INNSBRUCK LEITWIND - On the path to success - Leitner Ropeways

LEITNERGROUP Journal September 2005
LEITNER-NEWS
LEITWIND - On the path to success
A year ago LEITNER announced the development of an enhanced wind turbine. Since then, a pilot plant
with the new model is ready for installation.
In addition to various improvements derived from operations with the first prototype, LEITWIND engineers
have made two major changes. First, the new turbine incorporates winding segments that can be
replaced individually without dismantling the generator. This is a big advantage in regards to maintenance.
Second, the new model is designed for higher generator torque. In addition, LEITNER's engineers have
developed a convincing new solution for the control system.
The new LEITWIND wind turbines, with their highly aesthetic looks, will be available as the LTW 70 and
LTW 77. The numbers refer to rotor diameter, which is a key parameter in terms of energy production
from wind power plants.
Editorial
Nordkettenbahn - The new major project in Innsbruck
Dear Readers,
It is with the greatest
interest that I follow
the progress made on
the two biggest contracts
we are currently handling, namely the
MiniMetro ® in Perugia and the detachable
bicable gondola in Hong Kong. The visits I
have made in the last few months to various
construction sites, including the sites of
these two major urban passenger transport
projects, have given me an insight into the
varied and highly responsible work done by
our crews in the fi eld.
I was particularly impressed by my tour of
the huge site in Hong Kong, where we are in
the process of building a detachable bicable
gondola. The 5.8 km line does not run entirely
over solid ground; it also crosses a 1,400 m
wide estuary of the sea, and that was one
of the biggest challenges in the construction
of the ropeway. Far from their normal
working environment, our fi rst-class team of
fi tters has done an impressive job with some
highly innovative solutions. In particular, they
showed great imagination when it came to
pulling the track rope across the estuary,
making use of a completely new tool in ropeway
engineering, namely ships!
Assembly work on the site is co-ordinated by
our engineers and performed in collaboration
with local personnel. All this makes a serious
call on the energies of our employees, not
only with regard to their engineering skills but
also in terms of linguistic and cultural differences,
often exacerbated by diffi cult climatic
conditions. And yet they continue to search
for the best possible solutions and produce
excellent results, which are refl ected in part
in the extremely positive attitude of the local
residents there. Similarly, the people in Perugia
are following the progress made on their
MiniMetro ® with mounting excitement.
Everywhere I went, whether in Italy or far
from Europe, I was thrilled by the conscientiousness
and untiring commitment of our
employees working in the fi eld.
LEITNER, STRABAG and Innsbrucker Nordkettenbahnen
GmbH, which is owned by the Innsbruck municipal authority,
have established a private-public partnership for the
redesign, reconstruction and subsequent operation of the
ropeways serving the Nordkette mountains above the city
with a new bottom terminal occupying a central location near
the Convention Center.
For Innsbrucker Nordkettenbahnen
GmbH, the decision to award
the contract was doubtless influenced
not only by the innovative
approach to financing the project
but also by the sheer elegance of
the architectural solution developed
by Zarah Hadid. She had
already made her mark with the
new Berg Isel jump hill in Innsbruck.
On top the choice of line
that could be expected to receive
the necessary approvals, which
- after so many disappointments
with earlier proposals - was
clearly no easy task. The subcommittee
of the Innsbruck City
Council was additionally convinced
by the partnership formed
between a leading contractor like
STRABAG and LEITNER as an internationally
successful ropeway
manufacturer.
The Nordkette ropeway will
continue to operate in three
stages. For the first stage from
Innsbruck’s Old Town to Hungerburg
via Löwenhaus and the Alpine
Zoo, LEITNER will construct
a funicular that travels partly underground.
The line starts more
INNSBRUCK
Altstadt
or less on the flat at the Convention
Center and finishes with a very
steep section at Hungerburg. The
LEITNER response to such an
unusual profile was to develop a
hydraulic tilt control system for
the two funicular cars with their
five compartments each. Thanks
to automatic tilt control, passengers
will be able to load and unload
at both terminals and the
two mid-stations with the compartments
of the two cars completely
level. With a capacity of
130 passengers per car, the new
funicular has a rated transport
capacity of 1,300 persons per
hour in each direction.
For the second stage from
Hungerburg to Seegrube and
the third stage from Seegrube
to the summit at Hafelekar, the
challenge was to integrate a
modern, high-capacity system
in the existing station structures-
famous buildings designed
by the architect Baumann that
are now subject to a conservation
order. This required great
sensitivity with regard to the necessary
modifications. The new
Lower terminal of the funicular next to the Convention Center
New bridge across the River Inn for the funicular
Seegrube reversible will operate
with state-of-the-art cars with a
capacity of 95 persons each for
a maximum transport capacity
of 800 persons per hour in each
direction.
