This T-Bar runs in a triangle, with the downbound side traversing terrain unsuitable for a T-Bar track.Light side.Drive station overview.Downhill leg of the triangle.This is the only Doppelmayr lift at Breck.Motor room and loading area.The lower station actually has three bullwheels.Tower 4.Turn on the heavy side with another bullwheel.Unload area.Bullwheel #5.View down both legs.Heavy side above the turn.
Just a naming thing, but Breckenridge officially has renamed the lift as the Horseshoe Bowl T-Bar as of 2016 (I guess to differentiate it from the T-Bar restaurant at Peak 8 Base).
In the Breckenridge lift system, the T-Bar stands out as the only lift not built by Poma/Leitner-Poma or Riblet. (There used to be two Doppelmayrs, when there was also the Quicksilver Quad on lower Peak 9, but alas, that one is gone, and every lift installed at Breckenridge since 1985 has been built by Poma or Leitner-Poma)
And for a 35 year old lift, it’s still working like clockwork. (Although I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s due for a replacement in the next ten years or so; it’d be interesting whether Poma would build their own T-Bar or a double chairlift with slatted chairs would be built up the downhill line)
Maybe it has to do something with price because Leitner-Poma is cheaper. They could have also wanted to keep consistency with their other lifts. The only reason the Quicksilver HSQ was Doppelmayr is because Doppelmayr was the only one offering the lift they needed.
From the chat with my local resort owner, who will have to replace our late 80s Poma HSQs in the next 5-7, Doppelmayr detachables and fixed grips are the most pricey and premium, followed up by LPA that offer similar technology, but in a less refined package, followed by Skytrack, he wasnt aware of partek, or skytrans, but was aware of MND due its ties to the authoritarian Chinese government, and wouldnt consider them due to their sketchy ties to the CCP (from what ive researched, it seems like MND forced the Chinese government out by buying out its stake, but the sources I read didnt seem very legitimate, so take that with a grain of salt) Also Tyler seems like a very common name for lift enthusiasts on this site lmao
I’ve seen some old videos and the former Lift Maintenance Manager is now the North American Sales Manager for Leitner-Poma, so that’s probably why the stick with LPA.
Short answer, for uphill traffic right of way safety and maintainability. Brecks T-Bar is pretty much a case study on how to choose the right machine (surface lift) for operation in challenging terrain (high alpine/above timberline/natural snow) be able to operate in the most challenging of conditions (high wind/low visibility) and stay open as much as possible.
The gradient of the heavy side as it traverses along the ridge of the bowl is comfortable to ride, keeps the passengers out of avalanche terrain, and also keeps them mildly sheltered from high winds until they reach the top 25%. The trees capture a very maintainable base of snow for the riders along the uphill right of way. The uphill traffic doesn’t interfere with popular downhill routes…etc.
The T-Bar and it’s alignment are perfect for the terrain it serves, but the popularity of the terrain it serves has overextended its capacity.
@ SKIBUMBARNES
One things for sure, it didn’t have anything to do with price. Poma lifts at the time were certainly not less expensive than Doppelmayr, and LPOA lifts are definitely not less expensive than Doppelmayr now.
LPOA & Doppelmayr are both a great value, experienced resort operators don’t see a difference between brands.
Lift Blog 
Reminds me of the old South Ridge Triple at Killington.
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Just a naming thing, but Breckenridge officially has renamed the lift as the Horseshoe Bowl T-Bar as of 2016 (I guess to differentiate it from the T-Bar restaurant at Peak 8 Base).
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In the Breckenridge lift system, the T-Bar stands out as the only lift not built by Poma/Leitner-Poma or Riblet. (There used to be two Doppelmayrs, when there was also the Quicksilver Quad on lower Peak 9, but alas, that one is gone, and every lift installed at Breckenridge since 1985 has been built by Poma or Leitner-Poma)
And for a 35 year old lift, it’s still working like clockwork. (Although I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s due for a replacement in the next ten years or so; it’d be interesting whether Poma would build their own T-Bar or a double chairlift with slatted chairs would be built up the downhill line)
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This is the only Doppelmayr lift at Breck now, does anyone know why they didn’t stick with Doppelmayr?
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Maybe it has to do something with price because Leitner-Poma is cheaper. They could have also wanted to keep consistency with their other lifts. The only reason the Quicksilver HSQ was Doppelmayr is because Doppelmayr was the only one offering the lift they needed.
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I thought it would have something to do with price, thanks for some feedback.
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Are the prices of MND Ropeways, Partek, Skytrans, Skytrac, and even possibly Superior Tramway-overhauled lifts comparable to LPOA and Doppelmayr?
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From the chat with my local resort owner, who will have to replace our late 80s Poma HSQs in the next 5-7, Doppelmayr detachables and fixed grips are the most pricey and premium, followed up by LPA that offer similar technology, but in a less refined package, followed by Skytrack, he wasnt aware of partek, or skytrans, but was aware of MND due its ties to the authoritarian Chinese government, and wouldnt consider them due to their sketchy ties to the CCP (from what ive researched, it seems like MND forced the Chinese government out by buying out its stake, but the sources I read didnt seem very legitimate, so take that with a grain of salt) Also Tyler seems like a very common name for lift enthusiasts on this site lmao
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I’ve seen some old videos and the former Lift Maintenance Manager is now the North American Sales Manager for Leitner-Poma, so that’s probably why the stick with LPA.
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I was on this lift earlier today and I got and did one of the best powder runs of my life! There is a picture of me standing near the turn station.
Here’s the picture:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC51-rS9NtBa4R6FUsllnrfw/community?lb=Ugkxwr0PH_491vLdN0QQLx9fxxJszOnxocN1
You can see the turn station faintly in the background.
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How come the lift was built in a triangle instead of a regular line?
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Short answer, for uphill traffic right of way safety and maintainability. Brecks T-Bar is pretty much a case study on how to choose the right machine (surface lift) for operation in challenging terrain (high alpine/above timberline/natural snow) be able to operate in the most challenging of conditions (high wind/low visibility) and stay open as much as possible.
The gradient of the heavy side as it traverses along the ridge of the bowl is comfortable to ride, keeps the passengers out of avalanche terrain, and also keeps them mildly sheltered from high winds until they reach the top 25%. The trees capture a very maintainable base of snow for the riders along the uphill right of way. The uphill traffic doesn’t interfere with popular downhill routes…etc.
The T-Bar and it’s alignment are perfect for the terrain it serves, but the popularity of the terrain it serves has overextended its capacity.
@ SKIBUMBARNES
One things for sure, it didn’t have anything to do with price. Poma lifts at the time were certainly not less expensive than Doppelmayr, and LPOA lifts are definitely not less expensive than Doppelmayr now.
LPOA & Doppelmayr are both a great value, experienced resort operators don’t see a difference between brands.
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Would it be possible to increase capacity in any way by adding a parallel t-bar or different surface lift?
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