Babbacombe Cliff Railway

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A car of the cliff railway
The lower station of the 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[]

  1. ^ "Prices & Opening Times". Babbacome Cliff Railway. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  2. ^ "Babbacombe Cliff Lift". South Western Electricity Historical Society. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  3. ^ "History". Babbacome Cliff Railway. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ "Recently registered charity - Babbacombe Cliff Railway CIO". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 23 May 2020.

External links[]

Coordinates: 50°28′54″N 3°31′00″W / 50.4816°N 3.5166°W / 50.4816; -3.5166

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