Yours,
Michael Seeber
The routing of the Nordkettenbahn line to the Hungerburg

THE WORLD & ITS MARKETS
LEITNER-NEWS
2
September 2005
Hong Kong: TUNG CHUNG CABLE CAR bicable gondola
Site inspection by the LEITNER Board
Airport Island Angle Station
The lower terminal at Tung Chung
At Pentecost the LEITNER Board paid a visit to the site
of Hong Kong’s new bicable gondola ropeway to see
the progress made on what is doubtless the company’s
biggest project in the last few years.
With a total line length of 5,785
meters, the new gondola will
connect the suburb of Tung
Chung with Hong Kong’s International
Airport on its artifi
cial island location, and the
airport with Ngong Ping, a
tourist center in the hinterland
with a larger-than-life statute
of Buddha that attracts thousands
of visitors every year.
At the time of the visit, assembly
work was complete at the
lower terminal and the drive
station for the two stages of
the ropeway, and the haul
rope was in place on the fi rst
stage. The drive assemblies in
the basement of Airport Island
Station - each comprising
two sets of tandem drives for
maximum system availability
- had been installed, and towers
1, 2A, 2B and 3 were also
fi nished.
Since then the Kamov helicopter
specially shipped from
Switzerland has arrived at the
site, where it is needed to lift
towers 4 to 7 into place as
well as the complete angle
station at Nei Lak Shan. The
locations of the towers and
angle station are otherwise
only accessible on foot via a
path that will later be used
for evacuation purposes. For
the erection crews, it is a two
hour walk to tower number 4
and another two hours for the
way back.
Unfortunately, extremely bad
weather with constant mists
has kept the smaller helicopters
required for the concrete
work, which is part of the
customer’s contract, on the
ground and this has caused
signifi cant delays. As a result
assembly work on the upper
towers and the Nei Lak Shan
angle station could not begin
until the middle of August.
Another highlight of the project
is drawing in the track
rope for the second stage,
which began in mid-September.
On the basis of an analysis
of the various alternatives,
it was decided to construct a
cable bridge comprising two
smaller track ropes with guide
sheaves located at regular
intervals. That provides the
support needed to draw in
the 71 mm track rope, which
weighs an impressive 110
tons. The rope has to be pulled
1200 m across the sea - the
distance between the drive
terminal and tower number 3
- without hindering the shipping.
With so much air traffi c
in the vicinity of Airport Island
Station, an additional safety
requirement has to be met in
the form of an aerial hazard
warning rope with warning
signals spanned above the
track rope.
Meanwhile, the automatic gondola
parking facility has been
installed in the basement of the
lower terminal at Tung Chung
and work is in progress on the
station cladding. With an exciting
glass façade designed
to harmonize with the adjoining
underground railway terminal,
the Tung Chung Cable
Car is set to become a reference
installation for the whole
of Asia. In addition, the bicable
gondola is a fi ne example of
how ropeways can be used
to meet public transport requirements
in an urban setting.
The new Hong Kong gondola
is due to be commissioned at
the beginning of 2006.
Left to right: Michael Seeber, Dr. Werner
Amort, Geni Manetsch (LEITNER’s site
supervisor) and Martin Leitner
China: A gondola ride up to 4,512 meters above sea level
- thanks to the ”JADE DRAGON”
Ten years ago LEITNER got a
toe-hold on the Chinese market
with a successful bid to
build a six-seater gondola by
the name of ”JADE DRAGON”
near Lijang in the south-west
of the country. The new ropeway
was built to provide access
to the glaciers of Snow
Mountain as an additional
tourist attraction for the region.
Seven years after the
gondola was commissioned,
Martin Leitner, Export Manager
and Member of the Administrative
Board, paid a repeat
visit to the ”JADE DRAGON”.
The lower terminal of this
exciting gondola is located
in the middle of a National
Park at 3,356 meters above
sea level, which is higher than
the top stations of most other
ropeway installations. The upper
terminal is at 4,512 meters.
That alone explains
why, in retrospect, the project
is considered one of the
most diffi cult ever handled by
LEITNER. In view of the absence
of local infrastructure,
individual solutions had to be
devised on the spot in order
to transport the construction
materials to the top of
the mountain. This was done
by using the haul rope and
the sheave batteries, which
had already been delivered,
to build a temporary materials-handling
ropeway to the
site of the upper terminal. Because
of the bitter cold at an
altitude of more than 4,000
meters, Tibetan workers, who
are used to such conditions,
were hired for the on-site assembly
work. Unfortunately,
they had no experience in
ropeway engineering and the
individual steps in the work
had to be carefully explained
to them, which cost a lot of
time in view of the language
diffi culties involved.
