Cable car (railway)

Machinery driving the San Francisco cable car.

(for 'cable car' systems where the vehicles are suspended and not on rails, see aerial lift)

A cable car on rails is a tram-like vehicle on rails for public transport which is pulled by a cable. A cable car on rails differs from other rail transport modes in that the motive power is in fixed engine that pulls the cable, and thus falls in the category of cable transport. The vehicle itself is usually unpowered. It is thus very similar to a funicular. However single cables may go up one hill and down another. The cable car grips the cable using a grip (a very large pliers). The car is stopped by letting the grip detach from the cable, and then applying brakes.

In San Francisco, California at four o'clock in the morning on August 2, 1873, Andrew Smith Hallidie successfully tested the world's first cable car.

An underground loop of steel cable runs continuously. The vehicles on rail use a gripping device to attach to and detach from the moving cable. Such a system is quite effective for the steep streets on the hills of San Francisco. The cable cars are still in operation and represent a world famous tourist attraction. Part of the skill of driving these is where the driver, known as the "grip man," has to release the grip at certain points in order to coast the vehicle over the pulleys. Only a small proportion of people who attempt the training course actually pass it. Prospective drivers are also screened to ensure that they have a good personality and are suitable for dealing with large numbers of tourists and leaving a good impression of the city.

Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA is a similar cable car system.

Cities that have had cable cars include