fell mountain railway system

The Fell mountain railway system or Fell incline railway system is a type of Mountain railway system that employs a raised centre rail between the two main rails to provide extra traction and braking needed for steep grade sections. Trains are propelled and braked by wheels pressed horizontally on to the centre rail by springs, as well as by the standard vertical running wheels. These horizontal wheels may be fitted to a specially designed Fell engine, or to self-propelled railcars.

History

The Fell incline railway system was designed, developed and patented by British engineer John Barraclough Fell. The first test application was alongside the Cromford and High Peak Railway's cable hauled incline at Whaley Bridge in 1863 and 1864. These tests attracted the attention of the French Government, who conducted their own tests on the slopes of Mont Cenis in 1865. As a result of these tests, the Mont Cenis Pass Railway was built, to provide a temporary connection between France and Italy whilst the alpine tunnel under the pass was being completed. Several other Fell mountain railways were subsequently built, as described below.

A list of Fell mountain railways

The following railways have used the Fell system. Of these, the only one still in operation is the Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man.

The Mont Cenis Pass Railway on the borders of France and Italy was 48 miles long and ran from 1868 until superseded by the tunnel under the pass in 1871.
The Cantagallo Railway in Brazil was built re-using some of the equipment from the Mont Cenis Pass Railway, and continued in operation until the 1960s.
The Rimutaka Incline at Upper Hutt in New Zealand was opened in 1878 and closed in 1955.
The Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man was opened in 1895 and is still in use. This line uses electrically propelled railcars, and the centre rail is used for braking purposes only.
The Chemin de Fer du Puy de Dome at Clermont Ferrand in France was opened in 1907 and closed in 1926, using a modified version of the Fell system in which compressed air was used to force the wheels against the centre rail.