In 1996 the area around Snow
Mountain was struck by an
earthquake, and work on the
gondola was interrupted for
some time. Due to that delay
and also the extremely early
arrival of winter that year, it
took until July 1998 to get the
ropeway ready for commissioning.
Today an hourly total
of 420 passengers can ride
the 1,156 meters of vertical
in just over nine minutes to
enjoy the unforgettable views
Martin Leitner on his visit to the ”JADE DRAGON” in May 2005
of Snow Mountain from the
upper terminal. With ”JADE
DRAGON” proving such a
complete success, a number of
similar projects are now in the
pipeline for the near future.

3
THE WORLD & ITS MARKETS
September 2005
LEITNER-NEWS
In the heart of Sicily
A new gondola linking Trapani with Erice
View of Trapani
8 July 2005 saw the official opening of the new eight-seater
gondola from the Sicilian resort of Trapani to the nearby
town of Erice. The ropeway is an important tourist facility
with multiple positive effects on the economy and the social
fabric of the whole region.
The gondola, which was built
by a consortium that included
LEITNER, was commissioned
after a two-year construction
period. The ropeway operates
with 47 gondolas, including
four with wheelchair access.
It is fully illuminated, so that
the public transport service is
also available after nightfall. At
a line speed of 5m/s, system
capacity is 1,000 persons per
hour. The gondola takes ten
minutes to cover the 3 kilometers
from the lower terminal
at 40 meters to the upper
terminal at 703 meters above
sea-level.
”The construction and commissioning
of the new ”TRA-
PANI-ERICE” gondola,” said
Ms Giulia Adamo as President
of Trapani Province in her
speech, ”is doubtless a milestone
for the whole area. The
ropeway guarantees a high
level of accessibility for Erice,
also in the fi gurative sense,
and as a result will become
something of a hallmark for the
whole region. In all the years
that we have had to manage
without the link, invaluable
items in our heritage and
identity have been neglected,
but now that the new gondola
is here, Erice’s rich cultural
assets will again receive the
attention they deserve.”
In addition to the members
of senior management at
LEITNER, the opening ceremony
was also attended by
the Italian Minister of Economic
Development, Gianfranco
Miccichè.
Michael Seeber and Mirko Baldessari
at the opening ceremony for the new
gondola
Preparations for the Winter Games is in full swing
Three new ropeways for the 2006 Olympics
4,000 persons per hour
Transport capacity record for Seis
Concreting work for the underground parking facility for all the carriers in the mid-station
at Baucet
LEITNER has landed what is
currently the biggest contract
in the ropeway field for the
2006 Winter Olympic Games
in Turin.
Together with the SEESTE construction
company, LEITNER
won the contract for the
eight-seater gondola from
Sestriere and the new Olympic
Village to Fraiteve, where
the men’s downhill ski race
will be held. The gondola is
a two-stage installation, with
the two lines converging at
the mid-station at Baucet at
an angle of 24 degrees.
The ropeway with its twenty
towers has a total line length
of just under 3,000 meters
with 700 meters of vertical.
With its 1,000 kW drive, the
system has a rated transport
capacity of 1,780 persons per
hour, and total transit time is
less than ten minutes. To ensure
a top-quality ride, the
installation will operate with
71 ultra-modern eight-seater
gondolas built by SIGMA, a
French company that is part
of LEITNERGROUP.
LEITNER’s share of the contract
involves planning and
supplying all the electromechanical
components, erecting
the stations and laying the
electric cables, while SEESTE
is responsible for constructing
the three stations and the
protective structures and for
the revegetation measures.
The work will be completed
by January 2006.
Having built the ”TREBI-
ALS” SA4 quad chairlift in
2003 and the ”CESANA SKI
LODGE” CA8 - an eightseater
gondola with a midstation
unload - in 2004, the
”SESTRIERE-FRAITEVE”
gondola is the third contract
for the 2006 Winter Olympics
to be handled by LEITNER.
The CA16-2S from Seis to Seiser Alm is the biggest and
longest detachable bicable gondola in the world.
Since it was commissioned in
August 2003, the LEITNER detachable
bicable gondola from
Seis to Seiser Alm, which has
a rated capacity of 4,000 persons
per hour, has set a new
Italian ropeway record for the
number of passengers transported
per hour. And that is not
all; the ”SEIS-SEISER ALM”
gondola also holds the world
record for detachable bicable
circulating systems for motor
rating, line length and rated
capacity.
