Lee cable car. Rail cable car. What is a funicular

Funiculars are not only one of the most impressive types of transport in terms of panoramic views from the windows, but also allow you to organize the transportation of people and goods along the steepest routes. We will tell you about fourteen of the most amazing lifts.

(Total 13 photos)

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1. Duquesne and Monongiela funiculars (Pittsburgh, USA)

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, travel in the Rust Belt region of Pittsburgh was carried out on inclined railroads, which, in the absence of safe regular roads, served to transport goods and residents. Today, only two of Pittsburgh's iconic cable cars are still in service. They both summit on the south side of Mount Washington. These include the super-cool 193-meter Monongiela (1870), the oldest cable car in the United States, and the 242-meter Duquesne (1877), which was restored by local residents after it closed in early 1960. Both are owned by the city of Pittsburgh, but Duquesne is operated by a nonprofit organization. Both cable cars are listed on the National Register historical places USA. Nowadays these vehicles attract quite a lot of tourists, especially the Duquesne, which leads to a small museum, a souvenir shop and observation deck at the very top of Mount Washington. Most Pittsburghers can show you many ways to admire the "Steel City." But to see it in all its glory, you will have to ride an ancient cable car at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour to climb to the top of Mount Washington. Even acrophobes can handle it.

2. Funicular "Artillery" (Valparaiso, Chile)

Those who have been to the colorful Chilean city of Valparaiso can say that without a funicular you will not be able to get to the Paseo 21 de Mayo observation deck. This crazy bohemian paradise by the sea - World Heritage UNESCO since 2003. The city has many inclined railways that go around neighborhoods located on steep slopes. Although Valparaiso has almost 30 funiculars (most of them dating back to the 1890s and early 1900s), only a small fraction of these famous "asensores" (elevators) are in active use today. Many of them have been declared national treasures. So which one should you choose? Let's look at the Artillery funicular (1893). It is not the oldest (Concepción and Cordillera were the first) and not the longest in the city (the round trip lasts only 80 seconds), but nevertheless it has become the most best place for photos in Valparaiso. Perhaps this popularity is due to its brightly painted wooden carriages or the fact that Paseo 21 de Mayo offers the most best view to the city. Unfortunately, it seems that Artillery will soon fail, but there are other alternatives besides it.

3. “Flight of Angels” (Los Angeles, USA)

Colorful and artsy, downtown Los Angeles isn't known for its cable cars, except for Angels Flight (1901), the last of the incline railways in a city that once had plenty of them. Built on a steep but short slope, it connected Hill Street and Olive Street in Bunker Hill, a central Los Angeles neighborhood. In 1969, after 68 years of service, the 90-meter funicular and its two carriages, Sinai and Olivet, were dismantled to make way for the ongoing redevelopment of the area. Almost 30 years later, in 1996, Angels Flight was finally remembered and restored near its original location. And then problems began: in 2001, as a result of an accident on the funicular, a person died and several others were injured. After an investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board determined that this was due to failures in new system transportation In 2010, when Sinai and Olivet repaired and replaced the faulty system, Angels Flight resumed operations. It was briefly taken out of service in 2011 for restoration work, and then closed again indefinitely in September 2013 after one of the carriages derailed (this time no one was killed). Meanwhile, Los Angeles has been forced to rebuild the lift again, leaving anyone wondering when the iconic railroad will welcome passengers again. After the latest closure, the Los Angeles Times published an article in which they reported the following: Angels Flight is one of the few remaining cable cars in the country and is a historical landmark in the city. In 1901, people traveled up and down for pennies. Today, a trip of one minute and four seconds is still cheap - 50 cents. As long as it's safe, let's keep driving."

