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The Funival is a gauge
The Funival uses two trains, connected by cables, on a single track. Halfway, a short section of dual track (
system
and th
track and cars
(in French) {{coord, 45, 27, 33, N, 6, 57, 51, E, source:kolossus-frwiki, display=title
The Funival is a gauge funicular
A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...
railway in Val-d'Isère
Val-d'Isère (, literally ''Valley of Isère'') is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region) in southeastern France. It lies from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise Nationa ...
, France
The Funival starts above ground in La Daille and after a few hundred meters it enters a tunnel ending at the mountain station on top of the ''Bellevarde''.The Funival uses two trains, connected by cables, on a single track. Halfway, a short section of dual track (
passing loop
A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...
) allows the trains to pass each other.
Description
A single track starts in La Daille from where the train runs up an elevated track for . The remaining . runs through a drilled tunnel. Halfway a section ofdouble track
A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.
Overview
In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most lin ...
allows the climbing train to pass the downward train.
A cable runs from the front of the lower train, via a construction of electric powered pulley
A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable or belt, or transfer of power between the shaft and cable or belt. In the case of a pulley supported by a frame or shell that ...
s in the mountain station to the back of the descending train.
The mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
of the descending train helps pull the climbing train and electric motors provide the power to overcome the weight difference between the climbing and descending trains plus any friction.
During most runs the climbing train will be far heavier than the descending train as the main function of the Funival is to take skiers to the top of the mountain. If the descending train is heavier than the climbing (when more passengers travel down than up) the electric motors can work as brakes. Each train is also provided with mechanical brakes to act as emergency brakes if the main cable should break.
Although the Funival runs summer and winter it was primarily built to bring skiers to the top of the mountain.
Technical details
See also
*List of funicular railways
This is a list of funicular railways, organised by place within country and continent. The funiculars range from short urban lines to significant multi-section mountain railways.
A funicular railway is distinguished from the similar incline eleva ...
References
External links
* Photos of the Funivasystem
and th
track and cars
(in French) {{coord, 45, 27, 33, N, 6, 57, 51, E, source:kolossus-frwiki, display=title
Funival
The Funival is a gauge funicular railway in Val-d'Isère, France
The Funival starts above ground in La Daille and after a few hundred meters it enters a tunnel ending at the mountain station on top of the ''Bellevarde''.
The Funival uses two ...
Ski lifts
1200 mm gauge railways in France