funicular - definition - What is ? What is ? funicular definition : funicular A funicular (), also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other. Funiculars of one sort or another have existed for hundreds of years and continue to be used for moving both passengers and goods. Its name derives from the latin, funiculus, diminutive of funis, meaning "rope". ==Operation== The basic idea of funicular operation is that two cars are always attached to each other by a cable, which runs through a pulley at the top of the slope. Counterbalancing of the two cars, with one going up and one going down, minimizes the energy needed to lift the car going up. Winching is normally done by an electric drive that turns the pulley. Sheave wheels guide the cable to and from the drive mechanism and the slope cars. ===Track layout=== Early funiculars used two parallel straight tracks, four rails, with separate station platforms for each vehicle.

The tracks are laid with sufficient space between them for the two cars to pass at the midpoint. The wheels of the cars are usually single-flanged, as on standard railway vehicles. Examples of this type of track layout are the Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and most cliff railways in the UK. Layouts that require less width have been developed, with only two or three rails for the most part of the slope and four rails only at the passing section. The Swiss engineer Carl Roman Abt invented the method that allows cars to be used with a two-rail configuration: the outboard wheels have flanges on both sides, which keeps them aligned with the outer rail, thus holding each car in position, whereas the inboard wheels are unflanged and ride on top of the opposite rail, thereby easily crossing over the rails (and cable) at the passing track. Two-rail configurations of this type avoid the need for switches and crossings, since the cars have the flanged wheels on opposite sides and will automatically follow different tracks, and in general, significantly reduce costs (especially when the funicular runs in a tunnel, such as the Funicular de Bulnes, in Asturias).

In layouts using three rails, the middle rail is shared by both cars. The three-rail layout is wider than the two-rail layout, but the passing section is simpler to build. If a rack for braking is used, that rack can be mounted higher in a three-rail layout, making it less sensitive to choking in snowy conditions. The Mount Lowe Railway in Altadena, California, was the first mountain railway in the United States to use the three-rail layout. Three- and two-rail layouts considerably reduced the space required for building a funicular, reducing grading costs on mountain slopes and property costs for urban funiculars. These layouts enabled a funicular boom in the latter 19th century. ===Bottom towrope=== The cars can be attached to a second cable running through a pulley at the bottom of the incline in case the gravity force acting on the vehicles is too low to operate them on the slope. One of the pulleys must be designed as a tensioning wheel to avoid slack in the ropes. In this case, the winching can also be done at the lower end of the incline.

This practice is used for funiculars with gradients below 6%, funiculars using sledges instead of cars, or any other case where it is not ensured that the descending car is always able to pull out the cable from the pulley in the station on the top of the incline. ===Gravity plane=== Funiculars used in mines were sometimes unpowered gravity planes, also known as self-acting inclines or brake inclines. The weight of descending loaded wagons was used to pull the empty mine wagons. ===Water counterbalancing=== A few funiculars have been built using water tanks under the floor of each car that are filled or emptied until just sufficient imbalance is achieved to allow movement. The car at the top of the hill is loaded with water until it is heavier than the car at the bottom, causing it to descend the hill and pulling up the other car. The water is drained at the bottom, and the process repeats with the cars exchanging roles. The movement is controlled by a brakeman. The oldest funicular in the world moving by water counterbalancing is the Bom Jesus funicular built in 1882.

The funicular track in Bom Jesus do Monte near Braga, Portugal is long and descends . The funicular of Fribourg is special since it utilizes waste water, coming from the upper part of the city, for counterbalancing. ==Inclined lift== The inclined lift, or inclined elevator, occasionally inclinator is not a funicular, since it has only one car carrying payload on the slope. The car is either winched up to the station on the top of the incline where the cable is collected on a winch drum, or the single car is balanced by a counterweight and operated the same way as a funicular with two cars. Many inclined lifts were constructed along the pressure lines of storage power plants for transporting building materials. Examples are the Gelmerbahn leading to the Gelmersee and the Funicolare Piora–Ritom leading to Lago Ritom, both in Switzerland. The steepest funicular in the world is the incline lift Katoomba Scenic Railway in Australia.