4. “Carmelite” (Haifa, Israel)

While most of the cable cars on our list offer unique views as you climb up the mountainside, the Carmelite is different. This completely underground inclined railway deserves honorary title the smallest metro in the world. Carmelit is the only underground transport in Israel. The tunnel through which traffic goes is built in Mount Carmel. Its construction began in 1956, and the first passengers were accepted in 1959. From 1986 to 1992, a large-scale reconstruction was carried out, after which the funicular was opened again. The line has four cars (two for each train) and six stations. The top station "Gan A-Em" is located at an altitude of 274 meters above sea level. "Kikar-Paris" is the lower station where the depot and repair shops are located. A trip along the Carmelite from top to bottom takes about eight minutes.

5. "Flybanen" (Bergen, Norway)

The 850-metre Fløybanen funicular transports visitors to the top of Fløyen, one of the seven mountains surrounding the Norwegian city of Bergen. Many people would like this short (8 minute) trip up to the heights with three stops along the way to last forever. The views from the panoramic windows of the two carriages (blue and red) with glass ceilings are simply beyond description. If weather permits and you have enough time, be sure to rent a canoe to paddle around Skoemackerdike ("Shoemaker's Ditch"). Bring a map for your hike and stroll along forest paths or enjoy traditional Norwegian seafood dishes at a restaurant 300 meters above sea level.

6. Fourth Street Elevator (Dubuque, Iowa, USA)

The Fourth Street Elevator, also known as the Fenelon Elevator, was built because one rich guy really wanted to go home on his lunch break, but couldn't spend the entire 30 minutes riding in a horse-drawn carriage to get there every time. The home of J. C. Graves (a banker and former senator) was located at the top of a steep cliff, and in 1882 he began traveling back and forth in a kind of funicular. Although fares have increased greatly since then, the funicular is still in operation. In 1978, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

7. Central Funicular (Naples, Italy)

If you are planning to visit Italy's third largest city with its hilly landscape, be sure to take a ride on the Metropolitana di Napoli and one of the four famous funiculars - Chiaia (1889), Montesanto (1891), Central (1928) and "Mergellina" (1931) - or for everyone in turn. Due to the chaotic landscape of the city and constant congestion, most residents prefer to travel by the Central Funicular, which connects the four most important stations. This is the busiest and largest (1219 meters) inclined railway. The journey from Piazza Fuga station at Chichi Vomero to Augusteo takes just over 4 minutes. Speaking about the funiculars of Naples, it is worth mentioning the defunct (guess why) Vesuvius funicular, built in 1800.

8. "Johnstown" (Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA)

An hour and a half drive east to Cambria County Airport, you'll find "the coolest transport route in the world". With a total length of 273 meters, the system's spacious cable cars lead up the slope of Yoder Hill at an incredibly steep angle (70.9 degrees), reaching an elevation of more than 487 meters. During major floods in 1936 and 1977, the path was used for its intended purpose - for evacuation from the city. The rest of the time it is very popular among tourists - a round trip costs $4.

9. Lookout Mountain (Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA)

Dubbed "America's Most Wonderful Mile," Lookout Mountain (1895) stretches just over a kilometer from Chattanooga's historic St. Elmo neighborhood to the summit of Lookout Mountain. Those with a fear of heights may squint their eyes during the entire 15-minute ride up and down, but this is simply unforgivable given the scenic panoramic view, which opens from the windows of a 42-seater carriage. Considering that a round trip costs $15, only tourists use this technical miracle. The funicular is especially popular with visitors interested in the American Civil War who want to get to National Park Chickamauga-Chattanooga.

10. Montmartre (Paris, France)

The 108-metre Montmartre funicular in the 18th arrondissement is one of the most recognizable funiculars in the world and carries more than 2 million passengers a year. In 1991, the system became fully automatic and began to attract visitors with its ultra-modernity. The Montmartre funicular is considered part of the system Paris metro and is an alternative to the 300-step staircase leading to the Sacre Coeur Catholic Church. The current "Montmartre" is no longer a funicular in the traditional sense, but an inclined elevator, given that it now operates independently, without using the inclined technology of lifting with counterweights, as do classic funiculars. The entire trip takes 90 seconds.

