Scarborough funiculars
The British town of Scarborough has had a total of five cliff railways, or funiculars, two of which remain open to the public. Two of these funiculars were on Scarborough's North Bay and three on South Bay; both of the North Bay railways have been demolished, and one on South Bay is extant but out of use since 2006. The other two South Cliff lifts are still operational.[1]
Central Tramway
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The Central Tramway Company, Scarborough Limited opened the Central Tramway (54.2809°N 0.3978°W) in 1880 and started operating on 1 August 1881. The funicular was operated by steam, the steam house was situated away from the top station. Since drivers had no view of the cars, they used marks on the rope to indicate the car positions.
In 1910 the funicular was converted to electric drive. In 1932 the cars were replaced and the motor placed under the top station. Driving was done from a driving station at the top of the station with full view of the cars.
The track is 71 m (233 ft) long on a 1 in 2 gradient. The track is 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge. The funicular is operated by two cars.
South Cliff Lift
The first funicular railway in the United Kingdom, the Scarborough South Cliff Tramway Company Limited was created in 1873.
The system to link the South Cliff Esplanade to the Scarborough Spa, was designed and engineered by Mr Lucas. Constructed by Crossley Brothers of Manchester for a cost of £ 8000, the track is 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) wide and 284 feet (87 m) long, on 1 in 1.75 gradient. Metropolitan Carriage of Birmingham constructed the two cars, each capable of carrying 14 seated passengers, to the bottom of which is attached a water tank. Each car is also attached to a twin-steel cable rope, which is operated by a brakeman at the top station.
Using seawater pumped by two Crossley gas engines through a hydraulic system designed by Tangye Ltd in Smethwick, Birmingham,[2] the upper car's water tank was filled until the counterbalance point was reached. The cars then proceeded along their individual tracks, with speed and safety controlled by the brakeman. When the upper car reached the bottom of the incline, both cars were braked, and the seawater released. The procedure was then repeated.
The railway opened on 6 July 1875.[3] The gas engines were replaced by steam pumps in 1879, and after refurbishment in 1947 the water system was replaced by 90 hp electric engine. The cars were replaced by two built by Hudswell Clarke & Company in 1934-1935.
Scarborough Borough Council bought the funicular from its owners in 1993. In 1997, the lift was modified to be completely automatic.[3]
St Nicholas Cliff Lift
The St Nicholas Cliff Lift (54.2797°N 0.3981°W) was built by the Medway Safety Lift Company Ltd in 1929 and opened on 5 August. The Saint Nicholas Cliff Lift is located on the other side of the Grand Hotel from the Central Tramway, near the Aquarium. The track is 31 m long on a 1 in 1.33 gradient, the track gauge is 7 ft 6 in (2,286 mm).
Originally there was no bottom station. Passengers stepped into the tramcars directly from the pavement as the control equipment was incorporated in the upper station. Fares are paid at this station.
The lift was closed in February 2007 as the borough council could not afford the £445,000 it was estimated needed to be spent to meet new health and safety standards. In early 2011 it was announced that the still closed lift might be sold by the council, as it did not have the £630,000 that the repairs were then estimated to cost.[4][5]
After closure the two cars were moved to the top of the track and fixed in place, becoming part of the conversion of the top station into the St Nicholas Cafe. The cars offer seating and a balcony was constructed around them.[6] The lower station was converted into an ice cream parlor called The Seastrand.[7][8] The rails the cars ran on are still present.
North Bay Cliff Lift
The North Bay Cliff Lift was built by the Medway Safety Lift Company Ltd in 1930 and closed in September 1996. The lift was part of a large Corporation development at Peasholm Gap. It has been dismantled and has now been placed in storage. Launceston, Cornwall.
The funicular was run by two cars and electric powered. The track was 51 m long with a track width of 6 ft 6 in (1,981 mm).
Queens Parade Cliff Lift
The Scarborough Queen's Parade Tramway Company Limited was created on 4 March 1878, linking Queen's Parade, on the top of the North Cliff to the Promenade Pier.
A cabin broke loose on 8 August 1878, the opening day, and the lift closed for the rest of the year. Accidents every year, pump engine and water supply failures and a further landslip in 1887 stopped the use of the lift.
The track was 87 m long on a 1 in 2.5 gradient and 4 ft (1,219 mm) wide, two cars ran up and down the lift.
Ticketing
St Nicholas Cliff Lift ticket
South Cliff Lift ticket
South Cliff Lift ticket
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scarborough Funiculars. |
- "Cliff Lift - Spa | Tram | Scarborough|North Yorkshire". www.discoveryorkshirecoast.com. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
- "Lynton & Lynmouth Railway". Lynton & Lynmouth. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- "Spa Cliff Lift". Scarborough Council. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- "Safety cost closes historic lift". BBC News Online. BBC. 15 February 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
- Johnston, Howard (12 January 2011). "Regional News". Rail (661). Bauer Media Group. p. 12.
- "Cafe plan for old cliff lift". www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- "The Seastrand, Scarborough - Tess Willoughby". Tess Willoughby. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- "The Seastrand". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.