Babbacombe Cliff Railway
Babbacombe Cliff Railway, also known as the Babbacombe Cliff Lift, is a funicular railway in the town of Torquay in the English county of Devon. It links Babbacombe Downs with Oddicombe Beach. The line runs every day, with a closure period in winter for maintenance. The first car runs at 09:30, and the last at 17:30. A bell is rung 30 and 15 minutes before closing.[1][2]
History[]
In February 1923, the Torquay Tramway Company commissioned Waygood-Otis Ltd with the engineering and construction of the railway. Construction started in 1924, and the line was first opened on 1 April 1926. The line cost £15,648 to construct. The tramway company continued to work the line until 13 March 1935, when it was taken over by . The line was closed in 1941, due to World War II security restrictions, and reopened in 1951 after modernisation 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.[3]
In July 2009, the ownership of the line was transferred from Torbay Council, who had inherited ownership from Torquay Borough Council as a result of local government reorganisation, to a specially created community interest company.[4] In 2019, the CIC converted to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.[5]
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[]
- ^ "Prices & Opening Times". Babbacome Cliff Railway. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ "Babbacombe Cliff Lift". South Western Electricity Historical Society. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "History". Babbacome Cliff Railway. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ "Cliff railway company set to take over". Torquay Herald Express. 30 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ "Recently registered charity - Babbacombe Cliff Railway CIO". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
External links[]
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- Funicular railways in the United Kingdom
- Tourist attractions in Devon
- Torquay
- 5 ft 8 in gauge railways in England
- Industrial archaeological sites in Devon