Lutsen Gondy Cars (cabins?) for Sale

rickbolger

They call them cars?   I always thought they were called cabins.  Maybe a midwest thing, like soda vs. pop.  I suppose if you buy one, you can call it whatever you want.

Anyway, here’s the link

<p style=“margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: none; zoom: 1; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important;”>From their site:<p style=“font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: none; zoom: 1; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important;”>Lutsen Mountains is selling its iconic red gondola cars that have been a symbol of Lutsen for the past 25 years. Here is what you need to know in order to take home a piece of Lutsen Mountains history. We have received a lot of interest in these items due to their iconic and nostalgic nature; we expect them to sell out quickly.

Lutsen Mountains has 23 gondola cars for sale.

The sale will start at noon on November 30th and gondola cars will be priced at $1200 each. On December 7th the price on remaining inventory becomes $1000. On December 14th the price on any remaining inventory will be $800 until they are gone.

<p style=“font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: none; zoom: 1; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important;”><p style=“font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: none; zoom: 1; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important;”>Rules: Purchases must be made online below. Payment must be made at the time of purchase. Items are sold as-is, where-is, and will be available for pick up on a first-come-first-served basis. You may not purchase a particular cabin, and the sooner you pick up your cabin, the more you will have to choose from. Items must be picked up within 30 days of purchase.<p style=“font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: none; zoom: 1; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important;”>An appointment must be made to schedule a pick-up time. Pick up times times will be Monday - Saturday between 8:30 and 3:30. Upon arrival check in at the Eagle Ridge Registration Office.<p style=“font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: none; zoom: 1; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important;”>Purchasers are responsible for their own loading and hauling of the items. Cabins weigh about 300 lbs. You will need a pick-up truck or trailer and you will need 4 or more adults to load your cabin.

ciscokid

I got mine early from down under

rickbolger

I can’t take it any more.

I didn’t bother with the first because I don’t upside down vs. rightside up matters with that one

JMaul

I’d buy one if I didn’t spend all my money on beer…..

210

I want to buy one, but I am a little concerned about the logistics.  I live in Rhode Island and would fly out to Duluth and rent a truck, but I would need three other guys to help me load it.  Are there any SJ readers in the Lutsen area that could give me a hand loading the cabin onto a pick-up truck?  Of course I would compensate these individuals for their efforts.

210

BTW, I’m sure that most of you know this, but these are the original gondola cabins from Loon.

joshua_segal

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“210”>I want to buy one, but I am a little concerned about the logistics.  I live in Rhode Island and would fly out to Duluth and rent a truck, but I would need three other guys to help me load it.  Are there any SJ readers in the Lutsen area that could give me a hand loading the cabin onto a pick-up truck?  Of course I would compensate these individuals for their efforts.</blockquote>

My suspicion is that it would be far cheaper for you to hire someone to pick it up and have it sent by a shipping company.  By the time you got done with the one-way rental and the airplane ticket, your’re going to spend close to $3K for that car!

210

Thanks, Joshua.  I agree with your suggestion (and with the high cost).  Do you have any idea how I could hire someone to do this?  I would probably still fly out there (using FF miles to keep down the cost) to select a cabin and assist them, but it would be great if they could select it and ship it on their own.  Thanks!  BTW, I have been looking for a cabin like this for years and unfortunately there are rarely any for sale in the New England area where I can just drive my own truck and pick it up.  This one has a nice classic look and it was originally from our area.

joshua_segal

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“210”>Thanks, Joshua.  I agree with your suggestion (and with the high cost).  Do you have any idea how I could hire someone to do this?  I would probably still fly out there (using FF miles to keep down the cost) to select a cabin and assist them, but it would be great if they could select it and ship it on their own.  Thanks!  BTW, I have been looking for a cabin like this for years and unfortunately there are rarely any for sale in the New England area where I can just drive my own truck and pick it up.  This one has a nice classic look and it was originally from our area.</blockquote>

I would  google on “Freight Shippers, Lutsen, MN”.  Alternatively, if there is someone on this forum who might be willing to take care of selecting a car and finding a shipper, giving that person $500 for the effort would probably save you a lot of time and a lot of money - and be a generous hourly pay for doing the job.  If no one on the web-site is willing, I’d contact the ski school director (by telephone) and ask if he has a conscientious instructor who could use some extra money.

210

Thank you for your good advice.  I did google shippers in the Lutsen/Duluth and I put out a request for bids on uShip.com.  In addition I contacted a local RI shipping company to see if they can remotely arrange the pickup and deliver for me.  If the process can be arranged remotely and I can meet them there to select a cabin, that would be my first choice, as I have the time and the frequent flier miles.  In a few moments I will post a request on this forum to see if anyone in the Lutsen/Duluth area is interested making some $$ and helping out.  Your idea of calling the ski school director is excellent – a win/win for all concerned parties.  Thanks!

210

Fortunately I went online and bought one right at 12:00 (Central Time), as they sold out in six minutes!  We flew to Duluth, rented a car, drove to the maintenance yard at Lutsen, met a trucker for hire that I found on uShip.com and loaded the cabin onto his truck with the help of a two other guys who were there picking up their gondolas.  We were able to select from about 10-12 of the remaining gondola cabins in various conditions — most had some flaws — you just had to pick the one that had the least major flaws.  I would have skied while we were there, but they don’t open until this weekend and there wasn’t that much snow either.  The guys from Doppelmayr were still finishing installing the new 8-person gondola which will increase their uphill capacity from 300/hr to 2400/hr.  We flew home the next day and the guy will deliver my gondola this weekend.  I think that it was a smart move hiring a professional instead of driving my truck to Minnesota or renting a one-way uHaul truck in Duluth, as the driver secured the gondola in his truck much better than I could have.  It would not have been a pretty site seeing the gondola bowling down a highway somewhere in the midwest.  I’m still not sure what I am going to do with it, but I’ve got a couple of ideas…  I will take and post a few more photos when it arrives.

210

Here is the picture that I forgot to attach…

ciscokid

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“210”>BTW, I’m sure that most of you know this, but these are the original gondola cabins from Loon.</blockquote>

Congrats Glad it worked out

joshua_segal

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“ciscokid”><blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“210”>BTW, I’m sure that most of you know this, but these are the original gondola cabins from Loon.</blockquote>

Congrats Glad it worked out</blockquote>

Post a photo when you have it installed at its new home!

rickbolger

hey that’s great, congratulations on your gondy!

bousquet19

Hey 210, you accomplished what many of only dream about (or threaten our spouses with): getting an old gondola car! 

Have you had a chance to shine it up and put it on display?  Hope you’ll post some photos.

Woody

210

Unfortunately I don’t really have a good place for the gondola at my current house.  I am probably moving in the next year, so in the meantime it is living in my garage next to a few other ski related toys that still haven’t found a place in my house (other than the garage)…

Chuckstah

Loon has this fully restored original cabin on display in the gondola building as part of a their 50th anniversary celebration. I don’t know if it’s from Lutsen or if it’s one they kept. I took these pics yesterday after a dreary foggy day of skiing.