Cargo cable car (long range transportation)

Comments: 12

• 29 Sep, '21
  LodeRunner

  Would this sit with, before, or after T1 belts? Would be nice to use this to move material from the mining areas to central storage from which belts deliver to machinery.

  Like
• 04 Oct, '21
  PTTG

  I think there's a strong argument for something like this or narrow-gauge rail. There are a lot of processes that want a consistent shuttling approach, especially over rough terrain.

  Like 3
• 26 Apr, '22
  Field Command

  I could see this to be useful as an option from the bottom of a quarry to a hopper at the top to dispense dry materials to trucks, instead of driving all the way to the bottom of the quarry and get directly loaded by the excavator that cost maintenance, fuel and time. It could also work as a buffer that may hold 2 or 3 trucks worth of material before it comes to a halt. And it would save on maintenance, fuel and time.

  Like 1
• 08 Jun, '22
  Darkaiser

  There are plenty of real-life examples of these so I'm for it. However, it should be expensive enough to set up that it won't be used lightly. If you just want to level off a hilltop it wouldn't be worth it but if you want to really carve out a mountain, or move cargo a LONG way, then it would be perfect. Should cost a bit of electricity to run and I see it as starting with a basic number of ore cars (like four) but then you could add more.

  Like 2
• 27 Jun, '22
  Angrytreefrog

  This could be a great alternative to people asking for trains. Something that sits high enough that the excavators, tree cutters, and late game vehicles can go under. could move resources without cluttering the ground so much like having to run a pipe all the way across the island does.

  Like 3
• 04 Jul, '22
  Mark

  I guess it would be neat, but it's not done IRL all that often (or ever that I've seen) due to capacity constraints, you don't see mines moving 500kt a day using cable cars.

  Like
• 09 Sep, '22
  JDPlays

  They are not used so much nowadays I think this is due to more underground mining, and less 'Island levelling'
  After reading about them a bit on the main Wiki article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material_ropeway
  they were used extensively in the 1900s
  After some reading, depending on the length number of carts, and size of carts etc they can move a lot of materials
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saline_Valley_salt_tram
  'The tram moved the buckets at 5.5 mph (8.9 km/h); 20 tons of salt could be moved in an hour'
  Or this Tom Scott video 300 tons a day
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RiYXI1Tfu4
  
  I was always thinking down hill only, unloading stations would be reasonably expensive to place, and intermediate towers would be quick and cheap to throw together and move to new spots, and just as importantly wouldn't block traffic including excavators, so bring items down to the coast would be quick and effective to be dumped from that location onwards

  Like 2
• 01 Oct, '22
  Cody Searl

  This should be able to all items including liquids.
  
  The idea of a more efficient fast long haul train/cable car is perfect. This will relieve demands on trucks.

  Like 1
• 14 Oct, '22
  VernonJv

  This could be great for the crater map :-)

  Like 1
• 03 Dec, '22
  Jan-Hendrik

  well for an industry game this will be great! the more industrial features the better!

  Like
• 28 Jul, '23
  AqueousOrca3148

  as an early game option like maybe t1 or t2 construction there is only a downhill option but once you get to t3 or t4 construction you get a motorized version that costs something 1 mw per two cars or something

  Like
• 23 Nov, '23
  Adam

  Where belts have a max height of 3, this could have a max height of 5 or 6 allowing large vehicles to pass underneath or even small buildings.

  Like 1