All of which defi nitely makes
it one of the most prestigious
of LEITNER’s many reference
projects.

THE WORLD & ITS MARKETS
LEITNER-NEWS
4
September 2005
LEITNER-POMA of America
Versatile solutions in the USA and New Zealand
Another strong year for our representatives in the US, who have been successful not
only in North America but also overseas. In New Zealand, for example, two six-passenger
express chairs were completed and immediately opened to the public in early
June, one on Mt. Hutt in Canterbury and the other on Coronet Peak in Otago.
In July 2005 the 55-ton station for the new six-seater chair in Snowmass (Colorado) was
lifted into place with the help of two powerful cranes.
In Colorado, where LEITNER-
POMA of America (L-POA)
has their headquarters, Aspen
and Intrawest contracted
to create a new base village
at Snowmass. The link
between the village and the
ski area will utilize a new sixseater
express chair with a
mid-station unload plus a
pulsed gondola with ultramodern
SIGMA Diamond
cabins.
In addition Winter Park in
Colorado, which is owned
by Intrawest, also contracted
with L-POA for two
900kW six-seater chairs.
One is being built this year
and the other in 2006.
Probably the most challenging
project in 2005 is the
construction of an express
quad chair at Breckenridge,
Colorado, where the top
station is helicopter access
only. In itself, that is no big
deal - except that station
elevation is over 3,900 meters!
A helicopter delivers
the crew to the site each
day and when everything is
ready a huge chopper will
be used to lift the station to
the top of the mountain.
L-POA was also awarded
the Phase 1 engineering
contract for a monocable
gondola suspended from
a bridge girder structure
to cross the Delaware River
from Philadelphia, PA to
Camden, NJ. With a span
of 575 meters between
the towers and a minimum
clearance over the shipping
lane of 50 meters, the new
gondola is a further example
of the innovative engineering
available from L-POA.
Prominent representatives of NZSKI.COM at the official opening of Coronet Peak:
(from the right) General Manager Duncan Smith, CEO John Davies and Board Members
Graham Smolenski and Murray Valentine
Lower station of the ”GREENGATES EXPRESS” at Coronet Peak, New Zealand
France
Five LEITNER chairlifts for the new winter season
Left to right: Sébastien Rossignol (DCSA Project Manager), Nicolas Briançon (engineer
at SAP - Société d’Aménagement de la Plagne), Bernard Chancel (CEO of SAP),
Ing. Sylvain Lainé (LEITNER FRANCE), Ing. Christian Vibert (Senior Engineer at SAP)
and Ing. David Aubonnet (COMAG)
LEITNER France is making its mark on the French market
with detachable chairlifts, and when the new winter season
opens, four new six-seater chairlifts and an eight-seater
chair from the house of LEITNER will be ready to go in the
ski regions of France.
A particularly exciting installation
is the ”ARPETTE”, a new
detachable eight-seater chair for
the La Plagne ski area, which is
part of the Paradiski interconnect.
The specifications of the
”ARPETTE” are themselves in-
dicative of some impressive ropeway
engineering: a line length of
1,802 m, 410 meters of vertical
and a rated transport capacity of
4,400 persons per hour! As one
of the main installations at La
Plagne, the chairlift will have two
550 kW motors to guarantee the
capacity needed to handle the
constantly growing numbers of
skiers in this popular skiing and
snowboarding region.
Four other six-packs are currently
under construction in France,
including the ”SYBELLES
EXPRESS” in the Le Corbier
Ski Area, which is a replacement
for a fixed-grip LEITNER quad
built in 2000. The quad is being
relocated within the ski area and
will continue to provide a comfortable
ride in its new location.
Following the construction a
few years ago of three fixed-grip
LEITNER chairlifts in Megève,
at the foot of the Mont Blanc,
a detachable six-pack is now
to be built to replace an obsolete
double chair as part of a
modernization program for that
winter sports area. The new express
chairlift, by the name of
”ALPETTE”, will have a transport
capacity of 3,000 persons
per hour.
The other LEITNER six-seater
chairs are being built in Méta-
bief near the Swiss border in
the French Jura and the Risoul
Ski Area in the Forêt Blanche
region.
In France LEITNER is again
demonstrating the versatility
of its products and the scope
they offer for adaptation to customers’
needs. The five new
installations are very much in
line with current trends in the
French winter sports areas, with
a focus on greater customer
convenience through fast and
efficient services even at peak
periods.
