Undoubtedly the most exciting development at Selwyn Snowfields since snowmaking, the new Township Triple Chairlift replaces the original Township Duplex T-Bars and will make its season debut in 2009.
Originally from Mount Buller, the Township Triple Chairlift will benefit visitors to the resort in a multitude of ways including shorter wait times in queues, larger run area for those really big turns, and ease of use.
The chairlift will also allow the resort to capitalise on the intensive snow making currently on the Township run as less snow is wasted maintaining T-Bar lift tracks.
This will hopefully lead to the run opening earlier in the season and closing later.
Development approval for the chairlift project was received in December 2008, and since then the resort has been a buzz of activity removing the old T-Bars and going about the process of installing the chairlift.
The first stage involved preparing each of the seven tower footings, as well as the footings for the drive station, return station and tension mast. Each tower footing is approximately two metres deep and a total of 160 cubic metres of concrete was used across all footings.
Safety circuits and phones lines needed to operate the lift were buried in a trench that runs the complete length of the lift at this time also.
Meanwhile, teams of mechanics and engineers were meticulously servicing each and every moving part. Most parts were replaced or upgraded including all the slats on each chair.
A team of painters had the unenviable task of painting the entire lift using a total of 45 litres of paint.
The second stage was standing the seven lift line towers, return station mast, tension mast and the four drive station legs, and bolting them to the footings.
Each lift line tower is approximately nine metres tall and weighs approximately about 1.5 tonnes. The most challenging however, was erecting the tension mast which weighs a massive 14 tonnes.
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