June 2006 No. 169 • 31st Year The Doppelmayr stand at SAM in Grenoble recorded outstanding visitor numbers. Funitel with big wheel 6-CLD-B Hexenboden with seat heating The Galzig tramway in St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria, is to be replaced p.2 in Zürs p.4 Funifor to the Portavescovo Doppelmayr installs a high-performance Funifor in the Dolomites p.8 Another Doppelmayr lift for the Espace Killy Doppelmayr builds the third chairlift in two years in Tignes p.10 Enhanced safety with RPD Damage avoidance with the Rope Position Detection System p.18 Magazine for Customers and Employees 2 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group New Funitel for St. Anton As from winter 2006, a The project started off with the need to people from Doppelmayr then hit on the Funitel is to replace the replace the proven but aging Galzig idea of a kind of paternoster. reversible tram1. Needless to say, the old Galzigbahn in new lift was to offer greater comfort. The World first: St. Anton am Arlberg. The two-storey bottom station, in particular, Big wheel for a gondola lift new Galzigbahn will be a no longer met present-day requirements. unique technological and Skiers had to access the cabin via a This idea finally evolved into a big wheel flight of stairs, which could be a rather la- solution for a gondola lift: the gondolas architectural solution: the borious trek for people wearing clumpy enter at the top level, are taken down to most striking feature is the ski boots. the level below by means of a big wheel two eight-and-a-half-meter To facilitate access for skiers, the initial and then follow a gentle curve through idea was to provide an escalator. How- the loading and unloading area at creep ferris wheels in the bottom ever, metal steps would have meant speed until they are finally raised back station. too great a risk of slipping for passen- up to the station exit by a second big gers. During the course of discussions wheel, from where they are launched with Managing Director Mario Stedile- onto the line. Foradori of Arlberg Bergbahnen AG, the This idea certainly was a brainwave: the skiers come off the trail and board the 1 74-passenger tram built in 1937 gondolas at ground level! The architect 3 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group Satisfied customers – a commitment added his own stroke of genius to en- At the beginning of 2006, the hance the wow factor of the new lift: the The Funitel System Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group new building has all-round glazing. That in brief commissioned a survey to gauge the means the technology is visible from the level of satisfaction among its customers. outside and the magnificent mountain- The results are now available and they scape can be seen from the inside. A special feature of this system is are encouraging: our customers have Despite the fact that major structural the double configuration of the rope given us a very good report and solid modifications will be required, the actual loop: one continuous rope produces reasons to be proud of our achievements. extent of the work is less than you might four rope lines. There are two parallel At the same time, however, we also see think. The top station, for example, – un- ropes on both the uphill and downhill the results as a challenge for the future like the bottom station – will not be com- sides. against the background of the very high pletely demolished, even if it will have to The drive is via a vertical bullwheel demands on our capability to deliver undergo extensive refurbishment. (in the case of the Galzigbahn with a and our view that every customer is The old Galzigbahn was only taken out diameter of 5.2 m). entitled to expect a lot from us. of service in spring 2006, after the close The central counterweight tension The high level of customer participation of the winter season. If everything goes system operates via three bullwheels in the survey provides us with the according to plan, the new Galzigbahn on a common, movable carriage1. opportunity to concentrate our efforts on is scheduled to go into operation at the In the station curves, the gondolas targeted improvements. The dedication end of November as the Arlberg’s brand are transported along running rails by of our customers shows how important new attraction. means of tyre conveyors. The entire it is to ensure a prompt and professional ropeway machinery is fixed to the roof response to the concerns of each beams of the building. No central col- individual customer. umns are required which would hinder From this customer survey we therefore the passengers. derive our will and commitment to be the