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Devon
- Place of Interest
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Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway
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Visit Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway
in Exmoor National Park and discover miles of National Trust, riverside and costal walks.
The railway is the South West's most popular
working attraction but it is also an integral part of daily
life in Lynton and Lynmouth and provides one of the world's most spectacular railway rides.
In the 19th century, the high cliffs separating the two villages were a major obstacle
to economic development. Transport over land was
extremely difficult and so coal, lime, foodstuffs and other essentials
mostly arrived in sailing vessels, which had to be carried by packhorses
or in horse-drawn carts up the steep hill to Lynmouth. A
solution came with the design of the railway by a follower of
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, George Marks. Sir George Newnes, a
publisher with a fondness for Lynton and Lynmouth, put up most of
the money and work began in 1887 and the first descent took place
in 1890.
The rails are 862 feet in length and the top station is 500
feet above the first, giving a 1:1.75 incline. Each car can carry
40 passengers and the system works on a balancing principle -
each car has a 700 gallon water tank, filled with water piped from
the river.The drivers use pre-arranged signals to release the
cars brakes. The lower driver then discharges water to make the top
car heavier. The top car then rolls down the rails - at the same
time pulling the lower car up. Each car has two sets of brakes which
are also water operated.
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For further
information on this title please
Click Here
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Travel Publishing Ltd, 7a Apollo House, Calleva Park,
Aldermaston, Berkshire, UK RG7 8TN
e-mail:
info@travelpublishing.co.uk
Copyright © 2006 Travel Publishing Ltd |
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