Weight (carriage, hanger and cabin) loaded:13,600lb 6,200kgĬapacity of each car: Approx. Weight (carriage, hanger and cabin) empty:22,000lb 10,000kg The first tower is the tallest at approximately 227ftĬar dimensions: 8ft high inside18ft in diameter with the last car down at 9:45 p.m.Įlevation of lower terminal (Valley Station): 2,643ft 806mĮlevation of upper terminal (Mountain Station): 8,516ft 2597mĪctual length traveled along cables:12,780ft 3,895m The maximum span between towers is 3,455′ between Towers 3 and 4.ĭepartures: Cars depart at least every half hour from 10 a.m., Monday-Friday 8 a.m. The weight of steel in the five towers totals 263 tons the weight of the 11 cables totals 330 tons. The first tower is the tallest at 214′ high Tower Number Four is the shortest at 56 1/2′ high. TRAM Basic Technical Facts: Five towers support four 1-7/8″ steel cables as well as four hauling cables, two auxiliary cables and a communications cable. TRAM Distanced Traveled: Approximately 12,800′ with vertical ascent of 5,873′ – 15 minutes travel time one way. On a clear day, it is possible to see Las Vegas.Ĭapacity: Two 80-passenger enclosed rotating carsĮlevation: Valley Station – 2,643′ / Mountain Station – 8,516′ It is forty degrees colder at the top and a completely different universe as you soar through four different temperate zones that is analogous to traveling from Africa to Alaska! At the summit you will find great hiking, horse back riding, (in winter, cross country skiing) and, of course, some of the most incredible views on earth. Both stations are still in operation as is the restaurant in the Mountain Station-the perfect spot to sit back and take in the views after a long hike in the mountains.Ĭan’t get enough of MCM Palm Springs architecture? Don’t miss Atomic Ranch at Modernism Week! Find tickets here to Atomic Ranch: Remodeled Marvels book event here and a house tour with AR and H3K here.Ĭan’t make it to Palm Springs? No worries! Pre-order a copy of our Palm Springs magazine issue here! You might also enjoy All About Breeze Blocks and Shut The Front Door: 6 MCM Doors We Love.No trip to Palm Springs is complete without a ride up the TRAM! Ascend 8,000 in the world’s largest rotating tramcars. The tramway was extensively remodeled in 2000, complete with new rotating tramcars. John Porter Clark was appointed as the coordinating architect for both station projects.
To match the surroundings, the Mountain Station has a Swiss chalet atmosphere, with large windows to view the incredible scenery. Stewart Williams designed the upper Mountain Station, located in Mount San Jacinto State Park. Frey, who was Swiss, also traveled to Switzerland to meet with experts in overhead cable carrier design and visited several operating aerial tramways in the country to learn more about their technical aspects.Į. Because of a shallow stream on the site, Frey and Chambers designed the Valley Station as a covered bridge with structural trusses for the walls. The Valley Station portion of the project, where passengers would first enter and eventually board the tramcar, was designed by Albert Frey and Robson Chambers. The steel carrier cable that would carry the passenger cars consists of five supporting towers, with four of them erected by helicopter to airlift both crews and materials.
With many setbacks, ranging from political roadblocks to war, the project didn’t begin to take form until 1961. Electrical engineer Francis Crocker first envisioned the concept in 1935 when he wanted to escape the heat by way of quick transport into the mountains. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was a long time in the making. The journey transports you over 5,800 feet in elevation to temperatures that are roughly 30 degrees cooler than the desert below. It’s quite a remarkable experience to travel from the hot and sun-soaked Palm Springs Valley up to the cool alpine climate of the San Jacinto mountains by way of a 10-minute tramcar ride.