Left to right: Denis Ribot, General Manager LEITNER FRANCE, Alexandre Maulin,
General Manager Le Corbier, and Marc Voillot of LEITNER FRANCE

5
THE WORLD & ITS MARKETS
September 2005
Turkey
New reversible for Istanbul
LEITNER-NEWS
Armenia: Consolidating the partnership
with Tsakhadzor
”TSAKHADZOR I” drive terminal
east of the capital Yerevan,
LEITNER has continued the
Armenian success story with a
third contract for Tsakhadzor in
2005. ”TSAKHADZOR III” is the
name of a double chair serving
the 2,920 meter high peak as
a replacement for a fi xed-grip
single chair. As in the case of
TSAKHADZOR I and II, all the
components for LEITNER’s third
installation in the Republic of
Armenia are being shipped from
Europe.
View of Istanbul from the terrace of the Pierre Loti Café
In 2003 tenders were invited
for the ”PIYERLOTI” compact
reversible in the center
of Istanbul. The installation is
designed to improve access
to the hilltop location of the
Pierre Loti Café, which has
become popular with locals
and tourists alike. The café
is named after a French writer,
who spent many years of
his life in Istanbul. One of his
favorite spots was this hill in
the middle of the Turkish capital,
which offers wonderful
views of the city and - in
spite of its central location
- is a peaceful place for quiet
refl ection.
Construction of the reversible
was interesting with re-
gard to the line, which crosses
a busy highway and also
a historical cemetery from
the times of the Ottoman
Empire.
The contract for the new installation
was signed in August
2004. In recent months
the last of the components
were shipped to Istanbul
and terminal assembly work
completed. At this time, the
reversible has been commissioned
and is open to
the public.
Following projects in Bozdag
and a fi xed-grip double
chairlift built in Isparta in
1999, LEITNER now has an
additional ropeway in Turkey.
Because of the reversible’s
location in the center of
Istanbul, the ”PIYERLOTI”
can be expected to become
a signifi cant reference project
for LEITNER.
A DIAMOND cabin with the lower terminal
in the background
Young ladies in national dress at the official
opening of TSAKHADZOR I and II
Following construction in 2004
of a quad and a double chairlift
in the all-year resort of Tsakhadzor,
about 40 km north-
”TSAKHADZOR II” drive terminal
Georgia
First LEITNER installation under construction
Project Manager Shalva Kvartskhava (far left) with two employees at the lower terminal
of the new gondola in Georgia
The Republic of Georgia is located
on the southern slopes of the
Caucasus mountains. That is the
location of Bakuriani, a summer
and winter resort that was already
very popular in Soviet times.
The region has great potential
for future development, and the
infrastructure is to be continuously
upgraded over the next few
years.
This year, in the first phase of
development, a detachable
eight-seater gondola by the
name of ”BAKURIANI DIDVELI
GONDOLA” is being built. With
an initial capacity of 1,500 and
a final capacity of 2,500 persons
per hour, the system will operate
with SIGMA’s comfortable
DIAMOND gondolas with level
grade access.
Construction of the second stage
of the gondola and also a chairlift
is scheduled for 2006, with
summer and winter operation
planned for both installations.
Following the construction of two
LEITNER ropeways in neighboring
Armenia in 2004, LEITNER
has now succeeded in entering
the Georgian market with an installation
designed to European
standards. At the customer’s request,
all components - including
the towers - are being shipped
from Europe. Construction work
is now moving ahead at a fast
pace so as to ensure the punctual
and professional completion
of the project that is so important
to the customer.
”TALGAR I” CA 8 and ”TALGAR II” S2
for the Republic of Kazakhstan
Foundations of the upper terminal for
the ”TALGAR II” double chair at 3,000
meters above sea-level
The contracts for these two projects
in the Republic of Kazakhstan,
which were signed in 2004,
provide for two ropeways to be
built with parallel lines in a new
summer and winter resort at the
foot of the Tien Shan Mountains
near Talgar, about 50 km east of
the capital Almaty. Construction
work at the site is now moving
ahead at full speed, and the last
components were shipped to
Kazakhstan at the beginning of
July so that the new ropeways
will be completed punctually for
the 2005/2006 winter season.
The gondola ropeway will operate
with eight-seater DIAMOND
gondolas supplied by SIGMA. All
components for both installations
come from Europe.
Development work for the new resort near the city of Talgar is moving forward at a rapid pace

THE WORLD & ITS MARKETS
LEITNER-NEWS
6
September 2005
Perugia: the countdown has begun
MiniMetro ® taking final shape
Saint Vincent in the Aosta Valley
New inclined elevator
The ”Linea Rossa” runs from Perugia’s western fringe to the historical town center.
The construction crews are
hard at work on the MiniMetro ®
in Perugia and the project is
making fast progress. The
guideway for this urban passenger
transport system is almost
ready, the terminal tunnel
on the line linking Cupa and
Pincetto is fi nished, and the
individual stations are also
taking shape.
In less than a year the stage
will be reached where trials can
begin, with 25 compact cars
like light railway coaches transporting
up to 3,000 persons per
hour in both directions.
Perugia’s Mayor Renato Locchi
is convinced that the
MiniMetro ® will be a big success:
”It’s an innovative project,
which at the same time fits
in with a 2000-year-old city.”
The harmony between the design
of the APM and Perugia’s
historical townscape is the
work of the famous Parisian
architect Jean Nouvel making
use of carefully selected shapes,
materials and colors. The
tracks, for example, are a shade
of red that blends in with
the old brick buildings, while
the towers are finished in an attractive
fair-face concrete, and
the green of the open spaces
around the terminals located
above ground is matched by
Michael Seeber and Renato Locchi, Mayor of Perugia
the color scheme in the station
interiors.
The innovative technology incorporated
in the MiniMetro ®
is based on the tried-and-tested
engineering solutions to
be found in LEITNER’s funiculars.
Interest in the system
from other European cities is
correspondingly great, and no
fewer than 140 feasibility studies
have been performed in
the last few years.
A LEITNER inclined elevator
has been built to replace the
old funicular linking the center
of Saint Vincent and the
Fons Salutis Thermal Baths.
This ultra-modern transport
system was commissioned
at the end of April and since
then has been in regular service
in the heart of the Aosta
Valley.
The installation has a straight
242-meter line that follows
the natural profi le of the terrain,
except for one elevated
section, and maintains a constant
gradient throughout.
Lower station in the center of Saint Vincent
The cars have a capacity of
30 passengers each and travel
at an average speed of
2.5 m/sec. Transit time is 106
seconds for a transport capacity
of 358 persons per hour
in each direction.
The elevator is fully automatic,
with controls located in
both the stations and the cars,
where they are accessible to
passengers in an emergency.
The system is designed for
unmanned operation.
The drive is located in the
upper station while the lower
station houses the car buffer
and counterweight.
Savona - San Giuseppe
Materials handling conveyor under Savona harbor
The existing Savona - San Giuseppe materials handling ropeway
The 18 km long ”SAVONA-
SAN GIUSEPPE” ropeway linking
the coal transshipment
terminal at Miramare with San
Giuseppe di Cairo was built
in the early 20th century. For
many years it was the lon-
gest ropeway in Europe and
handled a daily load of 9000
tons of bulk minerals. One of
the reasons for the current
system’s rehabilitation and
upgrade was the decision to
move the transshipment terminal
from Miramare to Darsena
Alti Fondali. Work on the
new terminal is now in the
fi nal stages and big ships will
soon be able to dock there.
The Alti Fondali project involves
linking the new port
facilities with the ropeway
loading stations, which are to
be rebuilt outside of Savona.
In the framework of a consortium
comprising a number
of well known companies,
LEITNERGROUP was awarded
the contract for the two
new loading stations. The
work involves construction
of the stations complete with
rotary feeder, A/D system and
tire banks for carrier travel on
the turnaround.
In Savona harbor the materials
handling ropeway is to
be replaced by a conveyor
system, which will run in a
tunnel under the sea.
LEITNERGROUP was recently
awarded the contract to replace
all the old screw-type
grips with modern spring-loaded
grips.
The Alti Fondali project and
grip replacement work are
due to be completed by the
end of 2006 or beginning of
2007.

7
PRODUCTS & ENGINEERING
September 2005
LEITNER-NEWS
Enhanced system availability and operating safety
Newly developed hydro-elastic dampers
While damping has long been a
standard feature of chairlift and
gondola grips to counter longitudinal
swing, this new feature
is targeted primarily at damping
lateral swing. The stabilizing effect
is achieved with the help of
a specially shaped container located
above the carrier in which
the damping fluid flows counter
to the direction of swing in
the carrier. The combination of
longitudinal and lateral swing
damping is the ideal solution
for optimum carrier stability in
windy locations.
The well known phenomenon of
Stabilizing effect through counterflow in the damping fluid
lateral swing under certain wind
conditions is largely eliminated,
and system availability and operating
safety are thus improved.
The new damping system was
developed by LEITNER’s design
engineering team and its reliability
verified in long series of
tests in the wind tunnel. Finally
the hydro-elastic dampers
proved their effectiveness in
trials conducted on a pilot installation
where lateral swing
was a frequent problem. The
new dampers reduced lateral
swing in the chairs there to a
minimum, and the customer
can now operate the ropeway
in strong side winds - and offer
enhanced operating safety at
the same time!
