The funicular railway that links these two coastal towns was the brainchild of a certain George Marks, reputedly an aficionado of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The cliffs separating the two towns had always caused severe problems for the transportation of goods and for the local people who faced the torturous climb on a regular basis. Lynmouth, by the early 19th century, was increasing in popularity due to the steamer boats that brought over holidaymakers and day-trippers from Bristol and Swansea but naturally enough, the ascent from Lynmouth to Lynton deterred all but the most fit or most foolish.
Ponies and donkeys could be hired at sixpence a time but the steep gradients tested them to their limit. Similarly, carriages were later introduced but the unfortunate horses that drew these along rarely lasted more than a couple of years before expiring.
In December 1881, a novel solution to the problem was raised in the local press by way of the construction of a funicular railway that would climb the steep cliffs by way of a counterbalance system. This would necessitate cutting a track-way into the cliff-side at a gradient of 1 in 1.75, or approximately 55%. The cost of the construction was put at £8000. To raise such a large sum of money meant that the project took several years to come to fruition, with work eventually starting in 1887 after Sir George Newnes, a wealthy publisher, agreed to fund the project.
Work took three years to complete with the inaugural run taking place on April 9th 1890, it being hailed as a resounding success. It has operated ever since, even during both World Wars, without incident or fatality, a tribute to the engineering prowess of it’s builders.
HOW IT WORKS
The two cars are permanently joined by a continuous cable that runs around two 5 feet 6 inch diameter pulleys at the top and bottom of the track bed. Each car has a 700-gallon reservoir beneath the passenger compartment. The car at the top of the cliff has it’s reservoir filled with water that is pumped up from the West Lyn river, about a mile away. As the top car fills with water, it becomes heavier than the lower car, starts to descend the gradient and begins to pull the lower, lighter car up the hill, which itself, will have dumped it’s water upon reaching the bottom on it’s descent run. The two tracks are only a few inches apart but widen out halfway down the gradient enough to allow the two cars to pass safely.
Obviously, some form of braking system is required and the cliff railway has two sets. The first takes the form of shoes that press down upon the rail surface giving maximum friction between the two surfaces. The second set work directly opposite to those on a motor-car; they are permanently "on", operated by a large water accumulator via the driver’s hand wheel. Thus, when the cars are unattended, it’s impossible for them to move.
The two drivers are linked by a system of warning lights and buzzers that automatically inform each of them when the other car is ready for it’s run.
Each car can hold up to 40 passengers and weighs two tonnes when fully loaded. The track length is 862 feet and the vertical distance climbed is almost exactly 500 feet. The Cliff Railway is now one of the major tourist attractions in the west-country yet still performs it’s role just as efficiently today as when it was opened, 116 years ago. The entire system is now grade two listed by English Heritage.