Modern versions resembling an elevator are used in some installations, such as at the Cityplace Station in Dallas, Texas, the Huntington Metro Station in Huntington, Virginia, the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The London Millennium Funicular provides an alternative to staircase access to London's Millennium Bridge. A mixture between an inclined lift and a funicular with two cars was the second Angels Flight in Los Angeles. The funicular closed in 1969 and was reinstalled in 1996 using separate cables for each car, which were winched on separate winch drums in the station at the top. The winch drums were connected to the drive motor and the service brake by a gear train. The system failed because of gear train breakage, causing a fatal accident in 2001. The funicular was then closed until 2010, and since 5 September 2013. == History == The oldest funicular is the Reisszug, a private line providing goods access to Hohensalzburg Castle at Salzburg in Austria.

It was first documented in 1515 by Cardinal Matthäus Lang, who became Archbishop of Salzburg. The line originally used wooden rails and a hemp haulage rope and was operated by human or animal power. Today, steel rails, steel cables and an electric motor have taken over, but the line still follows the same route through the castle's fortifications. The first railway in England with wooden rails was probably made for James Clifford, lord of the manor of Broseley. He was working coal mines there by 1575 and had a wagonway delivering coal to barges on the River Severn by 1606. This is after the first record of a railway in England, the Wollaton Wagonway, but seems to be earlier. In the 18th century, funiculars were used to allow barge traffic on canals to ascend and descend steep hills. An early example were the three inclined planes on Dukart's Canal in County Tyrone, Ireland, that were in use as early as 1777.

They were used primarily in the early 19th century, especially during the height of the canal-building era in the 1830s in the United States. Such railways operated by allowing water in feeder canals at the top of the plane to drive a turbine, raising or lowering a canal barge along a steep slope. Examples of hydropower inclined-plane railroads in the United States included the Morris Canal in New Jersey, which connected the Delaware River to the Passaic River using 23 planes, as well as a series of locks along the gentler gradients. The Allegheny Portage Railroad, part of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, built in 1834 with ten planes as the first railroad across the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, was steam powered. Modern funicular railways operating in urban areas date from the 1860s. The first line of the Funiculars of Lyon (Funiculaires de Lyon) opened in 1862, followed by other lines in 1878, 1891 and 1900.

The Budapest Castle Hill Funicular was built in 1868–69, with the first test run on 23 October 1869. In Istanbul, Turkey, the Tünel has been in continuous operation since 1875 and is both the first underground funicular and the second-oldest underground railway. The oldest funicular railway operating in Britain dates from 1875 and is in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. In Quebec City, Canada, the Old Quebec Funicular has been operating since 1879, connecting the Haute-Ville (Upper Town) to the Basse-Ville (Lower Town). The Dresden Funicular Railway was opened in 1895. One of the most famous funiculars was the Great Incline of the Mount Lowe Railway in Altadena, California, designed by Andrew Smith Hallidie of San Francisco cable car fame. The Mount Lowe Railway combined its funicular, raising passengers up the steep side of Mount Echo (elevation , with electric narrow-gauge trolley systems at each end (the Rubio Canyon line was standard-gauged after being acquired by Henry E. Huntington's Pacific Electric Railway).

The Incline had three grade changes, the lower end at 62% easing to a 48% at the top, and the cars were designed to adjust to the grade changes for the comfort of their passengers. It had three rails to reduce the width of the formation and the materials required, though a complicated cable routing system was needed at the passing track. The eastern United States had several incline railways, most engineered by the Otis Elevator Company of Yonkers, New York (today a subsidiary of UTC in Connecticut). Perhaps the best example was the Mount Beacon Incline Railway in Beacon, New York, the steepest funicular Otis built in the northeast. It had an average gradient of 64% and a maximum gradient of 74% and operated for over 75 years, from 1902–1972 & 1975–1978. It was added to the National Historic Register in 1982 & destroyed by fire in 1983. A not-for-profit society is currently working toward its restoration.

