Fell mountain railway system
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Image:Snaefell Mountain Railway car no 4 on mountain.jpg The Fell mountain railway system or Fell incline railway system is a type of Mountain railway system that employs a raised centre rail between the two main rails to provide extra traction and braking on steep grade sections. Trains are propelled or braked (or both) by wheels pressed horizontally on to the centre rail, as well as by the standard vertical running wheels. These horizontal wheels may be fitted to a specially designed Fell locomotive, or to self-propelled railcars.
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History
The Fell incline railway system was designed, developed and patented by British engineer John Barraclough Fell. The first test application was alongside the Cromford and High Peak Railway's cable hauled incline at Whaley Bridge in 1863 and 1864.
These tests attracted the attention of the French Government, who conducted their own tests on the slopes of Mont Cenis in 1865. As a result of these tests, the Mont Cenis Pass Railway was built to provide a temporary connection between France and Italy whilst the tunnel under the alpine pass was being completed.
Several other Fell mountain railways were subsequently built, as described below.
A list of Fell mountain railways
The following railways have used the Fell system. Of these, the only one still in operation is the Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man. The only surviving Fell locomotive, New Zealand Government Railways H 199, is preserved at the Fell Engine Museum, Featherston, New Zealand, near the track of the Rimutaka Incline.
- The Cantagallo Railway in Brazil was built re-using some of the equipment from the Mont Cenis Pass Railway, and continued in operation until the 1960s.
- The Chemin de Fer du Puy de Dôme at Clermont Ferrand in France was opened in 1907 and closed in 1926, using a modified version of the Fell system in which compressed air was used to force the wheels against the centre rail.
- The Mont Cenis Pass Railway on the borders of France and Italy was 48 miles long and ran from 1868 until superseded by the tunnel under the pass in 1871.
- The Rewanui Incline on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island had a Fell rail for braking purposes from opening in 1914 to [1965]]. The line closed in 1985.
- The Rimutaka Incline near Featherston in New Zealand opened in 1878 and closed in 1955.
- The Roa Incline on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island had a Fell rail for braking purposes from opening in 1909 until closure in [1965]].
- The Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man was opened in 1895 and is still in use. This line uses electric railcars, and the centre rail is used for braking purposes only.
- This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Related patents
The following patents relating to the Fell incline railway system were lodged with the British Patent Office by J.B.Fell:
See also
External links
- Fell Centre Rail - Describes with pictures how the Fell system works.
References
- Manx Electric, ISBN 1-872524-52-4, by Mike Goodwyn, published by Platform 5 Publishing Ltd. in 1993.
- The Mont Cenis Fell Railway, ISBN 0-906294-41-X, by P. J. G. Ransom, published by Truro: Twelveheads Press, 1999.