The Old Quebec Funicular (french: Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec) is a

funicular railway 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 ...

in the

Old Quebec Old Quebec (french: Vieux-Québec) is a historic neighbourhood of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Comprising the Upper Town (french: Haute-Ville) and Lower Town (french: Basse-Ville), the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Administratively, Old ...

neighbourhood of

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada. It links the Haute-Ville (Upper Town) at

Dufferin Terrace Terrasse Dufferin (Dufferin Terrace) is a boardwalk that wraps around the Château Frontenac in Quebec City, Quebec, towards the Citadelle, overlooking the St. Lawrence River. History The terrace was built under the direction of the Marquess o ...

to the Basse-Ville (Lower Town) at

Rue du Petit-Champlain Rue du Petit-Champlain (English: Little Champlain Street) is a street in the Canadian city of Quebec City, Quebec. It is located in the Petit Champlain commercial district, at the foot of Cap Diamant, and contains many boutique shops. Quartier ...

. The Basse-Ville includes such sites as the colonial-era Notre Dame des Victoires church, the historic Petit Champlain district, the port, and the

Musée de la civilisation The Musée de la civilisation, often directly translated in English-language media outside Quebec as the Museum of Civilization, is a museum located in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is situated in the historic Old Quebec area near the Saint La ...

(Museum of Civilization). Climbing at a 45-degree angle, the railway covers a total distance of .

History

The funicular opened on November 17, 1879, and it originally used the

water ballast system 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 ...

of propulsion. The line was converted to electrical operation in 1907. On July 2, 1945, a major fire destroyed the structure, necessitating a rebuild that was completed in 1946. Since then, major renovations have taken place in 1978 and 1998. In 2004, it celebrated 125 years of operating. In October 1996, Briton Helen Tombs was killed when the cable snapped and the emergency brake failed to stop the cabin before it crashed into the lower station. As a result of this fatal crash, the funicular was closed and entirely revamped with modern technology. It reopened in 1998, technically as an

inclined elevator An inclined elevator or inclined lift is a form of cable railway that hauls rail cars up a steep gradient. Introduction An inclined elevator consists of one or two inclined tracks on a slope with a single car on each carrying payload. In t ...

, since both cabins are independent. The funicular has the following technical parameters: *Length: ' *Height: ' *Cars: ''2'' *Configuration: ''

Double 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 ...

'' *Traction: ''Electricity''

References

External links

The Old Quebec Funicular
(in English)
{{Authority control Funicular railways in Canada Transport in Quebec City Quebec railways Tourist attractions in Quebec City Former water-powered funicular railways converted to electricity Railway lines opened in 1879 Old Quebec

History

See also

References

External links