Katoomba Site Visit

Notes:

BRIEF IDEAS

· Possible concept = explore reverse engineering

· Possible concept = Interpreting and publicising the environment

· Look into tower structure = explore construction and deconstruction

CLIENT NEEDS/WANTS

· Previous simulation educated people about how the ropeway fell apart

· PROBLEM: old simulation wouldn’t run live off the web, but ran once downloaded

· Extension on what was already done, but with the bugs removed

· Used as an interpretation piece to be used in their web

· Next step = make it interactive

· Address how to make the interactive/interpretive accessible too = how to get the software/technology

· Novelty factor and creative use of the technology

· What can be done with the final product?

· Community is very interested in photographs and what happened

· To educate people who know nothing about the ropeway

HISTORY

· Remains = tension pits

· Tension pit at the bottom of the valley, still and unknown

· Suspended bolt, developed app and register national heritage

· The cable way is just one part of what is down there, in the bottom of the valley lies a big history of coal and shale mining in AUS

· Before the ropeway failed, they had a lot of issues with it. They were trying to it and had previously replaced part of the ropeway with solid bar wire - whilst clamping

· it together the wires it gave way

· The cableway is just one part of what is down there – there is a whole history of shale and coal mining in Australia

· Still to this day it is unsure how the buckets derailed

OTHER

· Grant received to promote community awareness

· ARC grant project = in cooperates many universities

· Grant allowed for gps linking

· Previous years works was shown at a community event in February which generated excitement within the community

· App based software FAME has generated to exhibit what is down there = user friendly iPad version

· Currently developing an app to exhibit what the area was like 100years ago

· SHAWN ROSS = FAMES

· Most of the ropeway sits on national parks land and scenic world land

· ‘Blikett’ movie – international web

· POV in the bucket

· Haulage rope has a little thing called a spider and a cone

· Brackets were added afterwards to stop the rope moving up and down and lifting off

· If only one rope did the carrying and moving then there would be a lot of issues, hence the two rope system

· Difference with the old and new ropeways = the hall wheel was 18inches away, whereas the new ones are right below

· As the rope flattens over time, micro cracking occurs and the pinched parts - every time it bends the wire cracking spreads

· At the time of construction they weren’t aware of metal fatigue

· Heavier buckets were used

· Currently analysing how the buckets are deformed in order to determine how they fell off, e.g. buckets hitting one another

· Buckets were 70-80cm apart

· Rort Iron buckets made in Lypshirk Germany

· Quality control was non-existent

· The buckets haven’t rusted as they are comprised of so many components

· Moved at 2m per second

· Peter has been working in the area for over 40years

· Forks were used to stop the buckets tipping

· 800kg of shale per bucket

· Shale is compressed algae

· The area was once under water/rainforest

· Rope structure determines the amount of strands 13, 12, 6, 1

Reflection

From the information that Phillip has given us it seems prudent to re-think our outcomes for this assignment. It seems that we have taken a too conceptual approach to the task as what is necessary. The client has outlined the need to have a clean, accurate and accessible visualisation incorporated with a digital museum for public, educational and promotional use. The proposed new tower and cable-way system is too far-fetched. However, the clients have been responsive to the idea of a multi-platform outcome with a wide broadcast of the visualisation on computer and tablet format and a small scale more interactive edition on a possible Oculus platform. Obviously the client isn't in a position to set up an oculus station within the museum at this point in time, but he is intrigued by the idea and the possibly that it could have.