The funicular on Mount Vesuvius inspired the song Funiculì, Funiculà, composed by Luigi Denza and Peppino Turco, in 1880. That funicular was wrecked repeatedly by volcanic eruptions and abandoned after the eruption of 1944. ==Examples== Fløibanen is a funicular in Bergen, Norway, which runs up the mountain of Fløyen. It is one of Bergen's major tourist attractions and one of Norway's most visited attractions. Hong Kong's Peak Tram was one of the first funiculars in Asia, opened in 1888, with a maximum grade of 48%, long, and is now one of Hong Kong's major tourist attractions. Another funicular in Asia is located on Penang Hill, Penang, Malaysia. Located from George Town, Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera) is one of the most popular destinations in Penang. Penang Hill is actually a complex of hills and spurs, and the highest point is Western Hill, which is above sea level. The most convenient way up to Penang Hill is by means of a funicular railway, which is in Air Itam.

There is a tunnel that measures long and wide starting at steepness of high, which is the steepest tunnel in the world. The funicular train leaves every half an hour and can carry up to 100 passengers. It takes about 10 minutes to get to the top. Prior to the latest train deployed, journey can take up to 30 minutes and requires passengers to change trains halfway up. In Spain, the Bulnes funicular is an unusual two-rail installation that runs in a tunnel. The passenger cars are augmented by trailers used for carrying goods and/or animals. Valparaiso, Chile, has fifteen funiculars, the oldest dating from 1883. Some of them are inside the historic quarter, which has been declared a World Heritage area by UNESCO. Many are currently in disrepair and have been shut down by municipal authorities. There has been recent controversy regarding five of the elevators in the downtown area, where there have been protests about safety and operation. The Polanco Elevator, perhaps the most unusual, had been closed for repairs to the structure and recently re-entered service. The Carmelit is an underground funicular railway in Haifa, Israel.

It is one of the smallest metro systems in the world, having only four cars, six stations and a single tunnel 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long. It operated from its construction in 1959 until 1986 after showing signs of aging. It subsequently reopened in September 1992 after extensive renovations. The Scenic Railway at Katoomba Scenic World, Blue Mountains, Australia (which supports multiple tourist attractions such as the Skyway and Cableway), is claimed to be the world's steepest passenger-carrying funicular railway, with a maximum incline of 52 degrees or 122%, with a total incline length of and a vertical lift of in a horizontal distance of . The railway is on the old mining track. The Great Incline of the Mount Lowe Railway (above right) had multiple grades with cars that adjusted to the variations. The gentlest grade was 48%, the steepest 62%. The Niesenbahn in the Swiss Kandertal is the longest continuous-cable funicular in Europe. In Lugano, a funicular connects the city centre with Lugano railway station on the hillside above.

In Ukraine, The Kiev Funicular serves the city of Kiev, connecting the historic Uppertown, and the lower neighborhood of Podil through the steep Volodymyrska Hill overseeing the Dnieper River. Funicular was constructed during 1902–05. In Poland, the most popular is the Gubałówka Hill Funicular, operated by Polish Cable Lines (Polskie Koleje Linowe, PKL). Water-powered funiculars include the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway in North Devon, England; the CAT Funicular at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Gwynedd, Wales; the Nerobergbahn in Wiesbaden, Germany; and the Bom Jesus funicular in Braga, Portugal (the oldest, still working, in the world). The Great Orme Tramway is the only cable-hauled tramway still operating on British public roads. It runs from Church Walks in Llandudno. It first opened on 31 July 1902 and runs on a daily basis from late March to late October, taking visitors to the summit of The Great Orme, climbing of track to the summit complex at a height of .