best for our customers and to make sure we remain the best. 1 Doppelmayr has also used hydraulic tension If each and every one of us devotes all systems on other Funitels his or her energy to this goal, we shall be able to successfully expand our market leadership and safeguard this 24-Funitel Galzig role for the future. Transport capacity 2,200 PPH Trip time 9.0 min Travel speed 6.0 m/s Carriers 28 Interval 39.0 s Inclined length 2,542 m Michael Doppelmayr Vertical rise 766 m Drive Top Return-tension Bottom Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group Ride comfort on the Hexenboden The new 6-seater The new installation constitutes a radical bubble chairlift with rebuild of the Hexenboden chairlift: the previous two lifts have now been com- seat heating on the bined to form a single section and the lift- Hexenboden replaces line has been retraced. The top station of the two triple chairlifts the old Hexenboden II has been moved Hexenboden I (fixed by 15 m, the bottom station of Hexen- boden I by 20 m. The old stations have grip) and Hexenboden II been demolished, with the exception of (detachable). “This has the old Hexenboden II bottom station. brought Hexenboden The lift users no longer have to queue up twice in order to get to the top station. in line with the quality (At one time there was a continuous sur- standard of the other face lift here, but that was replaced by lifts in the Lech and Zürs1 the two triple chairs in the mid 1980s.) region,” stresses Josef The bottom station has been integrated into the local surroundings. It grows up Moser, Managing Director from the ground “like a rock”, an impres- of Ski Zürs AG. sive composition in concrete, steel and glass, standing defiantly and elegantly in the way of any possible avalanches. The structure does in fact feature a whole se- ries of safeguards. For example, all open- ings are fitted with avalanche protection station of the demolished Hexenboden II doors. was incorporated in the snow-making The basement to the bottom station system. This includes a transformer sta- houses a fully automatic chair garaging tion, compressed air and pump station facility. What was once the car park for as well as a storage facility for the snow- the lift employees is now an underground making equipment. car park which connects with the bottom The snow-making system has been ex- station. Other elements of the infrastruc- tended up to the top station. It is integrat- ture such as the garbage station, servic- ed into the 15-kilometer ring main with ing areas and stores for electrical and the Zürs and Flexen lake reservoirs.The mechanical parts are also located below lift is fitted with the RPD system. The drive ground. and tension system are located in the bot- tom station, the fixed return machinery is Diversion of the Zürs river at the top. In order to carry out the extensive con- struction and civil engineering work, a 6-CLD/B Hexenboden 100 m section of the “Zürsbach” had to Transport capacity 2,400 PPH be diverted and an access bridge built. Trip time 5.6 min In the interests of improved flood protec- tion and conservation, two ramps and a Travel speed 5.0 m/s biotope were built in the course of the Interval 9.0 s river.To ensure that skiers can get safely Inclined length 1,569 m to the bridge which leads to the other Vertical rise 531 m 1 The ski region of Lech and Zürs offers a total of side of the main road, it was necessary almost 84 lifts and 260 km of ski trails. to build a new ski path. The old bottom No. of towers 17 The top station is a conventional UNI-G. Disembarking skiers are protected by a wind break made of glass. At the front there is a platform for inspecting the rope; the station has a walk-on roof for service work. As there is no road up to the top station, a material ropeway had to be built and a helicopter used for the construction work. The seats of the Hexenboden chairlift are heated. The following chairlifts in the Zürs-Lech region also have heated seats: Schlegelkopf, Kriegerhorn, Steinmähder, Petersboden, Hasensprung, Zürsersee and Seekopf. Ing. Josef Moser, Managing Director of Ski Zürs AG: The new Hexenboden lift fully meets the high standards of quality and comfort of Special importance was attached to the visual appearance of the bottom station. the Zürs-Lech ski region. The building harmonizes well with the built and natural surroundings. 6 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group The Schneeberg Salamander The trip with the new Salamander chairlift At weekends, thousands 4-CLD Salamander chairlift takes passengers from the Losenheim dis- of Viennese head for Transport capacity 1,200 PPH trict (840 m) to the Faden (1,210 m).