singapore and the Sulphur Mountain Gondola in Banff, Canada. There are also tri-cable gondolas that have two stationary cables that support the cabins. They differ from aerial tramways in that the latter consist only of one or two usually larger cabins, moving up and down, not circulating.
The passenger component of a Ferris wheel is also called a gondola.
Open-air gondolas are fairly uncommon and are quite primitive. Patrons stand in a metal semi-cylinder which is attahched to around 4 others. The gondolas then ascend, but, as one section of the "train" arrives at a station, the entire lift must slow down. Another disadvantage is that the patrons are exposed to the elements.
Gondola Lifts around the world
Andorra
- "La Massana" in Pal's sector (Vallnord ski resort)
- "Els Orriols" in Arinsal's sector (Vallnord ski resort)
- "Soldeu" in Soldeu's sector (Grandvalira ski resort)
- "Tarter" in Tarter's sector (Grandvalira ski resort)
- "Canillo" in Canillo's sector (Grandvalira ski resort)
Australia
- Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney
- Sky Rail, Cairns
- Horse Hill Lift, Mount Buller †
† Note: Horse Hill is a combined lift. A combined lift is where a small amount of gondolas are added onto a cable currently used by a datachable chairlift.
Bulgaria
Canada
- Skyride at Grouse Mountain near Vancouver
- Sulphur Mountain Gondola in Banff, Alberta
- Sunshine Village Gondola near Banff, Alberta
- Télécabine Express in Mont Tremblant Resort, Québec
- L'Étoile Filante in Mont Sainte Anne, Québec
- Lara's Gondola at Big White Ski Resort near Kelowna
- L'Hybride at Mount Orford in Magog, Quebec
- Whistler Express Gondola at Whistler-Blackcomb, British Columbia
- Excalibur Gondola at Whistler-Blackcomb, British Columbia
China
- access to mountain tops of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan, China
Croatia
Hong Kong
- Ocean Park, Hong Kong Island - Cable car from Nam Long Shan Headland to Wong Chuk Hang within the Park
- Lantau Island - Ngong Ping 360, a 5.7 km cableway from Tung Chung MTR station to Ngong Ping Terminals near Po Lin Monastery (under construction and expected to complete in early 2006)
India
- The Gulmarg Gondola in Jammu and Kashmir is the world's highest operating cable car.
Indonesia
Iran
- The Tochal "Tele-cabin" which starts from the metropolitan Tehran and ends in the Tochal Ski Resort at 3900m. It has 7 stations and is one of the longest and most scenic in the world. A modern ski hotel hosts the skiers at the end of the lift.
- Namakabrud Cable Car in Mazandaran Province in northern Iran. It cuts through a lush forest and connects one of the highest summits in the region to the villa city on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Pictures.
Malaysia
- Genting Skyway - longest cable car in Southeast Asia
- Awana Skyway
- Langkawi Cable Car
New Zealand
- Skyline Gondola, Queenstown
- Skyline Gondola, Mt Ngongotaha, Rotorua
- Heathcote Gondola, Port Hills, Christchurch
- There is a controversial proposal to build a 30 km long gondola through Fiordland National Park parallel to the Routeburn Track
Norway
- Krossobanen at Rjukan in Telemark - first Aerial tramway in Northern Europe.
Pakistan
Owned and operated by Parks Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. gives a breathtaking ride though the Murree Hills. Promises one of the most scenic views in Pakistan.Singapore
- Singapore Cable Car - the first cable car in the world to span a harbour.
South Africa
- Cape Town - Table Mountain Cableway to summit of Table Mountain.
Switzerland
- Gondola Cableway" target="_blank" >* - at 6.4km the longest in the world.
United Kingdom
The term cable car is used in the United Kingdom.- Alton Towers theme park, Staffordshire
- Heights of Abraham, Derbyshire
- Nevis Range, Fort William, Scotland
United States
See also
External links
- Lift-Database: Lift-World
- The Tochal gondola lift, Tehran, Iran (Site in Persian, English version "under construction")
Vertical transportation devices | Skiing
telecabina | Gondelbahn | تلهکابین | Télécabine | 索道
"Gondola lift"