Riblet Tramway Company
| File:Magic mile usfs 499443.jpg The inaugural Riblet chairlift, known as the Magic Mile at Timberline, depicted in the early 1940s with Timberline Lodge visible in the background. | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1908 |
| Founders |
|
| Defunct | 2003 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Products | |
The Riblet Tramway Company, headquartered in Spokane, Washington, operated from 1908 until 2003 and was recognized as the world’s leading manufacturer of ski chairlifts during its peak.
History
Byron Christian Riblet, a civil engineer originating from Osage, Iowa, founded the company after initially engaging in railway and streetcar construction projects in Spokane. His venture into aerial tramways began in 1896 with the construction of an ore tramway at the Noble Five silver mine located in Sandon, British Columbia. Over the subsequent decade, Riblet successfully completed thirty mining tramway installations across regions including Alaska, Canada, the western United States, and South America.
In 1908, Riblet formally launched the Riblet Tramway Company in Spokane, focusing primarily on mining tramway systems. The enterprise entered the ski industry in 1938 by installing its first ski chairlift at Mount Hood, Oregon. Following Byron Riblet’s passing in 1952, the company leveraged the expanding post-World War II ski resort market by shifting its concentration toward ski lift manufacturing.
Throughout its operation, Riblet manufactured more than 400 lifts, predominantly double chairlifts, catering to clients across Washington, Oregon, California, and internationally in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Pakistan. The company held the distinction of operating the largest fleet of double chairlifts within the United States.
1974 World's Fair
At Expo '74, Riblet engineered two prominent installations: a Gondola skyride traversing Spokane Falls and the A&W SkyFloat chairlift extending over the exposition grounds.
After the fair concluded, the chairlift was relocated to Schweitzer Mountain, while the Gondola skyride remained a major feature at Riverfront Park until it was replaced in 2005.
Decline
Riblet specialized exclusively in fixed-grip lift designs, characterized by chairs that are permanently attached to the haul rope instead of detachable grips. As detachable lift systems became dominant within the industry due to their operational advantages, Riblet’s fixed-grip products lost market share. Facing diminishing demand and competitive pressures, the company announced its shutdown in early 2003.
See also
- Detachable chairlift: advanced technology succeeding fixed-grip lifts
- Magic Mile, representing Riblet’s initial chairlift installation
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- Aerial lift manufacturers
- Defunct companies based in Spokane, Washington
- Defunct manufacturing companies based in Washington (state)
- American companies established in 1908
- American companies disestablished in 2003
- Manufacturing companies established in 1908
- Manufacturing companies disestablished in 2003