The Skarloey Funicular Railway owns two funicular cars that move up and down the steep slope carrying passengers between the Skarloey village and station. The ascending and descending cars counterbalance each other.
Biography[]
The Railway Series[]
The funicular cars were built by the Skarloey Railway Company and have been in service since September 1985. They provide convenience to the Skarloey residents and visitors. According to the publication of The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways in 1987, Awdry refers to the funicular as the most recent development on Sodor. As it was its only mention, not a lot of information is known about the Skarloey Railway Funicular Cars.[1]
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
No specific descriptions of the cars were provided in The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways.
Although, a funicular is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The configuration necessitates for two carriages to move synchronously: as one ascends, the other descends at an equal speed. This feature distinguishes funiculars from inclined elevators, which have a single car that is hauled uphill. Unlike trains that rely on wheels and a track to ease forward motion, a funicular primarily relies on a cable.[2]
Livery[]
The funicular cars' liveries were not mentioned in The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways. However, in the Railway Series, it should be noted that the Skarloey Railway coaches have a unified livery of light blue with cream window surrounds and light grey roofs.
Appearances[]
The Railway Series[]
Companion Volumes[]
- 1979 - Annual (indirectly mentioned)
- 1987 - The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways (mentioned)
Trivia[]
The Cliff Railway as seen in the magazines.
- While the funicular cars have never appeared in any Railway Series illustrations, a cliff railway operating on the Skarloey Railway made an appearance in a Thomas & Friends magazine story.
References[]
| Locomotives | Steam | Arlesdale Tramway Engines | Bill and Ben | The Blue Tank Engine | Coffee Pots | Lincoln | Neil | S&M 1 and 2 | The Goods Engine | W&SR Tank Engines |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | Mavis | |
| Other | Ministry of Defence Engine | Skarloey Funicular Railway Trams | |
| Rolling Stock | Ffarquhar Quarry Company Trucks | Haulage Wagon | Skarloey Funicular Railway Cars | Transporter Wagons | |
| Railways | Arlesdale Tramway | Ballaswein Tramway | Cronk and Harwick Railway | "The Railroad" | Skarloey Funicular Railway | Sodor and Mainland Railway | Sodor China Clay Company | Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway | Wellsworth and Suddery Railway | |
| Landmarks | Bill and Ben's Shed | The Drain | Mavis' Shed | Ffarquhar Quarry | Sodor Aluminium Company | |