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Sandia Peak Tramway. New Mexico. Courtesy: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. |
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Sandia Peak Tramway. Albuquerque, New Mexico:
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The Sandia Peak Tramway is located adjacent to Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. It stretches from the northeast edge of the city to the crestline of the Sandia Mountains and has the world's third longest single span. Bell Engineering of Lucerne, Switzerland, constructed the tramway in what they considered their most difficult tramway construction project, primarily because of the steep and rocky terrain. The Sandia Peak Tramway began public service on May 7, 1966. The tram makes about 10,500 trips per year. The tram is of 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 were installed in 2009. The tramway ascends the steep western side of the highest portion of the Sandia Mountains, passing close to dramatic cliffs and pinnacles, from a base elevation of 6,559 feet to a top elevation of 10,378 feet. A trip up the mountain takes fifteen minutes to ascend 3,819 feet, and the normal operating speed of the tram is 12 miles per hour. 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 of the New Mexico countryside. 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 trails offer recreational hiking, backpacking 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 is available in the wintertime, and during the summer over 26 miles of mountain biking trails are available. The bikes cannot be brought on tram cars. There is no public transportation in this part of Albuquerque; the tram is accessible by taxi or private vehicle. The upper station of the tramway is at a point on the main crest of the Sandia Mountains at elevation 10,378 feet, about 1.5 mies south of Sandia Crest, the high point of the range. The operators of the Tramway term this point "Sandia Peak", but this is a misnomer, as this is not an official name, and it is not a "peak" in the sense of having any topographic prominence.
Summer
MEMORIAL DAY TO LABOR DAY
Fall/Winter LABOR DAY TO MEMORIAL DAY
�9 am - 8 pm (except Tuesdays)
BALLOON FIESTA October 1-9, 2011 �9 am - 9 pm SKI SEASON
�9 am - 8 pm (except Tuesdays)
CLOSINGS FOR MAINTENANCE* Fall 2011: November 7-18, 2011 Spring 2012: April 9-20, 2012
We suggest checking for more information, that is constantly updated, at the Sandia Peak Tramway link, at the bottom of this page.
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If you are planning to visit Sandia Peak Tramway in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And if you are coming from outside of New Mexico, you could fly into nearest major airport to Albuquerque, New Mexico; which is Albuquerque International Sunport (IATA: ABQ, ICAO: KABQ, FAA LID: ABQ) is a public airport located 3 miles southeast of the central business district of Albuquerque, a city in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States. It is the largest commercial airport in the state. The airport serves Albuquerque and Santa Fe, providing regional jet service to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport), and then rent a car.
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Sandia Peak Tramway. Albuquerque, New Mexico. Courtesy: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. | Sandia Peak Tramway. Albuquerque, New Mexico. Courtesy: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. |
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