There are panoramic views of the Welsh mountains and as far as the Isle of Man, Blackpool and the Lake District. There is an exhibition of the history of this funicular tramway at the half-way station. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has two operational funiculars, called "inclines". The Monongahela Incline travels between the top of the Mount Washington hillside to Station Square at the base of the mountain along the Monongahela River. It serves as a tourist attraction and mass transit system. The Duquesne Incline connects Duquesne Heights with the lower elevations of Pittsburgh. Naples, Italy, has four funiculars. The Chiaia Funicular was built in 1889, followed within two years by the Montesanto Funicular, and after some years by Central Funicular and Mergellina. The most famous funicular in Naples was the Mount Vesuvius Funicular (1880–1944), the first railway track in the world built on an active volcano, which was destroyed various times by Vesuvius eruptions. It appears to have been originally constructed as a monorail.

It was partially modified to become a rack railway in its last section, it was destroyed by the eruption in 1944. It became famous worldwide because the Neapolitan song "Funiculì Funiculà" was dedicated to it. The Johnstown Inclined Plane (built in 1890) in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States, is claimed to be the world's steepest vehicular inclined plane, at 70.9%. In addition to passengers, it can carry one automobile in each direction. Chattanooga, Tennessee, is home to the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway (built in 1895), which travels from the base to the top of Lookout Mountain and falsely with a maximum grade of 72.7%. In addition to the historic Angels Flight and Mount Lowe Railway, Southern California has two recently constructed funicular railways. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, has a funicular that takes guests up the Mountain from an area near the park entrance to a station near the Ninja coaster entrance.

It was called "Funicular" for many years, introducing thousands of people to the word, but is now known as the "Orient Express" to fit in with the Far Eastern theme at the top of the Mountain. The Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry, California, formerly the Industry Hills Sheraton Resort, utilizes a funicular to transport golfers and their carts. The line runs from the 9th Green of the "Ike" Course and 18th Green of the "Babe" Course to the St. Andrews Station, a replica of a Scottish station that houses concessions and eating areas with spectacular views of the two hillside courses. The railway was installed in 1979 as part of a brownfield reclamation project that transformed a collection of hills containing a former refuse dump into a resort and convention and recreation center. The funicular was devised as a perfect solution for transporting golfers among the steep and dramatic terrain of the demanding and highly regarded golf courses. The railway is currently not in operation but remains fully intact awaiting necessary maintenance until it can once again ferry golfers up the 33% grade overlooking the San Gabriel Valley and San Bernardino Mountains.

The Falls Incline Railway, originally the Horseshoe Falls Incline, at Niagara Falls, Canada, gives access to hotels above the falls. The funicular in Baku, Azerbaijan connects the hilltop Alley of Martyrs with Neftchilar Avenue on the Caspian seaside. The Baku Funicular is long and has been in operation since 1960. ==Private funiculars== Private funiculars on steep sections provide easier access from the street to a house than steep paths or steps. They are common in hilly cities, such as Wellington, New Zealand, which has about 300. These have a small car for two to four people permanently attached to a cable from a winch, which runs on an inclined pair of rails (beams) or a single rail at a low speed (0.3 to 1.0 metres/second). They are often called "cable cars" or "lifts" (elevators), e.g., in the New Zealand standard for private cable cars. Larger and faster models can improve access to commercial buildings. GreenWood Forest Park in Gwynedd, Wales is home to the Green Dragon roller coaster.

This coaster uses a funicular railway pulley system to lift the empty roller coaster using the weight of the people about to ride in it. An apartment complex in San Francisco called Las Casitas has its own inclined elevator shaped like the city's Cable Cars. It was built and installed by Dwan Elevator Co.. [ Hillbilly Golf, a miniature golf course in Gatlinburg, Tennessee has a private funicular which takes patrons from the parking lot/office at the bottom of the mountain to the first hole (of either one of two courses); and picks up patrons from the 18th holes (about midway between the bottom and top). == Smallest public funiculars == The smallest public funicular in the world is the Fisherman's Walk Cliff Railway in Bournemouth, England, at a length of . The smallest funicular in Croatia is the Zagreb Funicular with a length of . The smallest funicular in Italy is the Ferata Gran Risa, located in La Ila in South Tyrol, with a length of . The smallest funicular in Switzerland is located in Lucerne. It serves the guests of the 100-year-old hotel Montana and is of the same age as the hotel.

