Funicular railways of the UK and elsewhere

[editor]

I'm not sure there's any other towns that can claim two working funicular railways, but I love these two at Hastings. Anyone else visited them?

http://www.urban75.org/photos/sussex/hastings-west-hill-east-hill-railways.html

 

[Crispy]

Closed for repairs when I last tried to go on one

I love funiculars There's an amazing one in Bristol, tunnelled right up the side of the gorge, but it's been closed for 80 years and is now hemmed in by a very busy A road http://www.cliftonrocksrailway.org.uk/

 

[TruXta]

Cool! I went on the one in Wellington, NZ. Brilliant. Can we have one that goes from the corner of Anerley Road/Croydon Rd to Crystal Palace Parade plz?

 

[editor]

Closed for repairs when I last tried to go on one

I love funiculars There's an amazing one in Bristol, tunnelled right up the side of the gorge, but it's been closed for 80 years and is now hemmed in by a very busy A road http://www.cliftonrocksrailway.org.uk/

View attachment 42665

That looks *ace*.

 

[clicker]

Love the Hastings one up to the hill - always feel the need to get out and push.

 

[marty21]

been on one of them in Hastings - been on one in Prague to which takes you up to an Eiffel Tower (about 200 ft high) above Prague - have been to the one below in Lynton and Lynmouth in Devon, but didn't go on it for some reason.

 

[Remus Harbank]

The Salzburg Funicular goes straight into a castle

 

[marty21]

The Salzburg Funicular goes straight into a castle
View attachment 42668

bit of a design flaw if that had been built at the same time as the castle

 

[Fez909]

Saltburn-by-the-Sea, N. Yorks

 

[Ron Merlin]

More humdrum trhan the lovelty old funiculars above, but the Lyon one can be surprising when it suddenly appears:

 

[bi0boy]

I'm not sure there's any other towns that can claim two working funicular railways

Scarborough has two working ones, but used to have five!

 

[Fez909]

Lisbon has three funiculars, btw!

 

[Remus Harbank]

bit of a design flaw if that had been built at the same time as the castle

hehe no it was built in 1892, but funnily enough there is a much older funicular nearby, for goods only, that's been running since the early 16th century.

 

[Crispy]

Valparaiso, Chile, has 28 funiculars, of which 8 are still in active service:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funicular_railways_of_Valparaíso



EDIT: of which, I have been on 2

 

[marty21]

Looks like the mighty Chileans are the winners then?

 

[Ron Merlin]

Lyon has two - one to St Just and one to Fourvière, the ugliest cathedral in France.
A song about the funicular:

Written in 1880 to commemorate the opening of the first one in the world

 

[Callie]

Aberystwyth isnt it?

http://www.aberystwythcliffrailway.co.uk/

 

[wiskey]

Closed for repairs when I last tried to go on one

I love funiculars There's an amazing one in Bristol, tunnelled right up the side of the gorge, but it's been closed for 80 years and is now hemmed in by a very busy A road http://www.cliftonrocksrailway.org.uk/

View attachment 42665

We eye that up every open doors day but as I understand it they on;y open the bottom ticket hall area

 

[marty21]

hehe no it was built in 1892, but funnily enough there is a much older funicular nearby, for goods only, that's been running since the early 16th century.

for some reason this reminds me of the donkeys at Clovelly in Devon - which are still used to drag stuff up and down - it is a mighty steep hill, it could do with a funicular

 

[Maggot]

I've been on on the Hastings ones and also one near Turin which goes from Sassi to the amazing basilica of Superga. It's 3km long and this is at the top.

Tragically in 1949 a plane carrying the Torino football team crashed into the side of the hill, killing everyone on board. You can see a memorial plaque if you visit the church.

 

[_pH_]

There's the one up to Sacre Coeur at Montmartre, costs the same as a ride on the Metro, WHAT A RIP OFF!!!!11!!!

 

[TruXta]

Floibanen in Bergen is ace

 

[marty21]

There's the one up to Sacre Coeur at Montmartre, costs the same as a ride on the Metro, WHAT A RIP OFF!!!!11!!!

it's a flash new one isn't it - the walk up to the top doesn't take that long tbf

 

[SikhWarrioR]

Lisbon has three funiculars, btw!

I believe that Lisbon also still has several conventional tram routes as well

 

[eatmorecheese]

Peak Railway, Hong Kong. Probably one of the most famous, 17,000 passengers a day on average.

 

[_pH_]

it's a flash new one isn't it - the walk up to the top doesn't take that long tbf

What have you got against disabled people eh? EH?

 

[marty21]

What have you got against disabled people eh? EH?

I walked so that didn't have to -

 

[Callie]

This thread needs a new title, can a mod amend accordingly *cough* editor

 

[Fez909]

I believe that Lisbon also still has several conventional tram routes as well

It does. It's a pretty amazing city, transport wise. They have a street elevator which is pretty cool, too:

Nice place

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I could have sworn there was one in Antigua in 1978, my internet skillz are failing to find any reference to it at all. Was used to take guest of the Halcyon Cove hotel from the hotel grounds up to the restaurant up the hill