Aerial tramway
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An aerial tramway is a type of aerial lift, sometimes called a cable car or ropeway, and frequently incorrectly referred to as a gondola.
An aerial tramway consists of two or more loops of cable, and two passenger cabins. One of the cables is always fixed, and provides support for the cabins. The second cable is, by means of a grip, connected to the cabins. This second cable is usually driven by an electric motor, and, being connected to the cabins, moves them up or down the mountain. They differ from gondola lifts in that the latter use several smaller cabins circulating on a looped cable.
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. Some aerial trams have only one cabin.
The original version was originally called telpherage, and was invented by engineer Fleeming Jenkin. Smaller telpherage systems are sometimes used to transport objects (such as tools or mail) within a building or factory.
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Aerial tramways around the world
Africa
South Africa
- Table Mountain has a rotating cable car ferrying passengers to and from the top of the mountain.
Asia
China
- Chongqing An aerial tramway provides transportation across the Yangtse River. The tramway is 740 m long and operates at 8m/s. Each cabin can carry a maximum of 45 passengers, with a total design capacity of 900 passengers /hour in each direction.
India
- Gangtok – A ropeway is in operation in the eastern Himalayan town of Gangtok. The ropeway ferries tourists from one part of the city to another.
- Phelagham – in this ski resort in Jammu and Kashmir, the cable cars ferry passengers up the ski slopes.
Iran
- Namakabrood aerial tramway, in the Mazandaran province of Iran. It starts at the sea level near the shores of the Caspian Sea and ends on the top of the Alborz heights crossing dense forest area of northern Iran.
- Ganjnameh Cable Car in Hamedan province of Iran is situated in an archaeological site belonging to the Sassanid era.
Israel
- The Masada cableway which lifts visitors from well below sea level up to the butte where the ancient Jewish fortress town's ruins can be seen. The only other way up is a snake path.
- The Rosh Hanikra cableway which takes visitors down to the grottos carved by the Mediterranean Sea.
- The Stella Maris cableway in Haifa which lifts people from the Mediterranean coast to the top of Mount Carmel.
- The Manara cableway which lifts people from Kiryat Shmona to Kibbutz Manara at the top of Manara Cliff.
Singapore
- The Singapore cable car [1] (http://www.cablecar.com.sg) from Mount Faber to Sentosa Island; interesting in that it has an intermediate stop, and was the first in the world to span a harbour.
South Korea
- Namsan Cable Car, Seoul.
Europe
France
- The Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi, opened in 1955, can carry 75 passengers in the first section and 65 passengers in the second section. It starts in Chamonix at the altitude of 1030 m to Plan de l'Aiguille at 2317 m for the first section. The second section arrives at the top of the Aiguille du Midi in a station at 3777 m high. It is the highest aerial tramway in the world.Description from the Compagnie du Mont Blanc site (http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/fr/aiguille/aiguille_telepherique.htm)
- The Vanoise Express, opened in December 2003 at a cost of €15 million, is a double decker tramway for 200 passengers in each car. It spans the Ponturin gorge at a height of 380 m (1250 feet) above the ground, linking the resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs in four minutes to form the Paradiski ski resort. Unusually its two cars run independently of each other on separate cables. [2] (http://www.paradiski.com/gb/vanoise_express.htm)
Germany
- The Eibsee Seilbahn, which affords visitors access to Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze. There is also a cog railway up the Zugspitze.
- The Tegelbergbahn, or Tegelbahn, near Schwangau in Bavaria in beautiful Alpine scenery.
- The Kölner Seilbahn, in Cologne, was installed in 1966 and crosses the Rhine going from the Zoo to the Rheinpark. This was the first tramway to cross a river in Europe.
Italy
- Rittnerbahn in South Tyrol, the longest aerial tramway in the world in one track (see Guinness Book of World Records).
Norway
- Fjellheisen in Tromsø. [3] (http://www.fjellheisen.no/)
- Krossobanen in Tinn is the oldest aerial tramway in Northern Europe. It was built in 1928.
- Ulriksbanen on the mountain Ulriken in Bergen.
Spain
- Teleférico Teide on Pico de Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands.
- Barcelona, from Montjuïc park to the top, and across the harbour.
