Stalin's Rope Roads (opens in new tab)

(theatlantic.com)

152 pointsv4us12y ago32 comments

32 comments

27 comments · 11 top-level

chiph12y ago· 4 in thread

FrogDesign proposed cable gondolas to solve Austin's mass transit problem[1]. With the hills and lakes/rivers in the area, it's a plausible solution (cheaper than a subway, anyway). The only hitch I see is how to air-condition the cars -- I wouldn't want to be in an enclosed glass box on one of our 110F days without it.

[1] http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/11/forget-subw...

ochekurishvili12y ago

We do have air conditioned cabins in the capital - Tbilisi :) http://mail.civil.ge/eng/category.php?id=87&size=wide&galler...

look_lookatme12y ago

There's a really nice discussion in the comments of that post.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/11/forget-subw...

zrail12y ago

If I remember right the cable tram in Portland Oregon is air conditioned. I think they just run power through the cable.

pavel_lishin12y ago

Interesting that they compare the cost of roadways to the cost of light rail/subway, but don't mention what the potential cost-per-mile of a gondola system would be.

sneak12y ago· 4 in thread

Is this a metaphor for the current state of web development?

w-m12y ago

If currently produced code would keep on running for 59 years without major incidents (just a new coat of paint every decade or so), that would be amazing.

mcphage12y ago

Well, one major incident, that killed 20 people. But still! A step up!

1 more reply

golergka12y ago

I didn't notice any rails in there.

ochekurishvili12y ago

Yes, there is a company operated rail link specially developed for manganese transportation to the nearest plant.

Note: I'm from Georgia.

1 more reply

JonSkeptic12y ago· 3 in thread

This is really cool and incredibly dangerous:

>The cabins run without a braking system; if the haulage cable snaps, the cabins will roll straight back down the track cable. This happened to a tramway in Georgia's capital Tbilisi in 1990, killing twenty people.

All in all, a good article that shows a really neat place. A city of tons of tramways, built for an incredible worker efficiency. The pictures are well done and almost make it feel like you're visiting. It was one article that didn't leave me hanging.

cynwoody12y ago

Brings to mind the time a US Marine Corps aircraft sliced a ski-lift cable† with its wing at an Italian ski resort, killing 20 people. The airplane was damaged but managed to land safely at Aviano Air Base.

†http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalese_cable_car_disaster_(19...

tacticus12y ago

With the pilots getting away with it.

dllthomas12y ago

Is that better or worse than cars on a windy mountain road?

Samuel_Michon12y ago· 2 in thread

“In 2008 the hauling rope of this tramway snapped with 12 passengers inside. Ramaz Khipshidze, the director of the Aerial Tramway Network says the automatic braking system worked "thanks to God."”

Well, it certainly wasn’t thanks to regular maintenance. Honestly, why is everything from the Soviet era just left to rot?

steve1912y ago

Even just a fresh coat of paint would prevent those tram cabins from rusting. Even the mining company, who I assume has cash, does not bother.

dimkar12y ago

Soviet Union had lots of drawbacks, no doubt, but they did a lot of good stuff like rope roads, railroad, undergrounds etc. It's cheaper to maintain the heritage than build something from scratch, why is it neglected?

1 more reply

privong12y ago· 2 in thread

Side comment: I hadn't noticed that one could use j/k to navigate the photos; whoever put the photo page design together was presumably a vi user?

dllthomas12y ago

Or played too much rogue/hack once upon a time?

ImprovedSilence12y ago

or used something like google reader or another RSS reader that used j/k to navigate items.

1 more reply

thex8612y ago· 1 in thread

I love the "In Focus" by The Atlantic. There are always mesmerizing and capture the beauty of the subject being talked about. And also, wow - keyboard navigation! Yes!

subsystem12y ago

The Big Picture by the Boston Globe is similar.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/

akgerber12y ago

This is reminiscent of the inclines (aka funiculars) in Pittsburgh, another old industrial city set in a similar landscape: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duquesne_Incline http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monongahela_Incline

They are far better maintained, and operated as part of the city's public transit system.