The hydro-elastic dampers can
be incorporated in all new installations
and are also suitable
for retrofitting to existing carriers.
Kitzbühel
First direct drive in Austria
Just one month after completion
of the ”BÄRENBADKOGEL 1” express
six-seater chair, Bergbahn
AG Kitzbühel placed an order
for a second LEITNER six-pack.
And this chairlift is something
special; it is the first ropeway in
Austria with a direct drive. The
thinking behind the decision was
the need for low-noise operation
Installing the direct drive in Kitzbühel
so as not to disturb visitors on
the terrace of the nearby Sonnenrast
Restaurant.
The unproblematical introduction
of the direct drive in Austria
is due to the country’s new Ropeways
Act on the one hand and
six years of positive experience
with the system in Italy and Switzerland
on the other.
In order to gain maximum advantage
from all this experience,
a LEITNER product was also
selected for the control system
for the new chairlift.
The enhanced design of the
latest generation of the direct
drive makes it possible to employ
a compact overhead drive
configuration.
In order to further increase the
attractiveness of the Kitzbühel
wintersports area for families
with children, the chairs
on the new installation have
been equipped with the new
KID STOP child safety system,
which ensures that small children
cannot slip out under the
restraining bar once it has been
closed.
The customer’s quick decision
to place the contract made it
possible to obtain the necessary
permits immediately after
the 2004/2005 winter season,
and work on the new installation
could begin at once. The
new six-pack is expected to be
ready in September 2005.
Innichen/South Tyrol
Automatic loading and unloading for summer slides
Haunoldlifte AG of Innichen, South
Tyrol, a LEITNER customer for many
years, operates a very successful alpine
slide for summer tobogganing.
So as to take the hassle out of loading
and unloading the toboggans from the
chairs, LEITNER developed an automatic
loading/unloading unit in close collaboration
with Haunoldlifte. Following
the completion of acceptance testing
by the Ropeway Offi ce of Bolzano
Province in South Tyrol, the system
was commissioned in June 2005. Loading
and unloading are handled via
a fully automatic combined conveyor
and hoist that was custom-built for
the project. To keep passenger and
goods transport separate and ensure
that passengers are not hindered,
separate carriers were developed for
the ropeway and placed on the line
alternating with the chairs. This project
is yet another convincing expression of
the LEITNER philosophy of customer
service, including the best possible
support for customers with special requirements
as a significant contribution
to the success of their business.
Automatic toboggan loading at the lower
terminal
New solution
Advanced engineering
with attractive looks
Lower terminal of the ”HOCHSERLES” CA8
Gone are the days when functionality
and architecture were
considered mutually incompatible.
Ropeway terminals clearly
show that architecture is not
just about big and spectacular
buildings but also has a role to
play in the design of everyday
facilities.
By paying due attention to such
aspects as design, function,
ropeway engineering, appropriateness
of means, and harmony
with the surroundings, it
is possible to develop architectural
solutions that are not only
cost-effective but also serve to
enhance the customer’s image.
The examples of the lower terminal
of the ”HOCHSERLES”
eight-passenger gondola in
Mieders and the terminals of the
”ELFERBAHN” eight-passenger
gondola in Neustift (both in the
Stubai Valley in the Tyrol) show
how the existing fabric can be
integrated in solutions of aesthetic
merit.
In the case of the lower terminal
of the ”HOCHSERLES” CA8, a
light and airy atmosphere has
been created for the interior
through the generous use of gla-
zing. From the car park the result
is a transparent shell, which
permits loading to be observed
during the day and the parked
carriers to be admired when the
gondola has closed down for
the night.
In the case of the ”ELFERBAHN”
CA8, the mountain terminal is
particularly interesting. Again it
is the generous use of glazing
that gives the structure its modern
transparent character.
In the case of both gondolas,
the additional cost compared
with a purely functional building
was not significant, and it can
be said that the terminals represent
a successful combination
of good design and sound
economics.
Upper terminal of the ”ELFERBAHN” CA8

PRINOTH
LEITNER-NEWS 8
September 2005
TRACK TILLER Husky
New add-on tiller for
PRINOTH cross-country trail quality
WINCONTROL
The Leitwolf winch with latest
pulling power technology
The Husky is the manoeuvrable cross-country trail talent from the PRINOTH fleet. Now, with
financially convincing and soil protecting tilling technology, the new TRACK TILLER add-on
unit ensures that the cross-country trail tracks are made optimally at any time, even under
the most difficult environmental conditions.
