Scarborough Cliff Railway

There have been five railways in Scarborough, two have closed, North Cliff Lift and the Queen's Parade Cliff Lift.

The three existing lifts are open May to October.

South Cliff Lift

NGR TA045877

The Scarborough South Cliff Tramway Company Limited was created in 1873 to link the South Cliff Esplanade with the South Sands, when opened it was the first funicular in the UK.

The lift was designed by Crossley Brothers of Manchester, the cars were constructed by the Metropolitan Carriage Company of Birmingham. The lift was first using water as counterweight. It was using sea water. Two gas engines (replaced by steam pumps in 1879) were installed to pump the sea water to the upper station to fill the top car (and also a bathing pool!). The water pipe was between the two parallel tracks.

In 1997, the lift was modified to be completely automatic.

The Stats

Date Opened	6/7/1875	Length	87 m
Gradient	1:1.75	Track Gauge	1435 mm
Number of Cars	2	Open to Public	Yes
Funicular Type		Track layout
Power Source	Water Balanced 1875-1947 1875-1879 Powerd by 1875-1947 Powerd by 1947-	Railway Status

Central Tramway

NGR TA044884

The Central Tramway Company Scarborough Limited was created and registered in 1880.

The lift was designed for steam operation, this was housed away from the top station. The driver has no view of the cars so used marks on the rope to indicate car positions.

In 1910 this was converted to electric drive. In 1932 the cars were replaced and the motor placed under the top station. Control was from a driving position at the top of the station with full view of the cars. For emergency use each car is fitted with a screw on and wedge safety brake which operates on a safety rail down the center of each track and the rail also carries the rollers for the support of the cables.

The Central Tramway Company Scarborough Limited still operates in its original corporate form

The Stats

Date Opened	1/8/1881	Length	71 m
Gradient	1:2	Track Gauge	1435 mm
Number of Cars	2	Open to Public	Yes
Funicular Type		Track layout
Power Source	1881-1910 1910-	Railway Status

North Cliff

NGR TA038896

The North Clift Lift was built by the Medway Safety Lift Company Ltd but in 1930. The lift was part of a large Corporation development at Peasholm Gap. It closed in September 1996. It has been dismanteled and will now be re-assembeld in Launceston, Cornwall

The Stats

Date Opened	?/8/1930	Length	51 m
Gradient	1:2	Track Gauge	1981 mm
Number of Cars	2	Open to Public	Yes
Funicular Type		Track layout
Power Source		Railway Status

St Nicholas Cliff

NGR TA044883

Built by the Medway Safety Lift Company Ltd to help the great number of passengers on the Central Tramway Cliff Lift located just behind the Grand Hotel. The Saint-Nicholas Cliff Lift is located on the other side of the Grand Hotel near the Aquarium.

The control equipment was incorporated in the upper station and no station was provided at the bottom of the lift, where passengers stepped directly out on the pavement.

The old colourscheme

The Stats

Date Opened	5/8/1929	Length	31 m
Gradient	1:1.33	Track Gauge	2286 mm
Number of Cars	2	Open to Public	No-Closed
Funicular Type		Track layout
Power Source		Railway Status

Queens Parade Cliff

NGR TA042892

The direct result of the success of the South Cliff Lift was the promotion of a similar line on the North Bay. The Scarborough Queen's Parade Tramway Company Limited was created on March 4th 1878 to link the Queen's Parade, on the top of the North Cliff, to the sands and more precisely to the Promenade Pier.

On opening day a cabin broke loose and seriously damaged the lower station. The lift was closed for the rest of the year. It was really unlucky, with an accident every year, pump engine and water supply failures, landslips. A further landslip in 1887 stopped the use of the lift.

The Stats

Date Opened	8/8/1878	Length	87 m
Gradient	1:2.5	Track Gauge	1219 mm
Number of Cars	2	Open to Public	Yes
Funicular Type		Track layout
Power Source		Railway Status