The ski hill where I grew up in late 50’s and early ‘60’s powered their rope tows with a variety of tractors and power units. Tractors included a John Deere A, a Farmall H, a Ford Jubilee and a home-built “doodlebug” tractor of unknown heritage. A cut-down Jeep was also employed briefly. An IHC U-6 and an enormous Minneapolis-Moline 6 cylinder power unit (both salvaged from area sawmills) were also used.
When T-bar lifts replaced the rope tows the U-6 was redeployed to power the new bunny lift T-bar. The “big” T-bar was however powered by a new Chrysler hemi industrial power unit - essentially a detuned Dodge truck engine. (The hemi’s exhaust bark when the lift was fully loaded was a wonder to behold!)
The U-6 and hemi soldiered into the early 70’s until electric motors finally replaced the gas engines.
The lifts today are all identical electric-powered quad chairs. Somewhat sadly these lack the "character" of the early home-built rope tows. I don't miss the sore arms, ruined gloves/jackets, etc. from the rope tows however!
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Today's Featured Article - When Push Comes to Shove - by Dave Patterson. When I was a “kid” (still am to a deree) about two I guess, my parents couldn’t find me one day. They were horrified (we lived by the railroad), my mother thought the worst: "He’s been run over by a train, he’s gone forever!" Where did they find me? Perched up on the seat of the tractor. I’d probably plowed about 3000 acres (in my head anyway) by the time they found me. This is where my love for tractors started and has only gotten worse in my tender 50 yrs on this “green planet”. I’m par
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