Fell Mountain Railway System
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Fell system was the first third-rail system for
railways Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
that were too steep to be worked by adhesion on the two running rails alone. It uses a raised centre rail between the two running rails to provide extra traction and braking, or braking alone. Trains are propelled by wheels or braked by shoes pressed horizontally onto the centre rail, as well as by the normal running wheels. Extra brake shoes are fitted to specially designed or adapted Fell locomotives and brake vans, and for traction the locomotive has an auxiliary engine powering horizontal wheels which clamp onto the third rail. The Fell system was developed in the 1860s and was soon superseded by various types of
rack railway A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...
for new lines, but some Fell systems remained in use into the 1960s. The
Snaefell Mountain Railway The Snaefell Mountain Railway ( gv, Raad Yiarn Sniaull) is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the village of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects wit ...
still uses the Fell system for (emergency) braking, but not for traction.


History

The Fell system was designed, developed and patented by British engineer
John Barraclough Fell John Barraclough Fell (1815 – 18 October 1902) was an English railway engineer and inventor of the Fell mountain railway system. Fell spent the early part of his life in London, living with his parents. About 1835 he moved with them to ...
. The first test application was alongside the Cromford and High Peak Railway's cable-hauled incline at
Whaley Bridge Whaley Bridge () is a town and civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England. It is situated on the River Goyt, south-east of Manchester, north of Buxton, north-east of Macclesfield and west of Sheffield. It had a population ...
in
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
, England, in 1863 and 1864. These tests attracted the attention of the French Government, which conducted its own tests on the slopes of
Mont Cenis Mont Cenis ( it, Moncenisio) is a massif (el. 3,612 m / 11,850 ft at Pointe de Ronce) and a pass (el. 2,085 m / 6,840 ft) in Savoie (France), which forms the limit between the Cottian and Graian Alps. Route The term "Mont Cenis" cou ...
in 1865. As a result, the
Mont Cenis Pass Railway The Mont Cenis Pass Railway operated from 1868 to 1871 (with some interruptions) during the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel through the Alps between southeast France and northwest Italy. It was designed by John Barraclough Fell and his th ...
was built by a British company as a temporary connection between France and Italy whilst the tunnel under the Alpine pass was being built; shortening the transit time for mail from Britain and France to Italy and beyond.


List of Fell railways

The following railways have used the Fell system. Of these, the only one still in operation is the electrified
Snaefell Mountain Railway The Snaefell Mountain Railway ( gv, Raad Yiarn Sniaull) is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the village of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects wit ...
on the
Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...
, which occasionally uses the centre rail for braking only; the cars are all now equipped with
rheostatic braking Dynamic braking is the use of an electric traction motor as a generator when slowing a vehicle such as an electric or diesel-electric locomotive. It is termed " rheostatic" if the generated electrical power is dissipated as heat in brake grid ...
, which meets all normal braking needs. The only surviving Fell locomotive, New Zealand Railways H 199, is preserved at the
Fell Locomotive Museum The Fell Locomotive Museum in Featherston, New Zealand, exhibits the only remaining steam-powered Fell railway locomotive in the world. From 1877, locomotive H 199 climbed up the Rimutaka Incline using John Barraclough Fell's unique method of ...
,
Featherston, New Zealand Featherston (Māori language, Māori: ''Paetūmōkai'') is a town in the South Wairarapa (district), New Zealand, South Wairarapa District, in the Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is at the eastern foothills of Remutaka Range c ...
, near the site of the
Rimutaka Incline The Rimutaka Incline was a , gauge railway line on an average grade of 1-in-15 using the Fell system between Summit and Cross Creek stations on the Wairarapa side of the original Wairarapa Line in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand. The t ...
.


France

*The
Mont Cenis Pass Railway The Mont Cenis Pass Railway operated from 1868 to 1871 (with some interruptions) during the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel through the Alps between southeast France and northwest Italy. It was designed by John Barraclough Fell and his th ...
on the border with Italy was long and ran from 1868 until superseded by a tunnel under the pass in 1871. *The Chemin de Fer du Puy-de-Dôme at
Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label=Auvergnat (dialect), Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population ...
opened in 1907 and closed in 1926. It used
compressed air Compressed air is air kept under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. Compressed air is an important medium for transfer of energy in industrial processes, and is used for power tools such as air hammers, drills, wrenches, and o ...
to force the wheels against the centre rail.


Brazil

*The
Estrada de Ferro Cantagalo The Estrada de Ferro Cantagalo or Cantagalo Railway in Brazil operated from 1873 to 1965, and used the Fell mountain railway system, with equipment from the temporary Mont Cenis Pass Railway which closed in 1871. From 1883 the Fell rail was used f ...
( Cantagalo railway) from Niterói to Nova Friburgo opened in 1873. Brazil's first mountain railway, of gauge, re-used some of the equipment from the
Mont Cenis Pass Railway The Mont Cenis Pass Railway operated from 1868 to 1871 (with some interruptions) during the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel through the Alps between southeast France and northwest Italy. It was designed by John Barraclough Fell and his th ...
, and continued in operation until the 1960s.


Isle of Man

* The
Snaefell Mountain Railway The Snaefell Mountain Railway ( gv, Raad Yiarn Sniaull) is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the village of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects wit ...
opened in 1895. It uses
electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...
railcar A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a drive ...
s, with a Fell rail for braking.