Luc12y ago

If you like this kind of stuff, check out Low-tech Magazine. Here's their article on aerial ropeways: http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/01/aerial-ropeways-autom...

Their series on the mechanical transmission of power is great: http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2013/01/mechanical-transmissi...

Lucy_karpova12y ago

When reading the title: Stalin's ropes I was expecting something more cruel and dangerous like an article on prisons or tortures or something. What a relief to find out that it's about city transport, though it Is dangerous now as they haven't maintaned it well and the breaks should add the security to those ropes. I doubt if I dared to use them unless wishing for the adrenaline rush.

rotten12y ago

Low-tech Magazine did a good article on these sorts of transportation systems a couple of years ago: http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/01/aerial-ropeways-autom...

notdrunkatall12y ago

That last picture is fantastic!

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

32 comments

27 comments · 11 top-level

chiph12y ago· 4 in thread

[1] http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/11/forget-subw...

ochekurishvili12y ago

We do have air conditioned cabins in the capital - Tbilisi :) http://mail.civil.ge/eng/category.php?id=87&size=wide&galler...

look_lookatme12y ago

There's a really nice discussion in the comments of that post.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/11/forget-subw...

zrail12y ago

If I remember right the cable tram in Portland Oregon is air conditioned. I think they just run power through the cable.

pavel_lishin12y ago

Interesting that they compare the cost of roadways to the cost of light rail/subway, but don't mention what the potential cost-per-mile of a gondola system would be.

sneak12y ago· 4 in thread

Is this a metaphor for the current state of web development?

w-m12y ago

If currently produced code would keep on running for 59 years without major incidents (just a new coat of paint every decade or so), that would be amazing.

mcphage12y ago

Well, one major incident, that killed 20 people. But still! A step up!

1 more reply

golergka12y ago

I didn't notice any rails in there.

ochekurishvili12y ago

Yes, there is a company operated rail link specially developed for manganese transportation to the nearest plant.

Note: I'm from Georgia.

1 more reply

JonSkeptic12y ago· 3 in thread

This is really cool and incredibly dangerous:

cynwoody12y ago

†http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalese_cable_car_disaster_(19...

tacticus12y ago

With the pilots getting away with it.

dllthomas12y ago

Is that better or worse than cars on a windy mountain road?

Samuel_Michon12y ago· 2 in thread

Well, it certainly wasn’t thanks to regular maintenance. Honestly, why is everything from the Soviet era just left to rot?

steve1912y ago

Even just a fresh coat of paint would prevent those tram cabins from rusting. Even the mining company, who I assume has cash, does not bother.

dimkar12y ago

1 more reply

privong12y ago· 2 in thread

Side comment: I hadn't noticed that one could use j/k to navigate the photos; whoever put the photo page design together was presumably a vi user?

dllthomas12y ago

Or played too much rogue/hack once upon a time?

ImprovedSilence12y ago

or used something like google reader or another RSS reader that used j/k to navigate items.

1 more reply

thex8612y ago· 1 in thread

I love the "In Focus" by The Atlantic. There are always mesmerizing and capture the beauty of the subject being talked about. And also, wow - keyboard navigation! Yes!

subsystem12y ago

The Big Picture by the Boston Globe is similar.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/

akgerber12y ago

They are far better maintained, and operated as part of the city's public transit system.

Luc12y ago

If you like this kind of stuff, check out Low-tech Magazine. Here's their article on aerial ropeways: http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/01/aerial-ropeways-autom...

Their series on the mechanical transmission of power is great: http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2013/01/mechanical-transmissi...

Lucy_karpova12y ago

rotten12y ago

Low-tech Magazine did a good article on these sorts of transportation systems a couple of years ago: http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/01/aerial-ropeways-autom...

notdrunkatall12y ago

That last picture is fantastic!

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse