Aerial tramway

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An aerial tramway is a type of aerial lift, often called a cable car or ropeway, and sometimes incorrectly referred to as a gondola. Because of the proliferation of such systems in the Alpine regions of Europe, the French and German language names of Téléphérique and Seilbahn are often also used in an English language context.

An aerial tramway consists of one or two fixed cables (called track cables), one endless loop of cable (called a haulage rope), and two passenger cabins. The fixed cables provide support for the cabins. The haulage rope, by means of a grip, is solidly connected to the truck (the wheel set that rolls on the cables). The haulage rope is usually driven by an electric motor, and, being connected to the cabins, moves them up or down the mountain.

Two-car tramways use a jig-back system: A large electric motor is located at the bottom of the tramway so that it effectively pulls one cabin down, using that cabin's weight to help pull the other cabin up. A similar system of cables is used in a funicular railway. The two passenger cabins, which carry from 4 to over 100 people, are situated at opposite ends of the loops of cable. Thus, while one is coming up, the other is going down the mountain, and they pass each other midway on the cable span.

Some aerial trams have only one cabin, which lends itself better for systems with small elevation changes along the cable run.

The original version was originally called telpherage, and was invented by Scottish engineer Fleeming Jenkin. Smaller telpherage systems are sometimes used to transport objects (such as tools or mail) within a building or factory.

Many aerial tramways were built by Von Roll Ltd. of Switzerland, which has since been acquired by Austrian lift manufacturer Doppelmayr [1].

Aerial tramways differ from gondola lifts in that the latter use several smaller cabins circulating on a looped cable, and can be stopped at intermediate or end stations for passenger loading and unloading when uncoupled from their haulage cable by releasing cable grips.

Aerial tramways can be also used for fast escape at hazardous areas, e.g. rocket launch pads, escape aerial tramway.

Beside this also aerial tramways were built, at which the vehicles have their own propulsion. Such vehicles are the aerobus or the Lasso Mule. An other aerial tramway at which the vehicles have their own drive is the Josef Mountain Aerial Tramway near Meran.

1 Records
2 List of accidents
3 See also
4 External links

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Records

Tallest suport tower of aerial tramway: 113.6 metres (Gletscherbahn Kaprun, Austria)
Deepest: Masada cableway, Israel
Highest: Mérida cable car, Venezuela
Longest: Norsjö aerial tramway, Sweden
Also notable: The Roosevelt Island Tramway in New York City is the only aerial tramway in North America used by commuters as a mode of mass transit. Passengers pay with the same farecard used for the New York City Subway.
The Sandia Peak Tramway in Albuquerque, New Mexico is the world's longest single span tramway.

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List of accidents

August 15th, 1960:: Four people were at a crash of a cab between Castella Mare di Stabia and the Monte Faito with Neapel in Italy.
August 29th, 1961: A military plane splits the hauling cable of a cabin railway at the Aiguille du Midi in the Mont Blanc massif at low-altitude flight: Six people were killed.
1963: cabin of renovated PKB crashed in valley station, 1 person was killed, several were injured
December 25th, 1965: At an abrupt stop of a cabin because of power failure an external wall of the aerial ropeway at Puy de Sancy in central France breaks. 17 people fall into the depth, 7 were killed.
July 9th, 1966: At a cable break of a cabin railway at Aiguille du Midi in the Mont Blanc massif three cabin fall: Four people were killed.
December 6th, 1970: Five people were killed at crash of a cabin close Meran in South Tyrol.
July 13th, 1972: 13 people were killed at the crash of a cab in Bettmeralp in Switzerland.
October 26th, 1972: During a test travel at an aerial tramway at Les Deux Alpes in France two cabs collided: Nine people were killed.
March 10th, 1976: In the Italian dolomite place Cavalese a cab falls after a rope break: 42 people were killed.
March 26th, 1976: A damage at the carrying rope lead to the crash of multiple cabs of the aerial tramway at Vail, Colorado, USA. 4 people were killed, 5 were injured heavily.
April 15th, 1978: At a strong storm two carrying ropes of the Squaw Valley Aerial Tramway in California fell from the aerial tramway support tower. One of the ropes destroyed partly the cabin and killed 4 people and injured 22.
January 29th, 1983: A cabin falls between Singapore and the island Sentosa into the sea: Eight people were killed.
February 13th, 1983: At the collision of two cabs in the Italian Aostatal eleven people were killed.
March 1st, 1987: Six people were killed at Luz Ardiden in the French Pyreneeses after collision of several seats of a seat lift.
January 13th, 1989: At test drive of the French aerial tramway Vaujany at Val d'Isere eight people were killed.
June 1st, 1990: 15 people were killed after rope break in Tiflis in Georgia.
January 29th, 1992: Four people were killed at an accident of a chair lift in the Austrian wet field.
1995: Crash of a cabin of Mutterer Alm Bahn, no people hurt or killed
February 3rd, 1998: A U.S. military aircraft flying at low altitude severed the cable of an aerial ropeway in Cavalese, Italy, killing 20 people.
July 1st,1999: 20 people were killed at the crash of an aerial tramway at the Bure observatory in the French alps.
July 6th, 2000: At entering the middle station of Nebelhornbahn, a cabin crashed without breaking in it. 23 people were hurt.
October 9th, 2004: Crash of cabin of Grünberg aerial tramway in Gmunden, Austria. Many people were hurt.