Italy

* See France. Some characteristics of the
Mont Cenis Pass Railway The Mont Cenis Pass Railway operated from 1868 to 1871 (with some interruptions) during the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel through the Alps between southeast France and northwest Italy. It was designed by John Barraclough Fell and his th ...
include: ** gauge – the gauge in English speaking world is sometimes quoted as 3' 7.5", etc. ** Steepest
gradient In vector calculus, the gradient of a scalar-valued differentiable function of several variables is the vector field (or vector-valued function) \nabla f whose value at a point p is the "direction and rate of fastest increase". If the gradi ...
1 in 12 (8.3%) ** Gradient where Fell grip system was deemed to be needed 1 in 25 (4.0%) ** Climb ** Centre rail above running rails and about above sleeper. ** Sharpest curve ** Since there were breaks-of-gauge at either end of the Fell railway, it is not known if ordinary
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...
rolling stock were needed. ** Length of line . ** Length of Fell section .


New Zealand

* ** The Rewanui Incline on the West Coast of the South Island used a Fell rail for braking from its opening in 1914 to 1966. It closed in 1985. ** The
Rimutaka Incline The Rimutaka Incline was a , gauge railway line on an average grade of 1-in-15 using the Fell system between Summit and Cross Creek stations on the Wairarapa side of the original Wairarapa Line in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand. The t ...
on the
Wairarapa Line The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand. The line runs for , connects the capital city Wellington with the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line at Woodville, via Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt ...
near
Featherston Featherston is a surname of English origin, at least as old as the 12th century. The link with "Featherstone" is probably not traceable, but people researching both spellings (and others such as "de Fetherestanhalgh") contribute to the collection o ...
in the North Island opened in 1878 and closed in 1955. It was replaced by the
Rimutaka tunnel The Remutaka Tunnel (spelled Rimutaka Tunnel before 2017) is a railway tunnel through New Zealand's Remutaka Range, between Maymorn, near Upper Hutt, and Featherston, on the Wairarapa Line. The tunnel, which was opened to traffic on 3 November ...
. The
Fell Engine Museum The Fell Locomotive Museum in Featherston, New Zealand, exhibits the only remaining steam-powered Fell railway locomotive in the world. From 1877, locomotive H 199 climbed up the Rimutaka Incline using John Barraclough Fell's unique method of ...
in Featherston houses the sole preserved Fell locomotive (
NZR H class The NZR H class steam locomotive was a unique class of Fell locomotive used by New Zealand Railways (NZR) on the Rimutaka Incline, the section of 1 in 15 (6.67 %) gradient between Cross Creek and Summit, over the Rimutaka Ranges. Introduct ...
). ** The Roa Incline on the West Coast of the South Island used a Fell rail for braking from its opening in 1909. It closed in 1960. ** The
Kaikorai Cable Car The Dunedin cable tramway system was a group of cable car (railway), cable tramway lines in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is significant as Dunedin was the second city in the world to adopt the cable car (the first being San Francisco). ...
which ran from
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
to the
Kaikorai Valley Kaikorai Valley is a long broad valley which runs through the west of the New Zealand city of Dunedin, to the west of the city centre. It is the valley of a small stream, the Kaikorai Stream, which runs from northeast to southwest down the l ...
used an off-centre Fell rail for braking. *
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 ...
** The
Wellington Cable Car The Wellington Cable Car is a funicular railway in Wellington, New Zealand, between Lambton Quay, the main shopping street, and Kelburn, a suburb in the hills overlooking the central city, rising over a length of . The one way trip takes appro ...
used a Fell rail for emergency braking from its opening in 1902 until 1978, when it was upgraded. * unknown gauges **
Price's Bush Tramway Price's Bush Tramway was a bush tramway built around 1903 near Akatarawa in the Tararua Range of New Zealand's North Island. It was built with a raised Fell third rail for braking the loaded trucks, as used by the Rimutaka Incline. History Pr ...
near
Akatarawa The Akatarawa Valley is a valley in the Tararua Range of New Zealand's North Island. It provides a link from the upper reaches of the Hutt Valley to Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast through rugged hill country. The valley is lowly populated and cont ...
. ** Charming Creek Tramway near
Ngakawau Hector and Ngakawau are two lightly populated settlements located at the mouth of the Ngakawau River in the West Coast region of New Zealand. Both settlements are situated on State Highway 67 between Westport and Karamea. Despite a low populat ...
. ** Several bush tramways used Fell rails for braking.


Renewals

* Ten kilometres of new Chinese manufactured Fell rail was expected to be delivered to the Snaefell Mountain Railway in December 2006 for track-laying between the 2006 and 2007 seasons (Railway Magazine, February 2007).


See also

*
Rack railway A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...
* In 1873, Henry Handyside of
Nelson, New Zealand (Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm) , image_map = Nelson CC.PNG , mapsize = 200px , map_caption = , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint = , coordinates_footnotes = ...
was reported to have invented a similar rack railway system. He was a nephew of Andrew Handyside of the Britannia Foundry, Derby.


References


Note

* (this book has sections on the Fell mountain railway system,
Mont Cenis Pass Railway The Mont Cenis Pass Railway operated from 1868 to 1871 (with some interruptions) during the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel through the Alps between southeast France and northwest Italy. It was designed by John Barraclough Fell and his th ...
and
Cantagallo Railway The Estrada de Ferro Cantagalo or Cantagalo Railway in Brazil operated from 1873 to 1965, and used the Fell mountain railway system, with equipment from the temporary Mont Cenis Pass Railway which closed in 1871. From 1883 the Fell rail was used ...
). * * * * {{cite journal, journal=
The Railway Magazine ''The Railway Magazine'' is a monthly British railway magazine, aimed at the railway enthusiast market, that has been published in London since July 1897. it was, for three years running, the railway magazine with the largest circulation in t ...
, date=February 2007, title=Chinese rail for Snaefell railway, issue=1270, volume=153, page=58, issn=0033-8923


External links


Fell Centre Rail (description of the working of the Fell system, with pictures)




* ttp://www.tramz.com/br/tto/6RJ2.html The Cantagallo Railway(page down to Nova Friburgo). Rail technologies Mountain railways 1863 introductions