One single cabin shuffles between the top station and the bottom station at the lake promenade (length: ). The travel time for both directions is 60 seconds. ==See also== *Aerial tramway *Cable car *Cable car (railway) *Cable ferry *Gravity railroad *Incline elevator *Kaprun disaster *List of funicular railways *Mountain railway *Public transport *Reaction ferry *Slope car *Steep grade railway *Teleferique == References == steepest railway in the world - YouTube steepest railway in the world Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Dec 4, 2015 A funicular (/fjʉˈnɪkjʉlər/), also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other.

Funiculars of one sort or another have existed for hundreds of years and continue to be used for moving both passengers and goods. Its name derives from the latin, funiculus, diminutive of funis, meaning "rope". Photo credit Jon Parise Funicular railway definition by Babylon’s free dictionary Wikipedia Dictionaries English Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia A funicular , also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other. Funiculars of one sort or another have existed for hundreds of years and continue to be used for moving both passengers and goods. Its name derives from the latin, funiculus, diminutive of funis, meaning "rope". See more at Wikipedia.org...

Funicular, Cerro San Cristóbal, Santiago, Chile | A funicula… | Flickr Thaddeus Roan By: Thaddeus Roan Funicular, Cerro San Cristóbal, Santiago, Chile A funicular , also known as a funicular railway, inclined railway, inclined plane, or cliff railway, is a type of self-contained cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a very steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other. Cerro San Cristóbal is a hill in the Barrio Bellavista section of Santiago, Chile. The hill rises 880 m above sea level and about 300 m above the rest of Santiago; the peak is the second highest point in the city, after Cerro Renca. Its original indigenous name was Tupahue. It was named by the Spanish conquistadors for St Christopher, in recognition of its use as a landmark. At the peak, there is a church with an amphitheater, and a 22 meter statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary donated by France in the 1920s.

Pope John Paul II gave mass there in 1987. The spot is a superb location from which to view the city - when the smog permits it. At its foothills are the Metropolitan Zoo and a Japanese-style garden, and up there are also two municipal pools, Tupahue and Antilén. Cerro San Cristóbal houses Santiago's largest public park: Parque Metropolitano (Metropolitan Park). (Wikipedia) Done About: Funicular About: Funicular An Entity of Type : Thing , from Named Graph : , within Data Space : dbpedia.org A funicular (/fjᵿˈnɪkjᵿlər/), also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other. Funiculars of one sort or another have existed for hundreds of years and continue to be used for moving both passengers and goods. Its name derives from the latin, funiculus, diminutive of funis, meaning "rope".

Property abstract Eine Standseilbahn ist ein zu den Seilbahnen gehörendes schienengebundenes Verkehrsmittel, dessen Fahrbetriebsmittel auf Schienen oder anderen festen Führungen fahren und durch ein oder mehrere Seile bewegt werden. Mit diesem Verkehrsmittel können auf kurzer Strecke beträchtliche Höhenunterschiede überwunden werden. Bei Bergstrecken verkehren üblicherweise zwei Wagen oder Wagengruppen, die fest mit einem Drahtseil verbunden sind, das in der Bergstation über eine Seilscheibe geführt wird. Die beiden Wagen oder Wagengruppen am Drahtseil halten sich ungefähr im Gleichgewicht, so dass für den Antrieb der Bahn nur kleine Kräfte aufgebracht werden müssen. Der Antrieb erfolgte früher oft durch Wasserballast (Wasserballastbahn), heute meistens durch einen Elektromotor, der auf die Seilscheibe in der Bergstation wirkt.

Bei den meisten Bahnen begegnet der talwärts fahrende Wagen dem bergwärts fahrenden Wagen in der Mitte der Strecke, wo eine Ausweichstelle angelegt ist. Kürzere Strecken sind alternativ oft zweigleisig angelegt. Von der Standseilbahn zu unterscheiden sind die an das Zugseil an- und abkuppelnden Kabelbahnen, wie die San Francisco Cable Cars oder die Mini-Metro. (de) A funicular (/fjᵿˈnɪkjᵿlər/), also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other. Funiculars of one sort or another have existed for hundreds of years and continue to be used for moving both passengers and goods. Its name derives from the latin, funiculus, diminutive of funis, meaning "rope".

