News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

SLUSHIE

Well-Known Member
As low as the Disney system will be, is there a provision to slack the drive wheels and just lower the cabins to the ground?

No this is not possible. One side of the lift will have a tension system, the bullwheel will slide back and forth on a track with a hydraulic ram, in the old days this was done with huge cement blocks. This is done just to adjust for weight on the line and temperature etc. and is not used in any way as an evacuation device.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
No this is not possible. One side of the lift will have a tension system, the bullwheel will slide back and forth on a track with a hydraulic ram, in the old days this was done with huge cement blocks. This is done just to adjust for weight on the line and temperature etc. and is not used in any way as an evacuation device.
Since Disney has no mountain slopes to worry about, none of that stuff is necessary. The same thing cannot happen on level ground that happened on that mountain side in Georgia. Physically it has no braking situations like that one to worry about if something breaks it just stops, no backward gravitational pull. All will live happily ever after, but, it will also not be anywhere near as thrilling.
 

smile

Well-Known Member
Back in my day we only had single quote functionality! You can get off my lawn with your new-fangled multi-quote stuff! ;)

tumblr_opiho34wKw1w524z5o1_500.gif
 

TrojanUSC

Well-Known Member
All of this panic is a bit like seeing a roller coaster valleying somewhere at an amusement park in a flyover state then being afraid to ride Big Thunder Mountain. Disney knows what they're doing, the odds of such a thing happening are beyond rare, etc.
 

DisAl

Well-Known Member
Most of the "worriers" posting here seem to be missing the most obvious solution to their concerns:
DON'T GET ON THE THING! :cautious:
You have plenty of other things to worry about, such as tripping when you get off the bus, getting run over by a speeding scooter, falling on your backside getting on the moving belt to board a ride, getting sunburned, getting blisters on your feet, missing your ADR, your Mickey Bar or Dole Whip melting before you can finish them, not being able to remember where the nearest restroom is, the next price increase, the guy in line in front of you during a 120 minute ride que with terrible BO, line jumpers, idiots with cell phones or flash cameras on dark rides, and a hundred other things.
Now, doesn't that help? You can quit worrying about the gondolas while you worry about these other things!
(Sarcasm confessed. :angelic:)
 

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
Most of the "worriers" posting here seem to be missing the most obvious solution to their concerns:
DON'T GET ON THE THING! :cautious:
You have plenty of other things to worry about, such as tripping when you get off the bus, getting run over by a speeding scooter, falling on your backside getting on the moving belt to board a ride, getting sunburned, getting blisters on your feet, missing your ADR, your Mickey Bar or Dole Whip melting before you can finish them, not being able to remember where the nearest restroom is, the next price increase, the guy in line in front of you during a 120 minute ride que with terrible BO, line jumpers, idiots with cell phones or flash cameras on dark rides, and a hundred other things.
Now, doesn't that help? You can quit worrying about the gondolas while you worry about these other things!
(Sarcasm confessed. :angelic:)
You left out standing or passing under it. I mean just look what happened under the monorail at Epcot. Whole cars could fall off this thing if Jaws bit the cable in two.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
One of the only problems with the multi-quote thing is that, if and when one gets a like, you don't know which one they are referring to or if they think that just everything you say is direct from gods lips. When one says the vast number of incredibly witty and solid things that I say it all gets very confusing as to what specific witty or profound thing one is getting the applause for. Well, I guess it isn't that difficult for me, but, for others it must be confusing. :cool:;)
 

Flalex72

Well-Known Member
Since Disney has no mountain slopes to worry about, none of that stuff is necessary. The same thing cannot happen on level ground that happened on that mountain side in Georgia. Physically it has no braking situations like that one to worry about if something breaks it just stops, no backward gravitational pull. All will live happily ever after, but, it will also not be anywhere near as thrilling.

