Details of the Lynton - Lynmouth cliff railway

We seldom see cliff railways modelled yet they are a fascinating subject in their own right and very much a part of the overall rail scene.

Lynton lies about 200m vertically above Lynmouth.  The only road link is a tortuous drive of around 5 miles via Lynbridge including a hairpin bend.  Many locals and most visitors use the cliff railway between the two towns.

The line is approximately 300m long, rises at 1 in 1.75 and is operated entirely by gravity.  There is no power supply to the cars.  Water is filled and emptied from a large tank beneath them to achieve perfect balance and they then move under gravity.  Four independent braking systems are used.  The cars are linked by a continuous cable which passes around drums top and bottom and over rollers between the running rails.

The twin tracks are very close together but do not, unlike some operations, share a common centre rail.  They do however part slightly at the mid point to permit the cars to pass.

Car loading at Lynmouth



Detail of the lower Lynmouth "station" which illustrates the gradient well.



Track detail seen from inside the ascending car as the descending one approaches the mid-way passing place.



I found it very difficult to obtain internal shots of the seating due to the number of passengers and the need to not delay the operation.   This may give a little idea of the set-up despite the silhouette inside the car.



Detail of the track, braking and wheels at Lynton with the track descending steeply.



Further detail of the greasy bits!



Note the white marks which would indicate any slip of the wheel tyres against the centres.  I was also impressed by the overall condition including the clean copper pipework



Upper end of the car at Lynton



Each car is attended by a brakeman who has control of the rather magnificent brass handbrake wheel.



Note also the emergency control panel on the stone wall as the descending car departs.

I have distant memories of travelling on this when I was a kid, Rick, so it must be over ten years old (joke).

Good pics., thanks.

Yet another good one for our permanent prototype section. Thanks Rick.