###### Abstract  
This article presents an experimental approach to fatigue testing of cableway gondolas, carried out in accordance with the EN 13796-3 standard. Due to the limitations of the aforementioned regulations and the lack of clarity in their content, when designing and conducting fatigue tests of gondolas, there is a need to find solutions that meet the normative requirements, while ensuring the cost-effectiveness of the tests. The work presents the method of loading, receiving the degrees of freedom, the methodology of gondola strength verification and additional suggestions allowing for the satisfactory preparation of a plan of fatigue tests and their implementation. The paper shows problems and ways to solve it, what may occur during cableway gondolas fatigue test design. In addition, the work contains an extensive description and methodology for conducting research verifying the elastic and permanent deformation of the structure, using digital image correlation (DIC). The results obtained by using this method make it possible to unambiguously determine the degree of structure deformation while maintaining high accuracy and repeatability of measurements at many points of the structure. Following the presented tests, it was possible to correctly carry out fatigue tests of the nacelle in a satisfactory time (about 8 weeks), perform 5 million load cycles and verify the integrity of the structure. The presented results show the effectiveness of the adopted design assumptions and indicate the process that guarantees the correctness of the conducted fatigue tests. The prepared study may be the basis for further full-scale fatigue tests. The research object is a 6-seater gondola designed by TRANSSYSTEM S.A.  
gondola; cableways; fatigue; certification tests; EN 13796-3 202  
account the strength of the load-bearing ropes [11; 12] and intermediate elements [13]. Rope damage can cause an accident [14]. About the testing of trolleys, it is important to select the appropriate methods of connecting elements (welding, riveting, etc.) and their fatigue life [15; 16; 17; 18; 19]. Concerning the wagons and the vehicles themselves, risk management in the event of overloading is introduced [6], which also translates into the level of safety factors. Due to the limited information contained in the normative documents [3; 4; 5], it is necessary to make several decisions based on experience and interpretation of the regulations. The biggest problems in designing and carrying out fatigue tests of cableway gondolas are:  
* method of attachment;
* the method of receiving the degrees of freedom;
* method of load distribution on the ground;
* a method of smoothly generating a sinusoidal load of a satisfactory frequency;
* correct verification of deformation of structures with relatively large dimensions. An important aspect of the conducted research is an effective, precise, and repeatable measurement of structural deformation [20]. As already mentioned, according to the standard, the construction should be verified every \(500,000\) load cycle. One of the best tools for this type of activity is digital image correlation (DIC), which is based on a series of photos and spatial shift of specific points (from a cloud of points) in space during the study [21], which is recorded by the software for processing the results. The accuracy of such systems depends on the dimensions of the tested object [22; 23] and in the case of small objects it reaches values below \(1\) um (the resolution of the measuring system has a large impact). These systems are based on a similar principle of operation as 3D scanners. The dissemination of the aforementioned research method also results from the development of optical and digital technologies [23; 24], which, combined with the development of appropriate software, allows for obtaining and processing a large number of results. In the case of fatigue tests of relatively large elements, it is crucial to accurately measure the permanent deformations of the structure.