11. "Nisenbahn" (Bern, Switzerland)

"Niesenbahn", a cable car in the Oberland region Swiss Alps, connects the village of Melenen with the top of the “Swiss Pyramid”. It is neither the oldest funicular in Switzerland (the oldest is the Giesbach, opened in 1879), nor the steepest (its maximum inclination angle is 68 degrees, while the Helmerbahn reaches 106), but it is the Niesenbahn that is the most long - 2.2 kilometers. Next to this funicular was built the most long staircase in the world, which consists of 11,767 steps.

12. Funicular tram (Hong Kong)

Taking tourists to Victoria Peak (1364 meters), this funicular tram begins its journey from a site next to Hong Kong Park. It plays the role of an attraction for tourists, the ride on which costs about $5 in both directions. At the final station there is a shopping and entertainment center with many restaurants observation decks. The trip to the Peak Tower - the very top of Victoria Peak - lasts 15 minutes, during which the cable car covers a distance of 3 kilometers at an angle of up to 45 degrees.

13. Wuppertal Cableway (Dresden, Germany)

The 1,448 meter long Wuppertal Cable Car is a monorail tram system on elevated tracks. This is one of the oldest monorails. Most of it passes over the Wupper River at an altitude of 12 meters, and the train moves along it with maximum speed at 60 km/h. Nowadays, the entire system has been modernized, but tourists are offered a ride on a real Kaiserwagen - the train that transported the emperor in 1900. There is also a second one in Dresden cable car, but already on the ground. It leads from Körnerplatz to the Weißer Hirsch quarter. Along the 547-meter-long route, the funicular passes through two tunnels, and the maximum gradient of this road is only 29 degrees.

The funicular is vehicle, moving on rails. Only it is driven not by a locomotive, like a train, but by means of ropes. Funiculars are most often used to transport passengers on steep climbs over short distances - in the mountains, at resorts. But there are funiculars in some cities.

The funicular cars move using a steel cable rigidly connected to these cars. At the final points, this cable is thrown over a winch and continuously wound onto reels driven by an electric motor. The electric motor is usually located at the top station.

Why can't regular trains run on these rails? Firstly, because the funicular, as mentioned above, is used over short distances. Secondly, railway trains cannot overcome steep inclines without additional mechanical traction or even special mechanical means - hooks that prevent the train from rolling down.

The funicular is capable of moving along very steep slopes (with a slope of up to 35 degrees), using much less energy, and therefore is a more economical and environmentally friendly mode of transport in such conditions. For the convenience of passengers, the funicular cars are designed in such a way that, regardless of the inclination of the rail track, the position of their floor remains close to horizontal.

There are different designs for funicular railways, but the most common is the two-car design. This funicular operates on the principle of a dual elevator: when one carriage rises, the other descends to meet it.

The structure of the funicular is similar to that of a cable car. The difference is that cable trams travel along a cable without touching the ground:

The funicular takes a long time for passengers to enter and exit and moves quite slowly - 3 meters per second, or 180 meters per minute. The capacity of the passenger funicular does not exceed 600 people per hour (for comparison: the cable car - up to 2000 people per hour). Therefore, funiculars have limited use, but, thanks to these features, they are used not only as a means of transporting passengers. but also as a kind of attraction.

Residents of some cities around the world can boast that their small homeland has such a landmark as a funicular. This is not just a vehicle. It can confidently be called an attraction in which the utilitarian function of lifting is combined with entertainment.

How does the funicular work?

The fundamental structure of the funicular is characterized by its name (the word “funicular” is translated as rope from Latin and Italian language). It consists of a traction system and trailers, usually moving in opposite directions. This scheme allows you to balance the load. The engineering structure also includes rails, gearboxes, electric drives and a braking system, including an emergency one, which is activated automatically if the rope breaks or another emergency situation arises. The designs of funiculars are varied; in each city they were built according to their own design, with a unique station architecture and rolling stock design.

