First t-bar lift

Nostalgics still love them today: the T-shaped, orange and black ski lift bars that for decades provided access to Switzerland's ski paradises. Many of them still exist - but modern technology, the comfort requirements of snow sports enthusiasts and more efficient spatial policy are decimating them more and more every year. What many people don't know: The first T-bar ski lift in the world and at the same time the first ski lift in Switzerland ran on the Bolgen in Davos.

At the end of the 1920s, a study by the Davos ski school showed that ski students only spent six minutes skiing per lesson. The rest of the time was spent climbing to the start. Zurich engineer Ernst Gustav Constam wanted to remedy this problem. The passionate skier subsequently developed a tow rope system with a haulage rope. In 1930, Constam registered his invention with the patent office, and four years later he found a sponsor in the local hotelier and farmer Leonhard (known as Lieni) Fopp, who was interested in building such a tow rope on his property. The Bolgenlift was finally put into operation on December 24, 1934. Its data sheet: 270 meters long, 60 meters height difference, J-shaped single bar, valley station with a 24 hp electric drive, five intermediate supports and an upper deflection station.

After the first season, the Bolgenlift had already transported 70,000 skiers - a complete success. The transport capacity was then doubled - the young ski instructor Jack Ettinger came up with the idea: He suggested replacing the J-shaped single bars with T-shaped double bars. Constam, who immediately liked this suggestion, had the Bolgenlift converted to double bars. Constam T-bar lifts soon followed in St. Moritz, Mürren and France. "Constam" became the most widely used ski lift system. More information on the history of ski lifts and cable car history in Europe can be found under Cable Car Nostalgia.