At Hill Hiker®, we find funiculars, also known as outdoor lifts, fascinating but sadly the general public does not devote much time to this marvel. They have been around for about 500 years and continue to evolve, improve and become stronger and more efficient. Here is the interesting history on our favorite product here at Hill Hiker®:
Before Outdoor Lifts
Sloped hills, cliffs and mountains were daunting formations before they simplified travel. To bring supplies up steep slopes trains needed to take a meandering route, circling the formation until it reached the summit. The problem with traditional train cars was that a wheeled machine didn’t have enough force to make it up the hill. Utilizing a cable to pull cars up the slope and wheels and tracks to guide it, funiculars became essential for mining and slope transportation.
Funiculars…The Beginning
Once upon a time, on a steep alpine mountainside in Salzburg Austria, the first outdoor lift was born. The 500 year old funicular originally used wood rails and a hemp rope. The muscle power of humans and animals gave the force to move the cars. Soon after, the renaissance and industrial revolution brought more to Europe. A conventional design quickly emerged among early funiculars.
The Original Designs
Because early funiculars did not have access to machine power like modern funiculars, their architects had to be inventive. To compensate for the lack of power early funiculars used a two car system. The weight of the two cars would counterbalance each other, utilizing gravity to aid in the travel up and down a slope.
The Modern Designs
Modern outdoor lifts don’t necessarily use the two car system, as machine power can easily bring a car up and down a slope. They still use a cable, train-like tracks and wheels. The wheels and tracks are for guiding the funicular and the cable helps move the cart. Modern funiculars are typically built of steel and are sturdy enough to withstand rough terrain.
The Best Funiculars-Materials
Like most products, the materials matter. There’s a number of moving parts in each funicular and if one of them is weak, it could jeopardize the entire hillside lift system. At Hill Hiker®, we use only the best materials. We use galvanized, powder coat painted or stainless steel, the best motors on the market and additional top-notch components to ensure our hillside lift systems stand up to the test of weather and time. Get the details by checking out our manufacturing process.
The Best Funiculars-Design
Every slope is different. No one design could successfully suit every piece of terrain. Depending on the area, the grade and height of the slope, the capacity and other system requirements including the local weather, the outdoor lift will be very different. At Hill Hiker, Inc. our hillside lift systems are custom built to match each individual project’s needs. To see examples of how we build our systems to fit environments all over the world, check out our portfolio.
We at Hill Hiker®, hope we’ve answered your questions and satisfied your curiosity. If you would like to know more about our hillside lift systems, contact us here.