Revived Odessa Funicular

For example, in Odessa, next to the Giant Staircase (later renamed Potemkin), a funicular operated since 1902, the first in Russian Empire. In the 60s of the 20th century, an escalator, similar to those that operate in the metro, was installed in its place. increased, but too much modern look did not fit well with the historical appearance southern city. Eventually, the modern “moving staircase” wore out, and now the funicular began operating again in its original location. This building enjoys well-deserved success among Odessa residents and guests of the city; it offers wonderful view to the port and harbor, and it also makes the path to Primorsky Boulevard easier, because climbing 192 steps is tiring for some people, especially the elderly.

Tram in San Francisco - a model for the funicular in Vladivostok

The funicular in Vladivostok was conceived as one of the measures to transform this wonderful seaside city into a “Soviet San Francisco”. During a visit to the United States in 1959, First Secretary N. S. Khrushchev was impressed by the urban transport system of this Californian metropolis, which has no equal in the whole world. Like Vladivostok, San Francisco is located on an area with difficult terrain, and walking tour It’s quite difficult, you have to go up and down steep slopes. Some of these ascents might not be possible for ordinary city transport, and then an interesting decision was made. All San Francisco streetcars run on rails with a cable running between them. To stop the car, the driver must open the connecting device and press the brake, and the movement begins when the reverse action is performed. It’s even difficult to determine exactly whether it’s a funicular or a tram, but this system works great, and the rolling stock uses restored old carriages without motors, brought from different countries, which gives any trip the character of a fun adventure.

Funicular - attraction "Vladika"

It is possible that the funicular in Vladivostok, commissioned in 1962, is inferior in scale and ramifications to the American one, but it is also very good. The only one on Far East, it connects the bay with the Orlina hill along V. Sibirtseva Street. Students love to use it to get to the Higher Technical School, tourists certainly visit this attraction, and city residents climb the steep hill if they don’t want to go up the “thousand and one steps” stairs (in fact, there are 368 of them, but that’s also a lot). The ascent by cable car to a height of 70 m lasts one and a half minutes, during which time it covers 183 m of the path. Thus, the average slope exceeds 22 degrees, which is quite a lot.

Funiculars in Prague - a road for lovers

Unlike the modern funicular, which is extremely useful for locals, the railway to Mount Petrin is exclusively entertainment attraction, and her age is respectable - she began working in 1891. At the same time, another famous funicular was opened in Prague, on Letna Hill. The route is romantic and picturesque. Along its 510-meter length, the carriage overcomes a small tunnel under the wall of the old fortress, and at final stop visitors, except observation tower, a sculpture dedicated to the kiss awaits. This favorite place dating of young Prague residents.

Barcelona funiculars

Tibidabo is the oldest funicular in Barcelona (there are three in total). Its route leads to the top of the mountain after which it is named, another station is located on Dr. Andreu Street. There is another cable train to Tibidabo - the Vaividrera, which departs from the Peude station, but it is much smaller, accommodating only fifty passengers. The lift height of both funiculars is approximately the same, more than 160 meters, but the length is different (1152 and 729 meters, respectively), which means that the movement occurs at different slope steepnesses. Therefore, the flatter Tibidabo, despite its venerable age (it has been in operation since 1901), carries four hundred passengers, and its younger brother Peude - eight times less.

Montuica funicular - urban transport and attraction at the same time

The third funicular - "Montuica" - is part of the municipal transport of Barcelona, ​​it is automatic and high-speed. Its purpose is to connect the local one with the Parallel metro station. The track is very beautifully located, its 758-meter route passes through lush thickets and takes passengers to a height of 76 meters. The desire of the Barcelona city administration to ensure that the attraction brings as much money as possible to the treasury is worthy of emulation. The tourist pilgrimage is facilitated by a developed infrastructure, full of restaurants, cafes and other entertainment venues that create all the conditions for enjoyment beautiful views, overlooking Mount Montuica. The funicular was built in Barcelona on the occasion of the world exhibition held there in 1929, but its excellent technical condition allowed it to be used as an Olympic facility more than six decades later.

