Parsifal

Technique

A funicular is generally composed of two Train S connected by a cable. The weight of the down-train provides the near total of energy necessary to draw the up-train. The engine of the cable, located (apart from very rare exceptions) in the station Amont of the line, is only used to provide the impulse necessary to starting and, if need be, the complement of energy if the up-train is heavier than the down-train. The funicular is thus very sparing in energy. The way of the funicular is generally single, but in the middle of the course, in this case, the way is duplicated to allow the crossing of the two trains. There is no shunting, indeed the wheels on a side of the train are made to follow the rail in all its length and, other side, those leave it on the level of shunting to pass on another rail. Another problem: if the crossing is done in turn, a train will have to traverse more distance than the other, to cure it, a mobile pulley makes it possible to vary the distance covered by a train.

A funicular should not be confused with:

a Cable car, transport system with traction by cable, but whose cabin is suspended with one (or several) cable (S) fixed (carrying cables) which acts as rails. A carrying cable is sometimes called “cable-rail” because of its function. A cable car is thus a railway installation with whole share (= guided transport system with infrastructure fixes), unlike the other types of ski lifts.
a Cog railway, which rolls on rails, but whose adherence is reinforced by a third rail, exchange, on which a toothed Roue advances.

The two principal scopes of application of the funicular are the urban transport and tourist transport.

The urban funiculars can circulate on the surface and be connected with Tramway S or in Tunnel, like a line of Métro. Sometimes, the same urban line could know in its history of the phases of funicular traction and traction with toothed rack.

The tourist funiculars of the winter sports resorts replaced cable cars in the majority of the cases, because of their stronger capacity and their less sensitivity to the Vent.

List funiculars existing in France

Urban funiculars

Beauvais: in project, the Funiculaire of Beauvais will serve the Midsummer's Day plate since the downtown area.
Besancon: funicular of Beauregard-Bregille. It connects the district of Mouillère, behind the station, with the plate of Bregille, near strong Beauregard. Built in 1912 by the Swiss establishments Louis de Roll (Bern), the “funi” was definitively closed in 1987 following a breakdown. A project of rehabilitation, as well as a classification with the historic buildings is currently in hand, on the initiative of an association. The low station and one of the cars, restored in the style Beautiful Time, were restored in 2007 and were opened with the visits.

Site of Association: Site of Association

Évian-the-Baths: the “small subway évianais” connects the center town to the commune of Neuvecelle, serving six stations, which makes a single part of it. Built in 1913 by the establishments Louis de Roll, like his Besancon-native brother, it was closed in 1969 for financial reasons. It was classified with the historic buildings in 1983, on the initiative of J-B Lemoine, but its restoration will take place only as from 1998, before its start-up in spring 2002.
Langres: panoramic funicular Under-Bie, it connects the ramparts to the carpark Under-Bie and makes it possible to the motorists to unchoke the old city of its parkings (built recently under the cane of the former mayor; Guy Baillet by the Skyrail company).
Laon : technology Poma 2000.

Le Havre: funicular connecting the high city (street Felix Faure) to the Downtown area rebuilt of Le Havre, managed by Drunk océane , network of Public transport of the agglomeration.
Tréport: This new funicular (2006) connects in a few minutes the low districts of the city to highest chalk cliffs of Europe.
Lyon: the first funicular of the world was inaugurated in Lyon in 1860, between the street Terme and the Cross-Russet-red . This line was transformed into road tunnel in the Années 1960. Lyon had to five funiculars in simultaneous activity, which constitutes, with Valparaíso (with the Chile), the world records. The line of the Cross-Package to Cross-Russet-red was transformed into cog railway in 1974 and was integrated into the subway (line C). Only the lines of Saint-Just and Fourvière, in tunnel, also integrated today into the underground railway network remain in service. In Lyon, one calls usually the funicular the string .
Mount-Gilds It: The Funicular of the Capuchin at the ski station of Mount-Gilds (in Auvergne) is the first mountain funicular of France (1898), with a speed of 1 m/s, uneven of 280m, a flow of 200 p/h, it is classified historic building. Because of the strong snowfalls in winter, it functions now only the summer.
Paris: Funicular of Montmartre
Pau: Funicular of Pau
Thonon-the-Baths on French bank of the Lake Léman: it connects the port to the downtown area since 1888. The way has a 230 meters length for a Dénivellation of 40 meters. It was recently modernized, in particular by the replacement of the two cars.