Guaranteed track quality with the new TRACK TILLER for the Husky
With the newly developed TRACK
TILLER add-on tiller, trail making
with the Husky has moved to an
even higher dimension. Icy pistes
and low snow coverage can be
easily handled in an environmentally
friendly way with the clever
tiller technology. The powerful motor
makes fast and consumptionfriendly
tilling possible. The addon
tiller is mounted on an equally
wide track-setter directly in front of
the cross-country trail shoes and
offloads the machine’s own tiller.
Since it no longer has to till as deeply,
the necessary tilling power is
reduced and the fuel consumption
is reduced along with it.
The TRACK TILLER can be activated
separately according to need
and tills with a respectable speed of
3,000 rpm. Since, when the tiller is
switched off, the teeth turn is such
a way that they disappear into the
track-setters, the subsoil is not affected
even with a light cover of
snow and damage to the tiller shaft
is also prevented.
The axial piston motor drive guarantees
the greatest reliability and
makes it possible to drive even faster
when laying trails - even on extremely
icy pistes, only a single pass
is needed with the TRACK TILLER.
Until now, the Husky from PRINOTH
has been a top vehicle in its category.
The new TRACK TILLER addon
unit is an option that raises the
cross-country trail quality to another
class and on the other hand lowers
the work costs. These are the best
conditions for completely satisfied
customers.
The TRACK TILLER is mounted on the track-setter directly in front of the cross-country trail shoes
Latest technology, practical functions and great economy
are the trademarks of PRINOTH winches, high sales figures
the proof of their reliability. WINCONTROL, the new innovative
pulling power control system for the premium vehicle
of the PRINOTH fleet ensures that the Leitwolf drum winch
reacts absolutely correctly in each situation and facilitates
top economical employment even under most difficult
working conditions.
More and more ski resorts favor
the use of piste preparation devices
equipped with winches: The
development of more and more
difficult terrains and the application
of man-made snow require
the increasing use of winch machines.
Already years ago, PRINOTH has
responded to the trend by providing
extremely powerful lowmaintenance
winches. A new
development has enabled the PRI-
NOTH research center to further
optimize the pulling control of the
drum winch for the Leitwolf. WIN-
CONTROL optimally regulates the
pulling power at any time and allows
switching to manual control
via the menu if needed. The driver
maneuvers the Leitwolf winch like
his extended arm and can react
superbly to any working condition.
The Leitwolf generation 2005 shall
incorporate WINCONTROL as
standard equipment; older models
can be retrofitted at any time.
The new pulling power control
WINCONTROL will continue to
ensure that the Leitwolf remains
the technologically leading piste
vehicle and that the market leadership
of PRINOTH winch machines
is further expanded.
Hydraulically controlled side finishers for the power tiller on the Leitwolf
PRINOTH innovation for perfect exhibition pistes
Since its premiere in 1998, the power tiller by PRINOTH, originally designed for the Everest,
is an unparalleled front-runner. The convincing technology meanwhile provides
perfectly styled pistes also on the Leitwolf. Equipped with hydraulically controlled side
finishers, the PRINOTH engineers have added another key enhancement to the power
tiller on the Leitwolf.
The hydraulically controlled side finishers for the power tiller on the Leitwolf
Martin Runggaldier, technical
director of the piste vehicle manufacturer
PRINOTH, sees the reason
for the comprehensive market
success of the power tiller in
its ”...maximum possible quality,
which continues to resemble our
corporate goal and distinguishes
our products”. With its introduction
in 1998, the tiller immediately
advanced to the leading market
position and became the standard
for many new developments
by other manufacturers.
Now, the sophisticated tiller
technology continues to scale
new heights with another practical
accessory: the hydraulically
controlled side fi nishers. They
can both be separately removed
and are raised automatically together
with the tiller. The advantages
convince ski resort users
as much as fleet owners. In the
preparation of pistes, the new
side finishers facilitate seamless
transitions between tracks. If
only one side finisher is raised,
the piste can be prepared up to
its graded edge. This is a special
delight for ski resorts where
previously the drivers constantly
had to content with small drivethrough
openings, narrow passages
or relatively small garage
doors. The capability of hydraulically
folding away both side finishers
ensures easy and flexible
maneuvering even in the problem
areas.
From now on, the power tiller
with fold-away side finishers will
be standard equipment on the
premium edition of the Leitwolf
vehicle. The power tillers of older
Leitwolf models can also be retrofitted
with the side finishers.
The hydraulically controlled side finishers facilitate seamless transitions between tracks