(en) Un funiculaire est une remontée mécanique équipée de véhicules circulant sur des rails en pente et dont la traction est assurée par un câble pour s'affranchir de la déclivité du terrain. Il se compose généralement de deux rames reliées par un ou plusieurs câbles réalisant, chacun, une demi-boucle en gare terminale. Le poids du train descendant compensant tout ou partie du poids du train montant, l’énergie à fournir par la traction reste ainsi relativement faible. Le moteur actionnant le câble est situé à de très rares exceptions près dans la station amont de la ligne. Il permet de fournir la puissance perdue par le frottement des roues sur les rails, celle perdue dans le système poulie-câble ainsi que celle, éventuellement nécessaire, pour vaincre la différence de poids entre les deux trains.

Un funiculaire ne doit pas être confondu avec le téléphérique, la télécabine ou le chemin de fer à crémaillère, voire l'ascenseur ou l'ascenseur incliné qui est constitué d'une seule cabine autonome, comme aurait dû théoriquement se renommer le nouveau funiculaire de Montmartre ou le Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec. Il est généralement utilisé comme transport en commun, notamment en milieu urbain pour la desserte d'un territoire communal au relief difficile. Il est également utilisé dans certaines stations de montagne pour la pratique du ski alpin, ou l'accès à des sentiers de randonnée, ou encore pour accéder à des points isolés tels les belvédères. Il sert également comme transport pour compte propre, dans l'industrie en particulier. (fr) Se denomina funicular a un tipo especial de ferrocarril utilizado para salvar grandes pendientes. No se debe confundir con los ferrocarriles dotados de planos inclinados.

Circula sobre raíles y normalmente dispone de dos cabinas enlazadas por un cable de acero sobre una vía de ferrocarril, a modo de ascensor inclinado, de tal forma que mientras un vehículo sube el otro baja, lo que permite aprovechar la energía potencial del que queda en la parte superior para subir el inferior a la vez que se frena el que está bajando. Su nombre deriva del latín, funiculus, diminutivo de funis, que significa "cuerda". Los vagones suelen compartir la misma vía salvo en el punto medio, donde se bifurca para que puedan pasar a la vez. Los vehículos carecen de motorización propia, ya que el movimiento lo imprime un motor que acciona una gran polea, que a su vez mueve el cable de tracción. No obstante, los vehículos van dotados de varios sistemas de frenado, tanto de servicio como de urgencia, este último en caso de fallo en las instalaciones (rotura o disensión del cable, etc.) o en los vehículos.

Este medio de transporte se creó alrededor del Siglo XIX como una alternativa a las vías del ferrocarril, como medio de vencer grandes pendientes. El primer funicular del mundo, accionado por una máquina de vapor, fue el que unía Rue Terme con Croix Rousse y fue inaugurado en Lyon en el año 1862. Después del primer funicular, los siguientes fueron: La primera aplicación para transporte de viajeros se hizo en Dusino, Italia, y un año después en Lyon, Francia, para superar rampas de planos inclinados de hasta un 60%. El primer funicular con motor eléctrico fue el de Suiza. A partir de entonces, comenzó a haber más y más funiculares, y en Europa llegaron a circular más de trescientos. Este transporte tiene grandes ventajas, por su seguridad, funcionalidad y capacidad de transporte y su adaptación tanto a las zonas urbanas como a las de montaña, y por ello nuevamente se han puesto de moda. Hoy en día en Europa existen más de doscientos funiculares en servicio.

