Definitions

The Principle

At the beginning of the railway transportations, the tracks were quite horizontal, but quickly arrived the necessity for the trains to use inclined areas . To solve this problem, the cog wheel trains were used for the long distances with multiple curves. But this system is limited for inclines with medium gradients. But for small distances with big gradient and small sinuosity another system was used: the funicular traction. With this system, the vehicle is pulled by a cable during the rising, and only guided during the descent. The cable is moved by a fix power unit which can be of different kinds. There are lots of different types of funicular railways but only Cliff Railways are described here.

The principle was to fill a wagon at the top which was then heavier than the unladened wagon at the bottom, these are connected by a wire around a pulley, gravity does the rest. This principle has been modified using additional power sources such as animals, water and latterly electricity.

**TYPES OF FUNICULARS**
(the red circle is a power unit, the white circle is a passive pulley)
	Counterbalanced / one cabin is heavier than the other one
	Classical Funicular: one cabin is pulled, the other one is guided
	Only one cabin, sometimes also called lift
	Only one cabin but the power unit is at the lower station
	Two cabins independent or coupled
	Modern Funicular: same as classical Funicular but powered
	Same as modern Funicular but with the power station at the bottom
	One cabin, one cable for the tension and the engine in the middle
	Two half sections and the power unit between the two sections
	One cabin, one loop cable, engine at the bottom

**TYPES OF TRACKS**
	2-4-2	One track with a siding
	3-4-2	Two tracks with 3 rails / a siding / one track
	3-4-3	Two tracks with 3 rails and a siding
		Single track
		Two parallel tracks
		Twin Track with passing Siding

**STATUS**
	Disappeared
	In use
	Stopped
	Project / Under construction
	Unknown

**ENERGY**
	Electricity
	Water-ballast counterbalanced
	Steam
	Human /Animal
	Oil
	Gas

When a Railway is stated as open to the Public, it means that even though it may not now be running, the site and remains can be visited, i.e. they are not on private land. The railway might not be able to ridden even is specified as open.