I’m in transit today, traveling back to Toronto and it’s lovely minus 10 degree February temperatures. In the meantime, check out the Spokane Falls Skyride (video below).
Given its urban/natural setting, this should be a fascinating system to discover more about. Any information on this installation would be greatly appreciated!
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I grew up in Spokane, and rode this gondola as a child. If memory serves, it was commissioned as part of the 1974 World’s Fair.
Also of interest in the area is the Riblet Mansion tram — built in 1925 by tram engineer and inventor Royal Riblet (of Riblet Tramway Co fame) 1600 feet across the Spokane River to his home on a 450 foot volcanic bluff.
Thanks for this, Silus. I’m confused, however (no surprise there). The cabins look very new, and they’re using a pulsed configuration which was not very common in 1974. Is this a rebuild or an entirely new system?
A little more:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19881124&id=zbQpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rO8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5062,5321651
It’s a rebuild. Wish I knew more.
It’s a 6x3x6 Doppelmayr CTEC Pulsed Gondola that was built in, I believe, 2005. It replaced an earlier system that was built for Expo ’74. I have no details on that, though I do believe that it was also a pulsed ststem.
This is indeed a rebuild. The original skyride was purchased by Adventureland Amusement Park in Des Moines, Iowa. It is still in full operation.
I am doing research on the sky ride and am displeased because I cannot find historical facts about it on almost any website. Where should I look?
Good luck with that, Jennifer! We’ve been trying to find info for a while on this one, but there’s very little. This is pretty typical of private sector installations.
Maybe what google couldn’t answer a simple phone call would do 😉
I’m sorry, LX, what is this “phone” thing to which you refer? I recall my high school history teacher once speaking of a telephone. Could those be the same thing?