Rettet die VR101!

[vonroll101]

I still wont ever understand why Swiss regulations wont grandfather the VR101 into operations.As far as safety goes,Here in the USA we have 10 such VR101s that operate with a high standard.Doppelmayer did upgrades on them,added rpd sensors on all the towers as well as other safety features..The San Diego Zoo is a very prime example of a very busy and safe in all sence of operations of a Von Roll VR101. 3 MILLION people a year with no concerns about tower derailment.Wind sensors shut the Von Roll off at a safe 20 mph wind. Why cant Swiss look at the safety record of all remaining Von Roll VR101s in the USA and say yes these can run as a nostalgic lift?USA can show the safe operations of the VR101 lifts.Tag it as a museum course. add the RPD sensors on all towerbatterys and run it. Loosing such a historical lift would be a crying shame to the birthplace of the detachable chairlift. Robert San Diego

[Delirium]

Only problem is that RPD is by law still not equal to break-bar-switches (is this the correct english word for Bruchstabschalter?) in EU and therefor also in switzerland. Also there is a law that clamps have to be able to pass sheave batteries even if the rope is derailed and that is impossible with the VR101 system (or, at least nobody thought long enough to come up with a good solution).

Seems that we have to deal with that and need to visit San Diego, CA to ride a VR101...

[vonroll101]

all the VR 101s I have ever rode on have the brittle bar switches..Swiss regulations are too strict.Too much in favor by the big 2 company's.Doppelmayer and poma..

[Petz]

Swiss regulations are following exactly those of the european community and i agree that Doppelmayr and Leitner - Poma obviously did a perfect lobbyism in Bruxelles...
The main problem are not the brittle bar switches but the required specification that a clamp has to pass a sheave battery without any problems when the rope is derailed. At support towers it will be possible to run with the clamp over the rope grabbers but at depression towers technically based i see absolutely no solution to fulfill this regulation.
The only exception is Germany cause german´s fundamental laws includes protection for existing aprooved cableways and so they are excepted from the newer EC - guidelines.

[vonroll101]

And as you know Markus , here in the states the VR 101s are grandfathered in law or in code.The drawback is if a VR 101 is ever removed it cand be moved anywhere in the usa except for non public passenger use. For private use only. Saying that if I had 300 acres of land for myself and I transplanted a VR 101 to my property noone could ride it except for carring material or the sole owner of the ride. In the past there has been a few transplanted Von Roll VR101 lifts from the usa and are still operating to this very day with no issues.

[Petz]

In the European Community the laws make no difference between private and commercial use, in both cases the current ropeway regulations had to be fulfilled.
I discussed the EC - regulations some years ago with my lawyer and theoretically even model cableways had to match them because there is no explicit exception for them integrated. Surely in practice no modelcableway owner will get in juridic troubles but this exaple shows too how obviously careless sometimes the legislation authorities are working...
Because of that i had informed every customers who asked about a special produced model ropeway from me in the offer about the actual juridic facts too !

[vonroll101]

Oh my god..That is extremly silly.Even models? I guess if I were to import one of my model Von Roll Skyrides I better not get caught. Its just a crying shame that the European ropeway standards can't grandfather 1 of the most infuentual lifts of the world the Von Roll Type 101 of Berne Switzerland. I guess if anyone wants to ride on a authentic Von Roll you half to come to the USA.....Very sad for Switzerland. Makes me want to vomit.

[Illhorn]

Very sad for Switzerland. Makes me want to vomit.

Yes, very sad for Solothurn and Weissenstein. I was born in the region of Solothurn and as child and also later I took many many times this VR101 - now it will be destroyed - it's like one of your friend dies...

[Petz]

Unfortunately none of the VR101 runs in Germany anymore cause only there would be a chance to survive.
But nevertheless some detachable ropeways built by Pohlig - Heckel - Bleichert (PHB) under the the rather similar Giovanola system licence survived in Germany ("Wankbahn", "Eckbauerbahn"; both situated in Garmisch - Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Southern Germany), so fortunately i only have to drive about half an hour to get a "VonRoll - feeling"...

http://www.alpinforum.com/forum/viewtop ... 49&t=44452

[Dachstein]

Unfortunately none of the VR101 runs in Germany anymore cause only there would be a chance to survive.

What about Jenner?

MFG Dachstein

[Petz]

Sorry, never had visited the Jennerbahn and so this ropeway obviously is not stored in my brain...

[vonroll101]

Extremly sad by it.now the only VonRoll VR 101 sidechair is in the Chec Republic.. And out here in the usa.

[GMD]

How ironic, we Swiss have to drive several 100 km or even fly over the atlantic to visit a swiss technical masterpiece. It's a big shame!

[Illhorn]

It's a big shame!

You are absolutely right. But as we know: "A prophet has no honour in his own country".

[vonroll101]

Very true..Swiss masterpieces are alive and well out here in the states. Long live the VR101. I'm going to go ride on one today in memory of the Last one in Switzerland.

[Radim]

VR101 Kombibahn in Bursa in Türkei ist leider definitiv Geschichte. Stützen stehen zwar noch, aber mindestens komplette Talstation ist weg