3S Aerial Tramway

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The 3S Aerial Tramway is a big cabin aerial tramway which was developed by the Swiss company Roll transport systems in Thun to unite the advantages of a pendulum aerial tramway with their one normal, coupleable single rope cabin aerial tramway.

1 Technical description of first systems
2 Kitzbühel 3S Aerial Tramway
3 External links
4 See also

[edit] Technical description of first systems

The first plant of this type, called Alpine express I, was built for 1991 in Saas Fee. In 1994 a further section, the Alpine express II went in service - a continuous service of both sections is not possible however. The cabs of these plants have space for 30 persons and travel with a speed of 6 m/s pulled by an endless hauling cable, however hang thereby still on two carrying ropes. A lane exhibits thus three rope, from where also the name of this course system agitates. The cabs are, as implemented with most rotating cabin railways, coupable. The system offers the following advantages:

smaller energy consumption compared with to-and-from system aerial ropeways of similar capacity
increased wind stability
larger grund distances possible
high driving speed in relation to unity express orbits: Speeds over 7 m/s are possible
large capacity

Development and building of the Alpine express I cost 70 million SFr. The company of Roll built no more further 3S Aerial Tramway after the two systems in Saas Fee. By the assumption of the company by the Austrian company Doppelmayr in 1996, Doppelmayr attained the know-how for the 3S-Bahn-Bau. The Italian company Leitner has developed also 3S aerial tramway in the meantime also.

[edit] Kitzbühel 3S Aerial Tramway

The 3S Aerial Tramway in Kitzbühel bridges the Saukasergraben and connects thereby the skiing areas Kirch ans Resterhöhe of Kitzbühel with each other. Between these skiing areas only one coach connection existed before the construction of the 3S Aerial Tramway. The 3S Aerial Tramway open in January, 2005 has a distance of 3642 metres for which nine minutes are needed. The biggest height above the ground is 400 metres. The use of only one aerial tramway support pillar resulted in an unusual span width of 2507 metres between the valley station and the 80-metre-support pillar. The arrangement cost 13,5 million euros and a single cabin 100.000 euros. Manufacturer is the Austrian company Doppelmayr. The carrying rope of the 3S aerial tramway has a diameter of 54 millimetres, the hauling cable has a length of 7500 metres and a diametre of 42 millimetres. The electrical power consumption is 400 kW.

The 19 cabines (the system is expandable to 24 cabins) with 24 seats drive 472 meters (360 meters) in a distance of 67 seconds (51 seconds) or and can in the hour up to 3200 (4200) persons transport in such a way. In the cab 1 a glass floor is installed instead of the usual seat faces, which makes it possible to regard the 400 metre height from another perspective.