Editing Cable transport (section)

=== Early ski lifts ===
The first surface lift was built in 1908 by German [[Robert Winterhalder]] in [[Schollach (Germany)|Schollach]]/[[Eisenbach]], [[Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald|Hochschwarzwald]] and started operations February 14, 1908.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hochschwarzwald.de/Eisenbach/1.-Skilift-der-Welt-in-Schollach-entdecken|title=Hochschwarzwald.de: 1. Skilift der Welt in Schollach entdecken (German)|website=hochschwarzwald.de}}</ref> 

A steam-powered toboggan tow, {{convert|950|ft}} in length, was built in [[Truckee, California]], in 1910.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Richards|first1=Gordon|title=HILLTOP WINTER SPORTS AREA HISTORY|url=http://truckeehistory.org/historyArticles/history34.htm|website=Truckee Donner Historical Society, Inc|access-date=16 September 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203041504/http://truckeehistory.org/historyArticles/history34.htm|archive-date=3 December 2010}}</ref> The first skier-specific tow in North America was apparently installed in 1933 by Alec Foster at [[Prévost, Quebec|Shawbridge]] in the [[Laurentides|Laurentians]] outside [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]].<ref>[http://skiinghistory.org/history/timeline-important-ski-history-dates ISHA resources] ''Timeline of Important Ski History Dates''</ref>

The modern J-bar and T-bar mechanism was invented in 1934 by the Swiss engineer Ernst Constam,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Constam, Ernst|url=https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/articles/031325/2015-02-11/|access-date=2021-03-20|website=hls-dhs-dss.ch|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Espacenet – AT145894B Schleppseilanlage für Skiläufer und Fußgänger.|url=https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/004402110/publication/AT145894B?q=AT145894B|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-20|website=European Patent Office|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107012128/https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/004402110/publication/AT145894B?q=AT145894B |archive-date=2021-11-07 }}</ref> with the first lift installed in [[Davos|Davos, Switzerland]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The oldest ski lift in the world|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/going-up_the-oldest-ski-lift-in-the-world/41246122|access-date=2021-03-20|website=SWI swissinfo.ch|date=9 February 2015 |language=en}}</ref> 

The first chairlift was developed by [[James Michael Curran|James Curran]] in 1936. The co-owner of the [[Union Pacific Railroad]], [[William Averell Harriman]] owned America's first ski resort, [[Sun Valley, Idaho]]. He asked his design office to tackle the problem of lifting skiers to the top of the resort. Curran, a Union Pacific bridge designer, adapted a cable hoist he had designed for loading bananas in [[Honduras]] to create the first [[ski lift]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/magazine/who-made-that-ski-lift.html |title=Who Made That Ski Lift |newspaper=New York Times |date=February 21, 2014 |last=Engber |first=Daniel}}</ref>