Kyiv funicular - idea and implementation

The funicular in Kyiv is one of the symbols of the city. He had to endure many historical upheavals. Revolution, Civil War, directory, Makhnovshchina, Austrian intervention, Ukrainian republic, devastation, the Great Patriotic War and a couple of “Maidans” - this is just an incomplete list of events that the Kiev cable car went through. And its life began in 1905, when, after two years of construction, the Belgian Joint Stock Company accepted it into operation. The authors of the project, Russian engineers N.I. Baryshnikov and N.K. Pyatnitsky, planned a length of a quarter of a kilometer, but the owner of one of the houses at the bottom of the route refused to sell his property to the city authorities, and the plan had to be revised, shortening the path by fifty arshins. However, the general task, namely making life easier for Kiev residents who were forced to climb from Podol along paths and stairs with hundreds of steps, was solved. The tram could not pass along the steep Kyiv hills. After Odessa, Kyiv became the second city in Russia, the improvement system of which included such an electromechanical miracle as the Mikhailovsky Rise (as this technical innovation was originally called).

The rebirth of the Kyiv funicular

The Kiev funicular operated in its original form until 1928, when during routine maintenance one carriage broke down, which, rolling along the rails, smashed the second. Fortunately, there were no casualties in this incident, but the structure required serious reconstruction. The rope lines and braking system were replaced. In addition, the lower station was finally moved and the route was extended by another 38 meters. The power unit, consisting of two Swiss-made DC electric motors (65 hp each, manufactured in 1903), as well as the rope drive pulley, served until 1984.

In 1986, the third major reconstruction, which the Kiev funicular has undergone in its history, was completed. This structure now lifts a carriage with a hundred passengers to a height of 75 m at a speed of 2 m/s. The power supply has increased significantly; the power of the installed engine is 100 kW. The total length of the rail track reached 222 m. Cars depart every seven minutes. Every day approximately 15 thousand passengers use this comfortable view movement.

Work to improve the funicular is carried out regularly, they relate to increasing safety and improving passenger awareness. Much attention is also paid to the aesthetic side, because this building has long become part of the historical appearance of the Ukrainian capital.

At the beginning of the sixteenth century in picturesque Austria built a new rope-traction vehicle. With its help, fresh food was brought to the castle, located on a steep mountain (as any self-respecting castle should). And although this design is suitable for use only on very specific sections of the route, the invention was so successful that it began to be used in other places. This is how the world's first funicular appeared. More than five centuries have passed since then. And in Hohensalzburg Castle the very first funicular continues to function continuously. What is a funicular? Where can you see him today? How practical is its design? Why is it still used today? But why are there relatively few cable cars?

What is a funicular

A funicular is a small rail track located on a steep slope. Its fundamental difference from the railway is the principle of operation. On a railway, the driving force is the locomotive in which the engine is located. The operation of the funicular is based on cable traction. This is where its name comes from - funiculus in Latin, rope or rope.

The rope is rigidly attached to the car, and a winch is installed at the top of the lift, which serves as a lifting mechanism. However, only a person who does not have the slightest idea what a funicular is can confuse a cable car with it. The most obvious difference is the method of transportation. The funicular rides on rails. And the cable car trolleys hang on a rope.

Practical design

To pull a car with passengers or cargo up a steep slope, you need to apply a lot of force. To make the task easier, the designers attached a second carriage as a counterweight. That is, while one carriage rises, the second one descends. And since the slope is steep, this to some extent compensates for the effort to lift the first car. Essentially, the winch expends force to overcome friction, braking, and the difference in load between cars. Therefore, the funicular is a very economical form of transport. However, it is practical only on steep sections of the road. Where it is impractical to lay a conventional railway.

Attractive attraction

In addition to their practicality, funiculars invariably attract tourists. And this is not surprising. Small, neat trailers move slowly, allowing you to fully enjoy the views from above. Within the city limits, the length of funicular lines, as a rule, does not exceed several hundred meters. And in the mountains the cable car can stretch for a couple of kilometers.

The capital of Hungary, Budapest, is home to one of the most popular cable cars among tourists. It stretches from the Danube embankment to Buda Castle. It was built back in 1870, and reconstructed after the Second World War. However, during the reconstruction, it was decided to leave the trailers with their old appearance. True, the steam engine was nevertheless replaced with an electric one. It’s not a long way to get to the castle on foot, but when the funicular is running there is no end to passengers. Although you often have to spend more time in line than it would take to go up and down on foot.