There is a difference between the anti-rollback and braking systems and the tension system. SLUSHIE is discussing the tension system, where one bullwheel moves back and forth to compensate for the haul rope strecthing under load and temperature changes. I have operated a small fixed-grip quad chairlift before, and even on a cold day, the drive terminal would automatically move 8-10 inches over the course of the day to compensate for loading and temperature changes. I would expect this system in Florida to move quite a bit as the seasons change, though you won't notice as the bullwheel moves inside the terminal in a detachable lift.

As for brakes, even though I struggle to think of a system that has less elevation change than this one, each line will have at least two redundant braking systems. Commonly, the primary brake is a smaller disk brake on the motor output, and the motor and disk work together to slow the lift quickly for regular stops, like an issue loading. The backup is a brake that acts directly on the bullwheel, stopping the lift in a situation where the gearbox between the motor and bullwheel has failed. The emergency bullwheel brake may actually take longer to slow the lift than the regular service brake. Of course, if this system has a direct drive motor, the braking system will be different, but there will still be redundant systems in place, regardless of the lack of elevation change. There is still a fair bit of momentum in the system.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
There is a difference between the anti-rollback and braking systems and the tension system. SLUSHIE is discussing the tension system, where one bullwheel moves back and forth to compensate for the haul rope strecthing under load and temperature changes. I have operated a small fixed-grip quad chairlift before, and even on a cold day, the drive terminal would automatically move 8-10 inches over the course of the day to compensate for loading and temperature changes. I would expect this system in Florida to move quite a bit as the seasons change, though you won't notice as the bullwheel moves inside the terminal in a detachable lift.

As for brakes, even though I struggle to think of a system that has less elevation change than this one, each line will have at least two redundant braking systems. Commonly, the primary brake is a smaller disk brake on the motor output, and the motor and disk work together to slow the lift quickly for regular stops, like an issue loading. The backup is a brake that acts directly on the bullwheel, stopping the lift in a situation where the gearbox between the motor and bullwheel has failed. The emergency bullwheel brake may actually take longer to slow the lift than the regular service brake. Of course, if this system has a direct drive motor, the braking system will be different, but there will still be redundant systems in place, regardless of the lack of elevation change. There is still a fair bit of momentum in the system.
Yes, I am aware of that and that is why I said what I said. This video comes out and a number of people envision that happening to the Gondola's at WDW. My point was even without brakes (which it has) it isn't going to be influenced by an difference in weight between one side and the other. Gravity will not pull it to the bottom of the lift drive. It will just stop and then the auxiliary will kick in and bring everyone home safely. It cannot come down a mountain at that speed because there is no damn mountain.
 
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JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
There is a difference between the anti-rollback and braking systems and the tension system. SLUSHIE is discussing the tension system, where one bullwheel moves back and forth to compensate for the haul rope strecthing under load and temperature changes. I have operated a small fixed-grip quad chairlift before, and even on a cold day, the drive terminal would automatically move 8-10 inches over the course of the day to compensate for loading and temperature changes. I would expect this system in Florida to move quite a bit as the seasons change, though you won't notice as the bullwheel moves inside the terminal in a detachable lift.

As for brakes, even though I struggle to think of a system that has less elevation change than this one, each line will have at least two redundant braking systems. Commonly, the primary brake is a smaller disk brake on the motor output, and the motor and disk work together to slow the lift quickly for regular stops, like an issue loading. The backup is a brake that acts directly on the bullwheel, stopping the lift in a situation where the gearbox between the motor and bullwheel has failed. The emergency bullwheel brake may actually take longer to slow the lift than the regular service brake. Of course, if this system has a direct drive motor, the braking system will be different, but there will still be redundant systems in place, regardless of the lack of elevation change. There is still a fair bit of momentum in the system.
So what would you posit to be the root cause on the chairlift in Georgia? I know we don't have the final report but to run backward at twice (or more) than forward speed is mind boggling. I know this will not happen on this install but it might be instructive for this discussion.
 

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