Babbacombe Cliff Railway
Encyclopedia
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
railway in the town of Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. It links Babbacombe Downs
Babbacombe
"Babbacombe" may also refer to John 'Babbacombe' LeeBabbacombe is a district of Torquay, Devon, England. It is notable for Babbacombe Model Village, and its clifftop green, Babbacombe Downs, from which Oddicombe Beach is accessed via Babbacombe Cliff Railway.There is a miniature village in the area....
with Oddicombe Beach, and is owned and operated by the Torbay
Torbay
Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998...
Council. The line runs march to end of october from 9:30am to 5.55pm. A bell is rung at the bottom station 30 and 15 minutes before closing.
History
In February 1923, the Torquay Tramway Company commissioned Waygood-Otis LtdOtis Elevator Company
The Otis Elevator Company is the world's largest manufacturer of vertical transportation systems today, principally focusing on elevators and escalators...
with the engineering and construction of the railway. The line was first opened April 1, 1926, but ceased operation during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for security reasons. The railway reopened in 1951 after modernization by Messrs J & E Hall of Dartford
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
. The railway underwent further refurbishment in 1993 a three year programme of renovation commenced in November 2005.
It transferred ownership from the local council to a community interest group in July 2009.
Specifications
- Two cars of traditional funicular design with a 40 person standing capacity track with a 5 in 8 in (1.73 m) gauge
- Rated speed of 2.5 metres per second
- Drive equipment located at the top station
- Direct current wattage drive system, incorporating servomotor-operated controller
- Hoisting ropes attached to upper ends of car chassis, supplemented by a compensating rope system to load balance for car position on track
See also
- St MarychurchSt MarychurchSt. Marychurch in Devon, England, is one of the oldest settlements in South Devon. Its earliest documentary record dates from around 1050 AD.It is a former English urban district, abolished in 1900 when it was incorporated into the neighbouring borough of Torquay...
- DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
- Funicular railwayFunicularA funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
- List of funicular railways