Aerial lift pylon

An aerial lift pylon is a pylon construction bearing the cables of an aerial lift such as an aerial tramway or gondola lift. Large pylons of aerial tramways usually consist of a steel framework construction, smaller pylons of gondola lifts are made of tubular steel. Early aerial tramways often had pylons of reinforced concrete and ropeway conveyors had timber pylons, if they were cheaper than steel pylons.

Pylons are not designed as a stopping-off point for passengers or goods, but some are designed to allow maintenance staff access to the cars. Some pylons have built-in ladders or stairs for maintenance access, and some taller examples have an elevator. The best-known and now seventh-tallest pylon is the Torre Jaume I in Barcelona. The tallest gondola lift support tower is the 214,8 m (704,7 ft) Cat Hai – Phu Long cable car which opened in june 2020. The tallest aerial tramway support tower in the world is Tower 2 of Ha Long Queen Cable Car built in 2016 which is 189 m (620 ft) tall.

Tallest pylons

Gallery

Funchal, Madeira
Pillar of the Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III, tallest aerial lift pylon in the world until 2017 when the new Zugspitze Seilbahn opened
Torre Jaume I, tallest aerial lift pylon with regular stop
A steel truss pylon for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Tubular steel pylon in Funchal
Material ropeway in Nußloch, Germany
Inclined aerial lift pylon on Genting Skyway
Pylon of the Stanserhorn-Bahn with two bearer cables and two pull cables