Tourist funiculars

the Arcs: Funicular Rainbow
Tignes: Funicular Snowdrop
Valley-in Isere: Funival
Heavy: Funicular of the Peak of Jer
the Two Alps: Funicular Dome Express train
Saint-Hilaire of Touvet: Funiculaire of Saint-Hilaire-of-Touvet the
Mount-Gilds It: Funicular of the Capuchin

Some funiculars in Switzerland

The Swiss , paradise of the railroad par excellence, also has a great number of funiculars: not less than 51 lines are opened with the public in 2006! Other installations are reserved for the transport of the Marchandise S, in particular for the army.

the Gelmerbahn , on the road which leads to the Col of Grimsel, is the stiffest funicular of the world with its slope of 106% , that is to say more 45°. {{of}} Internet site, with technical data
Mürren - Allmendhubel : this funicular is 95 years old but was renovated in 2002 it is thus automatic and very modern
Interlaken - Heimwehflüh : this funicular very court with kept its charm of antan, in top one can go to visit the machines which make it function and one can go down again with a toboroule.
Ouchy-Flon : this funicular was with Lausanne and was the first of Switzerland (1877). It was transformed into Cog railway in 1954 and it was put except service on January 22nd, 2006 to leave room to the subway m2, having the strongest declivity in Europe (technology similar to the line 14 in Paris) for a tyred automatic subway.
the ski lifts of a Valaisan small station Saint-Luc decided to build (1994) at the beginning of the station, a funicular a 1300 m length of which the speed of walk is of 10m/s, with two coaches of 80 people.
on September 29th, 1908 was made up the Company of the Funiculaire SMC with an aim of building a funicular between Sierre and Notch-Montana . This last began its exploitation in 1911, known several technical improvements to obtain into 1997 a completely renovated installation.
With the Châtelard , 19 km of Chamonix and to 23 km of Martigny (Were worth), you can discover a picturesque particularly stiff funicular: 876 per thousand! It however is beaten by the Gelmerbahn (1060 ‰)!
Territet - Glion , a length of 600m for uneven of 300m, it connects Glion (a health resort dominating the high-basin of the Lac Léman) from the village of Territet common of Montreux. Its opening goes back to 1883 and it functioned until 1975 by water ballast. The station downstream is next to that of another funicular which leads to the Mount-Flowered . Brought into service in 1910. '' To see It in video '', a file of TSR.
Freiburg has the last funicular of Switzerland with traction by water ballast ( Neuveville - St-Pierre ). In service since 1899, it constitutes an interesting use of waste water of the city.
Neuchâtel: for the Swiss national Exposure of 2002, the city built the Fun' ambule , an ultramodern funicular to connect the station CF to the university located at the downtown area. In addition to the cars which are made up of four cabins which modify their slope according to the slope to remain as much as possible with horizontal, another technical prowess is to be raised: the machinery driving the cable is located in the station Aval! Neuchâtel also has two other lines: Lock - Plan (1890) and To sew It - Chaumont (1910).
Lugano, center economic of the Tessin, has four funiculars: Lugano Città - Stazione FFS (City - Station CF; 1886); Lugano Paradiso - Pazzallo - Assembles S. Salvatore (1890); Cassarate - Suvigliana - Assembles Brè (1908 and 1912); and the small last, the funicolare degli Angioli (Piazza B.Luini - Via C.Maraini; 1913) put except service in 1986. This line must rather be regarded as “Ascenseur in inclined plan”, owing to the fact that it has only one car. A start-up of this funicular is currently considered.
the airport of Zurich - Kloten has an underground funicular called Skymetro to connect the new satellite Dock Midfield (final E) to the final principal. It with the characteristic to be entirely on the level, i.e. flat. Many a Aéroport S all over the world is equipped with such a system, in particular that of Atlanta - Hartsfield-Jackson in Georgia (E. - U.).
Zurich also has a funicular ( Polybahn ) which connects the quay of the Limmat to the federal Polytechnic school. '' To see It in video '', a file of TSR. It is in this funicular that Lino Ventura assassinates Michel Piccoli in the film " Spy rises " of Yves Boisset in 1981.
Funicular of the Niesen : according to the Guinness Book, its backstairs would be the longest staircase of the world. Each year proceeds a race on foot to which the competitors must climb the 11 ' 674 steps. You have breath?
funiculars of Davos with the Parsenn and of Schatzalp .
Funicular Saint-Imier - Mount-Sun .
the funicular of Moléson - on Gruyeres , of recent construction, a Télécabine replaces.
the funicular Braunwald-Bahn BrB which connects Linthal to Braunwald in the Canton of Glarus. He celebrates his 100e birthday in 2007.

