| Funiculars,
Inclined Planes and Vertical Railroads are all similar devises that pull
a vehicle up a steep incline, utilizing a cable (steel rope) system.
A variety of such vehicle systems exist around the world, from the simple
one and two passenger variety, often used by homeowners who live atop cliffs
or mountaintops, to those the size of Johnstown's Incline, with cars that
can accommodate vehicles as well as passengers. Some funiculars consist
of many cars strung together, not unlike a true railroad.
Some, like Johnstown's
Incline, use two cars to counterbalance each other on two separate tracks.
Others consist of two cars, on one track with a central siding where the
cars separate and bypass one another, such as the Altoona Curve funicular.
Other types of funiculars may utilize only one passenger car that is hoisted
up and down the hillside or mountain.
It seems that funiculars
(verticle railroads and inclines) are located throughout the world, wherever
people have a desire to economically and safely scale vertical distances.
They are located along the beaches of coastal England as well as the the
ski resorts in the Alps. Funiculars are found on every continent
except Antarctica. |