The
Mount Roberts Tramway is an
aerial tramwayAn aerial tramway or cable car is a type of aerial lift in which a cabin or other conveyance is suspended from a fixed cable and is pulled by another cable....
just south of Juneau in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. In operation since 1996, it makes a six-minute ascent of 3,819-foot (1,164 m) Mount Roberts from the cruise ship docks to a height of about 1,800 feet (550 m), making it one of the most vertical tramways in the world. A restaurant, theater, nature center, and retail shops are located at the top of the tramway, as well as connections to
trailA trail is a path or road used for walking, cycling, cross-country skiing, or other activities. Some trails are off-limits to everyone other than hikers, and a few trails allow motorized vehicles....
s leading from sea level to the summit.
The tramway was conceived by John Heiser in 1994.
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The
Mount Roberts Tramway is an
aerial tramwayAn aerial tramway or cable car is a type of aerial lift in which a cabin or other conveyance is suspended from a fixed cable and is pulled by another cable....
just south of Juneau in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. In operation since 1996, it makes a six-minute ascent of 3,819-foot (1,164 m) Mount Roberts from the cruise ship docks to a height of about 1,800 feet (550 m), making it one of the most vertical tramways in the world. A restaurant, theater, nature center, and retail shops are located at the top of the tramway, as well as connections to
trailA trail is a path or road used for walking, cycling, cross-country skiing, or other activities. Some trails are off-limits to everyone other than hikers, and a few trails allow motorized vehicles....
s leading from sea level to the summit.
The tramway was conceived by John Heiser in 1994. Heiser put together a team (Heiser, Bruce Booher, Marc Bond, Kevin Branson, and Ron Greisen) which formed Mount Roberts Development Corporation (MRDC). MRDC designed the facility, acquired the necessary land and rights-of-way, and obtained permits. MRDC then partnered with Goldbelt, Inc., the Alaska Native urban corporation, to finance, construct and operate the venture. MRDC managed the partnership and oversaw construction of the tramway by POMA of America and the top and bottom stations. The tram opened for limited operation in September 1996, and the grand opening was held in May 1997. MRDC sold its partnership interest to Goldbelt in the spring of 1998.
The Mount Roberts Tramway is one of Southeast Alaska's most popular tourist attractions, with around 200,000 visitors each summer.
The tram has 2 60-passenger cabins. With an uphill capacity of 1050 people per hour. Max speed is 2000 feet per minute or 10.2 meters per second. This type of tram is know as a double-reversible or "jig-back". Both cabins are coupled to a common haul rope and they move in unison, one up and one down.
The main drive system is a 600 hp 500V DC GE electric motor. The full time back up system is two 360 hp Cummins diesel engines with a hydro static drive. Both systems are coupled to a common gearbox
The haul rope is 7,875 feet (2400m) of 35mm solid core cable. The cable has a breaking strength of 172,230lbs. The haul cable operates at 30,050 lbs (15 tons)tension per side. The cabins ride on 2 each 50 mm double locking coil track ropes. Each cable is 3526 ft (1075m) long with a breaking strength of 616,700lbs. All cables were manufactured by Fatzer of Switzerland.
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