Babbacombe Cliff Railway
Babbacombe Cliff Railway is a funicular railway in the town of Torquay in the English county of Devon. It links Babbacombe Downs with Oddicombe Beach.
Opening Times
- PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CLIFF RAILWAY WILL BE CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE WORK UNTIL 12:00 MIDDAY ON MONDAY 7TH NOVEMBER AND 12:00 MIDDAY ON TUESDAY 8TH NOVEMBER********
- We open each day at 09:30 and the last carriage runs at 17:55.
- A bell is rung 30 minutes and 15 Minutes prior to the last car of the day
History
In February 1923, the Torquay Tramway Company commissioned Waygood-Otis Ltd with the engineering and construction of the railway. The line was first opened on 1 April 1926, but ceased operation during World War II for security reasons. The railway reopened in 1951 after modernization by Messrs J & E Hall of Dartford. The railway underwent further refurbishment in 1993 and a three-year programme of renovation commenced in November 2005.
The ownership of the line was transferred from Torbay Council to a specially created community interest company in July 2009.[1]
Specifications
- Two cars of traditional funicular design with a 40-person standing capacity
- 720-foot (220 m) track with a 5 ft 8 in (1,727 mm) gauge
- Rated speed of 2.5 metres per second (8.2 ft/s)
- 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
References
- ↑ "Cliff railway company set to take over". Torquay Herald Express. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Babbacombe Cliff Railway. |
- Official website
- Friends of Babbacombe Cliff Railway Homepages
- Friends of Babbacombe Cliff Railway History & Technology pictures of refurbishment.
- Press release (*.doc format) describing ongoing refurbishment efforts
- BBC News article about the railway
- Brief description of railway with pictures
Coordinates: 50°28′53.13″N 3°30′52.54″W / 50.4814250°N 3.5145944°W