Funicular in Vladivostok

The Vladivostok funicular is one of the most famous landmarks of the city. This was greatly facilitated by the fact that it is the only one of its kind in the Far East. In the sixties of the last century, Nikita Khrushchev, inspired by a visit to San Francisco, decided to turn Vladivostok into an even more beautiful and modern city. He started by building a funicular. Unfortunately, things did not go further than this. But the funicular is still functioning properly to this day. In addition to aesthetic pleasure, it also brings very tangible practical benefits, lifting up to 40 people at a time 180 meters in less than two minutes. This does not seem like such an achievement, if you do not take into account the difference in height, which in this short period reaches a full seventy meters.

To understand how much effort this saves pedestrians, imagine a steep staircase with 368 steps. This is exactly the number of them that have to be overcome in order to climb to the top of the hill on which top station funicular But, apparently, it feels like this figure is increasing quite significantly, since local residents They called this place the staircase of 1001 steps.

The beauty of cool

A ride on the Swiss Gelmerbahn funicular is not an adventure for the faint of heart. Overcoming steep slopes, when you are literally looking into the abyss spreading nearby, gives unforgettable experience. Those tourists who have visited there can proudly say that they know what a funicular is. Initially it was designed exclusively for technical needs. With its help, people and goods were delivered to the local hydroelectric power station. But in 2001 they decided to use it for tourism needs. The one-way journey takes approximately 10 minutes. And the angle of inclination in some areas reaches 106 degrees.

The name "funicular" has Latin roots, "funiculus" is a rope or rope. In its classic form, a funicular consists of two trolleys connected by a long cable, one of which is at the top and the other at the bottom. Rails are used as the road surface for the funicular. This is done for two reasons - firstly, the coefficient of rolling friction on rails is lower than in other types of movement, and secondly, rails eliminate the need to choose the direction of movement. The only significant limitation for the funicular is its length. Usually cable cars are short in length, no more than two hundred meters. This is determined by the specific elasticity of the traction rope, which, if long, can break under its own weight.

Device

To propel the funicular, an electric winch is usually used, installed at the top. Before the invention of the electric drive, the funicular was driven by filling the tank of the upper car with water, which was emptied after lowering down. In some ways, the principle of its operation is similar to the operation of a conventional elevator, the movement of the cabin of which is accompanied by the movement of a counterweight in the opposite direction. For increase bandwidth In a cable car, the counterweight to the car being raised is the car being lowered. This kind ground transport is discrete in principle of operation. Each of its working cycles has different directions of movement.

Since a classic funicular consists of two cars, they are usually classified according to the number of rail tracks. There can be four of them - two for each car, three, when the cars on the right and left sides move along one rail, and two, when there is only one track for each car. Three and double track funiculars are equipped with siding tracks controlled by switches. The funicular is always designed for each specific case. This is determined, in particular, by the fact that the cargo or passenger platform must have a strictly horizontal position.

Advantages

The funicular as a lifting device allows for maximum efficiency and minimal costs solve the problem of delivering passengers and cargo in areas with large elevation changes. It is not as heavy-duty as conventional wheeled vehicles, but there is no need to build a road for it, causing damage environment. At the same time, its support on rails makes its carrying capacity significantly greater than that of an aerial cable car. Its demand allows many companies, such as Optima Lift, to build their business on the design and creation of cable cars.

The Optima Lift company designs and creates both classic funiculars and devices similar to them in operating principle. For example, funiculars with one carriage resting on a monorail. This technical solution allows you to create a lift with minimal costs and damage to the environment. Further development funicular steel gear railways, in which a gear rack is used instead of a traction cable. Optima Elevator produces rack railways of any configuration, including those with individual cabins that have their own drive mechanism. Such railways make it possible to create a path to a vacation spot that fits into the surrounding nature as much as possible.