The Rise of the Mechtrician

It all started with an old pickup truck, a piece of rope, a small slope, and a man with an idea to transport skiers uphill. All you had to do was make sure the truck had gas and that you turned off the key at the end of the day. That evolved into chairlifts with a couple of switches, a board full of relays and a single-speed motor controller. Chairlifts required mechanics with wrenches and electricians who could read schematics and troubleshoot electrical circuits.

Today, new lifts are as much computer as they are mechanical, with multiple safety circuits, variable speed drives, and programable logic controllers that oversee the whole operation of the lift system. Electrical training for mechanics has always been a plus, but even more so now.