- Montserrat, in Catalonia. There is also a funicular and a rack railway.
Sweden
Switzerland
- In Switzerland, many aerial tramways are in use, including:
- the Adliswil to Felsenegg tramway, part of Zürich's suburban public transport system.
- one serving the Schilthorn mountain in the Bernese Oberland. It appeared in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. With a length of 6931 m (22,739 ft) in four tracks, it is the longest aerial tramway in the Alps and the world's longest aerial tramway system. It gains over 2103 m (6900 ft) of elevation.
- A complete list of publicly available Swiss aerial tramways (excluding other types of aerial lifts), is available at list of aerial tramways in Switzerland.
United Kingdom
Cable car from Matlock Bath in Derbyshire to Heights of Abraham
North America
Canada
- Sulphur Mountain Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, near Banff, Alberta. (gondola)
- Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, British Columbia, has two aerial tramways running parallel.
- Jasper Tramway to the summit of The Whistlers, near Jasper, Alberta.
- Spanish Aerocar over the Whirlpool Rapids in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
United States
- Alyeska Ski Resort in Alaska
- The Cannon Mountain Tram in Franconia, New Hampshire.
- The tram at El Paso, Texas ascends the Franklin Mountains as part of the Texas State Park system.
- The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in Palm Springs, California, which transports passengers to the top of Mount San Jacinto.
- The Roosevelt Island Tramway, Manhattan, New York, USA, is a tourist attraction as well as the only aerial tramway in North America directed mainly at commuters. Portland, Oregon is building the Portland Aerial Tram for commuting, as well.
- The Sandia Peak Tramway in Albuquerque, New Mexico is the world's longest single span tramway.
- The tram at Snowbird, Utah, another ski-and-summer resort near Salt Lake City.
- At Squaw Valley ski resort, California, USA, the 'cable car' (aerial tramway) system takes skiers from the base to the mountain top.
- The skylift at Stone Mountain, near Atlanta.
- The tram at Teton Village, Wyoming has over 4000 feet of elevation gain.
South America
Brazil
- A very famous aerial tramway is located at Rio de Janeiro. It is actually composed of two separate cable car systems, one going from city level to the top of the Morro de Urca (where there was formerly a famous casino), and a second one going from the hill to the top of the Sugarloaf Mountain.
Colombia
- In Bogotá, a tramway can be used for going from the city level (2962 m above sea level) to the top of the Hill of Monserrate (3152 m). It was built in 1955, and has two cabins each for 40 passengers. The 880 m traject is traveled in 7 minutes, with a magnificent view over the downtown of the City. On the top, there is a shrine in a church, a fine dining restaurant and smaller touristic atractions.
- In the Parque Nacional del Café in Montenegro, department of Quindío, there is a touristic tramway hovering over the park.
Venezuela
- The Mérida cable car has the distinction of being the highest in the world at 4765 m (15,633 ft), as well as being the longest aerial tram (7.77 miles). It spans the magnificent national park area called the Sierra Nevada and connects the city of Mérida with the surrounding heights.
- Ávila Cable Car, in Caracas, built in 1957 and rebuilt in the early 1990s and reinaugurated in 2000, is one of the most moderns in the word. The cable car ascends 1000 m (3280 ft) to 2100 m (6889 ft) in the Ávila Mágica Park and the Humbolt Hotel. The original cable car had a second line that connected to the city of La Guaira on the other side of Ávila Mountain; the cablecar administration is currently planning to rehabilitate that line.
Oceania
Australia
- Katoomba Scenic Skyway cable car
New Zealand
- Christchurch - Heathcote Gondola, located close to the Christchurch end of the Lyttelton tunnel in the Port Hills.
- Queenstown - Skyline Gondola. Views across Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables mountains are gained from the top.
See also
- Transport
- List of aerial lift manufacturers
- Gondola lift
- Chairlift
- Detachable chairlift
- Funitel
- Cable ferry
External links
- Lift-Database: Areal Tramways (worldwide) (http://www.seilbahntechnik.net/lifte/Ort/pendelbahn/list.php)
- The Telpherage system in the repair sheds of the New York City subway (http://www.nycsubway.org/irt/irtbook/ch11.html)ca:telefèric