The Sandia Peak Tramway is located adjacent to Albuquerque

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...

, New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It stretches from the northeast edge of the city to the crestline of the Sandia Mountains

Sandia Mountains

The Sandia Mountains name posu gai hoo-oo, "where water slides down arroyo") are a mountain range located in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, immediately to the east of the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The range is largely within the Cibola National...

 and has the world's third longest single span

Span (architecture)

Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...

.

History

Bell Engineering of Lucerne

Lucerne

Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, constructed the tramway in what they considered their most difficult tramway construction project, primarily because of the steep and rocky terrain. Entering service on May 7, 1966, the tram makes 10,500 trips per year. The tram is a type known as a "double reversible jigback aerial tramway," where "jigback" means that as one tram car is ascending, the other is descending. Its two cars are capable of carrying 50 passengers each and have numerous safety and backup systems, such as multiple emergency braking systems and a grounding system that ensures the safety of passengers in the event of a lightning strike. New tram cars were installed in 1986, and new track cables in 2009.

Description

Sandia Peak Tramway has the longest single section. The Gondelbahn Grindelwald-Männlichen

Gondelbahn Grindelwald-Männlichen

The Gondelbahn Grindelwald-Männlichen is a gondola cable car linking Grindelwald with Männlichen. It is the third longest passenger-carrying gondola lift in the world.-History:*1977 Company was founded....

 has two sections of some 3.7 mi (6 km) in the aggregate. The Sandia Peak Tram had the third longest span prior to the Peak 2 Peak Gondola

Peak 2 Peak Gondola

The Peak 2 Peak Gondola is a tri-cable gondola lift located in Whistler, British Columbia that links Whistler Mountain's Roundhouse Lodge with Blackcomb Mountain's Rendezvous Restaurant. It is the first lift to join the two side-by-side mountains...

 (1.88 mi) and the Kitzbühel 3S Aerial Tramway (1.56 mi). There is also the Norsjö aerial tramway

Norsjö aerial tramway

Norsjö aerial tramway is a 13.2 kilometre long aerial tramway between Örträsk and Mensträsk in the Norsjö Municipality in Sweden.Norsjö aerial tramway went in service for passenger traffic in 1989 as a tourist attraction...

 (8.2 mi / 13,2 km), a section of a former ropeway conveyor

Ropeway conveyor

A ropeway conveyor or material ropeway is essentially a subtype of gondola lift, from which containers for goods rather than passenger cars are suspended....

 converted to passenger transport. The tramway ascends the steep western side of the highest portion of the Sandia Mountains, passing close to dramatic cliff

Cliff

In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...

s and pinnacle

Pinnacle

A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...

s, from a base elevation of 6559 feet (1,999 m) to a top elevation of 10378 feet (3,163 m). A trip up the mountain takes fifteen minutes to ascend 3819 ft (1,164 m), and the normal operating speed of the tram is 12 miles per hour (5.4 m/s) . Approximately four "flights" leave every hour from the base and top departure stations. The view from the tram includes all of Albuquerque and roughly 11,000 square miles (28,000 square kilometers) of the New Mexico countryside.

The tramway has just two support towers. The first tower, which is 232 feet (70.7 m) tall, is situated at an elevation of 7010 feet (2,137 m) above sea level and built as an inclined tower with an inclination angle of 18 degrees. The second, just 80 feet (24.4 m) tall, is situated at the end of a major spur of the mountains at an elevation of 8750 ft (2,667 m) and was built by helicopter aid.

The longest span is between the second tower and the top terminal. This span is the third longest clear tramway span in the world, at a length of 7720 feet (2,353 m). Mid-span, the cables are 900 ft (274 m) above the mountainside. This span passes over Domingo Baca Canyon, part of which is referred to as TWA

Twa

The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....

 Canyon. This is the site of the crash of TWA Flight 260

TWA Flight 260

TWA Flight 260 was the Trans World Airlines designation for a flight from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Santa Fe, New Mexico in the 1950s. On February 19, 1955, the 40 passenger, Martin 4-0-4 prop plane used by TWA for that route crashed into the Sandia Mountains...

 on February 19, 1955, in which the lives of all 16 passengers and crew were lost. While much of the wreckage was removed during construction of the tramway, some still remains on the canyon floor and may be visible to riders of the tram.

Activities on top

At the top of Sandia Peak there are many year-round recreational options. The High Finance Restaurant is directly adjacent to the top tram terminal and offers scenic views. Many Forest Service

United States Forest Service

The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...

 trails offer recreational hiking

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

, backpacking

Backpacking (wilderness)

Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...

 and nature hikes to visitors. Additionally, the tram terminal is located at the top of Sandia Peak Ski Area which is on the opposite side of the mountain from the tramway and the city. Skiing

Skiing

Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....

 is available in the wintertime, and during the summer over 26 miles (41.8 km) of mountain biking

Mountain biking

Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...

trails are available. The bikes cannot be brought on tram cars. There is no public transportation in this area of Albuquerque; the tram is only accessible by taxi or personal vehicle.

External links

• Sandia Peak Tramway official site
• Sandia Peak Ski Area
• High Finance Restaurant
• Sandiago's Mexican Grill At The Tram
• TWA Canyon
• An impressive short movie about this tramway, mountain and Albuquerque