Tourist funiculars all over the world

Funicular of Spa (Belgium)
Funicular of Nazaré (Portugal)
Funicular of Bom Jesus (Portugal)
Fløibanen, with Bergen.

Some other famous funiculars

Valparaíso : twelve lines in activity (22 in the beginning) which belong to the Patrimoine of humanity since 2003.
Quebec: a tourist funicular connects the district of Small Champlain to the terrace in top of the Cape Diamant.
Montreal: " Funicular of the Tower of Montréal" with the Olympic stadium: only one cabin on two floors, variable slope making the return ticket every approximately ten minutes.
Kaprun (Austria): sadly celebrates for its fire of November 11th, 2000 which caused the death of 155 passengers, for the majority by asphyxiation, inside the long tunnel.
Prague: funicular of Petřin.
Kiev: funicular of Kiev.

Special funiculars

Dresden (ex- GDR): in the locality close to Loschwitz since 1901 a Monorail circulates suspended, in the style of the Schwebebahn (air Métro) of Wuppertal (ex- FRG). But the two cars are tractor drawn by a cable, which in fact thus a suspended funicular. This funicular is quoted like intermediate stage of the demonstration of the railway nature of the Téléphérique carrying bi-cable/tractor.

Presentation (in German) of the suspended funicular of Dresden.

Cincinnati (Ohio - E. - U.) had between 1872 and 1948 to five funiculars. Two of those (Bellevue and Mt.Adams) comprised each one two flat wagons with horizontal platform equipped with rails. Tramway S could take seat thus there in order to overcome the unevenness quickly, thus avoiding with the travellers two changes of véhicules.
a site relating to the " Incline Railways" from Cincinnati (in English)

Funicular of Bom Jesus with ( Portuguese article ) close to Braga to the Portugal, the driving force is ensured by water. The weight of the water added in a tank located under the higher cabin makes it possible this one to go down and the other to go up.

Similar system: the trams with traction by cable

Instead of having 2 interdependent cabins, one has several cabins which are crochent on order on a cable turning in loop.
Several were built in particular with:

Lisbon: only one line remains nowadays
San Francisco: several lines, the cable bus (created in 1873, today 3 lines control)
Paris: the funicular tram of Belleville (created in 1891 - closed in 1924)

See too

Ski lift

External bonds

Magazine Web of the Swiss Funicular funiculars
in photographs (to follow: Swiss gallery photo//funicular)
Video funicular way of Le Havre (France) under Funicular snow
of Tréport (76)

Beats-smg: Funikulierios Zh-yue: 纜車

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