(es) القطار الجبلي المائل، المعروف أيضًا باسم المسطح المائل أو سكة حديد الجرف، هو قطار مُعلق بكابلات حيث تقومكابل متصلة بزوجٍ من المركبات الشبيهة بالترام القائمة على القضبان، بتحريكهما أعلى وأسفل منحدر حاد، وتُوازن المركبات الصاعدة والهابطة بعضها البعض. (ar) La funicolare è una modalità di trasporto terrestre "a guida vincolata", appartenente alla categoria del trasporto a fune, solitamente in regime di servizio o trasporto pubblico. Caratteristiche distintive sono l'utilizzo di una fune come organo di trazione e il movimento su una o più vie di corsa costituite da classici binari oppure da speciali guide, metalliche o di altri materiali. In queste ultime realizzazioni possono venire impiegate ruote gommate.

Questi impianti vengono generalmente realizzati allo scopo di superare sensibili dislivelli - soprattutto in ambiti montuosi - ma esistono numerosi esempi, in particolare in tempi recenti, a sviluppo pianeggiante o misto (vedere paragrafo "particolarità"). La funicolare non va confusa con la ferrovia a cremagliera la quale, pur circolando su binario, presenta un principio di funzionamento radicalmente diverso. Per il solo trasporto di merci, pur non variando sostanzialmente composizione e funzionamento, si usa il termine tecnico di piano inclinato.

(it) ケーブルカーとは、山岳の急斜面などを、鋼索（ケーブル）が繋がれた車両を巻上機等で巻き上げて運転する鉄道である。鋼索鉄道（こうさくてつどう）ともいう。また、近年では山岳地帯での使用にとどまらず、車両に動力を積まない為、推進効率に優れているので都市や空港等での輸送にも用いられる。 (ja) Een kabelspoorweg is een spoorweg waarover een kabeltrein rijdt, een trein die over een steile baan door een kabel wordt voortgetrokken. In het Engels en Frans wordt deze respectievelijk funicular en funiculaire genoemd. In het Duits spreekt men van een Standseilbahn. Een kabelspoorweg wordt aangelegd in gebieden met veel hoogteverschil. De baan van een kabelspoorweg is meestal (maar niet altijd) kaarsrecht.

Is de helling erg steil, dan is een kabelspoorweg gelijk aan een lift - er zijn zelfs kabelspoorwegen die door de gebruikers zelf worden bediend door op knoppen te drukken. Kabelspoorwegen maken over het algemeen gebruik van spoorrails. Vrijwel altijd rijden er twee kabeltreinen (twee banen naast elkaar of een baan met passeermogelijkheden) die elkaars contragewicht zijn. In Nederland komt de kabelspoorweg niet voor. In België is een 'funiculaire' aangelegd in Spa. Deze kabelspoorweg wordt geëxploiteerd door de Waalse vervoermaatschappij Transport en commun (TEC). De kabelspoorweg is bedoeld om bezoekers en hotelgasten van een nabijgelegen hotel naar de thermen van Spa te brengen die zich vlak bij het eindstation bevinden. In landen als Duitsland, Oostenrijk en Zwitserland komen meer kabelspoorwegen voor.

Het Oostenrijkse skioord Serfaus heeft sinds 1985 een ondergrondse kabelspoorweg. Er worden geen rails gebruikt; de voertuigen zweven met behulp van luchtkussens. In Triëst in het noordoosten van Italië is er de 'Tram de Opicina', een tram die op een zeer steil gedeelte van het traject door een kabeltrein omhooggeduwd of tegengehouden wordt, volgens het principe van een kabelspoorweg. Deze tram is enig in zijn soort. (nl) Um funicular (português europeu) ou plano inclinado (português brasileiro), é um carro de cabos que circula sobre trilho; a sua principal função é o transporte de passageiros ou carga ao longo de encostas. Uma linha de funicular é normalmente constituída por dois carros puxados por um cabo de aço, um em cada extremo da linha; partem ao mesmo tempo numa linha única, a meio do percurso a linha divide-se em duas permitindo o cruzamento.

O nome deriva do latim, funiculus, diminutivo de funis que significa "corda". (pt) Kolej linowo-terenowa – kolej szynowa, w której ruch pojazdu wywołany jest liną napędową. Stosowana jest zazwyczaj do pokonywania spadków terenu. Wagon porusza się po torze za pomocą liny napędowej, zaś ta przesuwa się na kółkach podporowych między szynami.

