Funicular
From Free net encyclopedia
EncMstr (Talk | contribs)
remove redundant material present in linked articles; add missing conversions
Next diff →
Current revision
Image:Angels Flight.jpg Image:Duquesne incline.jpg Image:Luz-fun.jpg
A funicular, also called funicular railway, inclined railway, inclined plane, or, in the United Kingdom, a cliff railway, is a system of transport in which cables attached to a tram-like vehicle on rails move it up and down a very steep slope.
The word "funicular" derives from the Latin funiculus (thin rope), a diminutive of funis (rope).
Contents |
Function
In most funiculars, two cars at the end of a cable go alternately up and down on either two tracks or one track which splits and rejoins in the middle. However, there are differences in funicular layout. In some cases, such as on the Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, there are separate parallel tracks and platforms for each vehicle; the carriages' flanged wheels resemble those of standard railway vehicles. In the case of the Angels Flight funicular in Los Angeles, which has a three-rail gantlet track configuration, the two cars share a central rail, but each has its own outside rail, except for the passing segment, where the central rail splits into two. Angels Flight also differs from most funiculars in that it uses separate cables for the two vehicles, linked together with a gear, rather than the same cable, attached to a vehicle at each end.
However, most funiculars have a two-rail configuration at the top and bottom, with a passing section halfway along the track where the two rails split into four. In such a setup, the gaps in the inside rails for the passing segment and cable path mean that only the outside rail is the guide rail for each car. Unlike standard railways, where each carriage wheel has a flange on the inside to guide it along the rail, a funicular carriage has asymmetrical wheels. Those on the outside have flanges on both sides, keeping them aligned with the outer rail and holding each car in position. In contrast, the inside wheel is typically flat, and only rests on top of the opposite rail; it thus supports the car's weight, but does not guide it. This allows the wheel to pass over the center section, where it passes the other vehicle and, going up, crosses the cable holding the other car.
Use of funiculars
Funiculars are also called trams or cable cars in many places. Typically the steepness of the track does not vary very much, which differentiates the funicular from a cable railway. In addition, the cars of a funicular are usually permanently attached at the end(s) of the cable whereas the cars on a cable railway can usually detach and reattach to the cable during normal operation. The vehicle is usually specially designed for the particular inclination, so that seats and/or floors remain roughly horizontal.
Some urban funiculars are associated with a city's transit system. For example, the Montmartre funicular in Paris and the Vallvidrera and Montjuïc funiculars in Barcelona are fare-integrated with those cities' metro systems. The Naples metro in Italy is integrated with three high-capacity funiculars.
Funiculars are often used to ascend mountains. Many cities have short funiculars on hills or cliffs, such as the Montmartre funicular in Paris, or those in the English seaside resort of Scarborough. The Great Orme Tramway in Llandudno, Wales is a street funicular operating on a public road.
History
The earliest such railways were water-driven, allowing barge traffic of canals to ascend and descend steep hills. They were used primarily in the early 19th century, especially during the height of the canal-building era in the 1830s in the United States.
Such railways operated by allowing water in feeder canals at the top of the plane to drive a turbine, raising or lowering a canal barge along a steep slope. Along level sections, the railroads essentially operated as standard towpath canals, with the barges typically drawn by horse or mule.
Examples of hydropower inclined plane railroads in the United States included the Allegheny Portage Railroad, part of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, built in 1834 with ten planes as the first railroad across the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. Similarly, the Morris Canal in New Jersey connected the Delaware River with the Passaic River using 23 planes, as well as a series of locks along the gentler gradients.
One of the most famous funiculars of its time was the Great Incline of the Mount Lowe Railway in Altadena, California, combining a funicular raising passengers 2,800 feet (850 meters) up the side of Mount Echo (elev. 3500 ft or 1050 m) with two electric traction, narrow-gaged trolley systems on either end. A particular feature of the Great Incline was that it was the first of the three-railed funiculars borne out of the need to reduce the amount of wide grading on the incline. The Mount Lowe Railway was opened on July 4, 1893. By 1902 it was operated by Pacific Electric Railway. It ran along tracks built around the edges of the foothills arriving at a final destination Ye Alpine Tavern, only 1,100 ft (330 m) from the Mount Lowe summit. In 1936 the last of the standing buildings, the Tavern, was burned down, but the line was not abandoned until after the deluge of 1938.
The funicular on Mount Vesuvius inspired the song Funiculì Funiculà written in 1880. That funicular was wrecked repeatedly by volcanic eruptions and finally abandoned after the eruption of 1944.
Funiculars of the world
The world's steepest passenger railway is claimed as the Katoomba Scenic Railway, a funicular down the wall of the Jamison Valley near Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia, with maximum grade of 122% (that is, 52° from horizontal). [1]
The Great Incline of the Mount Lowe Railway (above) had multiple grades with cars that adjusted to the variations. The gentlest grade was 48%. The steepest was 62%.
Shortest funicular in the world is in Zagreb, Croatia. Track length is 66 meters (217 feet) with an elevation difference of 30 meters (98 feet).
Gallery
 Dockside funicular at Chongqing |
 These adjust for varying water levels |
 The mis-titled Wellington Cable Car, Wellington |
|
External links
See also
- Canal inclined plane
- Kaprun disaster
- Public transport
- Skiing
- Cog railway
- Gravity railroad
- List of funiculars
- List of funiculars in the United Kingdom
- List of funiculars in Switzerlandca:Funicular
cs:Pozemní lanová dráha de:Standseilbahn es:Funicular fr:Funiculaire it:Funicolare lt:Funikulierius nl:Kabeltrein ru:Фуникулёр sv:Bergbana zh:纜索鐵路