Istnieją dwa zasadnicze rodzaje tych kolei: (pl) 纜索鐵路亦稱作地面纜車，是種結合索道與登山鐵路技術的運輸工具：用纜索縳住類似有軌電車的車廂，在陡峭路軌上拖拉行走。纜車的動力裝置放在車站內，車上的機器很簡單，故此非常適合攀爬非常斜的山坡。纜車可攀爬的坡度可達122%，超過齒軌鐵路等登山鐵路技術。 (zh) comment A funicular (/fjᵿˈnɪkjᵿlər/), also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other. Funiculars of one sort or another have existed for hundreds of years and continue to be used for moving both passengers and goods. Its name derives from the latin, funiculus, diminutive of funis, meaning "rope".

(en) القطار الجبلي المائل، المعروف أيضًا باسم المسطح المائل أو سكة حديد الجرف، هو قطار مُعلق بكابلات حيث تقومكابل متصلة بزوجٍ من المركبات الشبيهة بالترام القائمة على القضبان، بتحريكهما أعلى وأسفل منحدر حاد، وتُوازن المركبات الصاعدة والهابطة بعضها البعض. (ar) Funicular definition by Babylon’s free dictionary \fu*nic"u*lar\ (?), a. [cf. f. funiculaire.] 1. consisting of a small cord or fiber. 2. dependent on the tension of a cord. 3. (anat.) pertaining to a funiculus; made up of, or resembling, a funiculus, or funiculi; as, a funicular ligament. funicular action (mech.), the force or action exerted by a rope in drawing together the supports to which its ends are fastened, when acted upon by forces applied in a direction transverse to the rope, as in the archer's bow. funicular curve. same as catenary.

funicular machine (mech.), an apparatus for illustrating certain principles in statics, consisting of a cord or chain attached at one end to a fixed point, and having the other passed over a pulley and sustaining a weight, while one or more other weights are suspended from the cord at points between the fixed support and the pulley. funicular polygon (mech.), the polygonal figure assumed by a cord fastened at its extremities, and sustaining weights at different points. funicular adj : relating to or operated by a cable; "funicular railway" n : a railway up the side of a mountain pulled by a moving cable and having counterbalancing ascending and descending cars [syn: cable railway, funicular railway] similar words(2) Translation of Funicular in English \fu*nic"u*lar\ (?), a. [cf. f. funiculaire.] 1. consisting of a small cord or fiber. 2. dependent on the tension of a cord. 3. (anat.) pertaining to a funiculus; made up of, or resembling, a funiculus, or funiculi; as, a funicular ligament.

funicular action (mech.), the force or action exerted by a rope in drawing together the supports to which its ends are fastened, when acted upon by forces applied in a direction transverse to the rope, as in the archer's bow. funicular curve. same as catenary. funicular machine (mech.), an apparatus for illustrating certain principles in statics, consisting of a cord or chain attached at one end to a fixed point, and having the other passed over a pulley and sustaining a weight, while one or more other weights are suspended from the cord at points between the fixed support and the pulley. funicular polygon (mech.), the polygonal figure assumed by a cord fastened at its extremities, and sustaining weights at different points.

funicular adj : relating to or operated by a cable; "funicular railway" n : a railway up the side of a mountain pulled by a moving cable and having counterbalancing ascending and descending cars [syn: cable railway, funicular railway] similar words(2) More: English to English translation of funicular A funicular , also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other. Funiculars of one sort or another have existed for hundreds of years and continue to be used for moving both passengers and goods. Its name derives from the latin, funiculus, diminutive of funis, meaning "rope". See more at Wikipedia.org... More: English to English translation of funicular Noun 1. a railway up the side of a mountain pulled by a moving cable and having counterbalancing ascending and descending cars (synonym) cable railway, funicular railway (hypernym) railway, railroad, railroad line, railway line, railway system (part-meronym) cable car, car 1.

relating to or operated by a cable; "funicular railway" (pertainym) cable

Question: What name is given to a railway in which a cable attached to a pair of vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other?
Answer: Funicular