Fell mountain railway system
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The Fell system uses a raised centre rail between the two running rails on steeply-graded railway lines to provide extra traction and braking. Trains are propelled or braked (or both) by wheels pressed horizontally on to the centre rail, as well as by the normal running wheels. These horizontal wheels are fitted to a specially designed or adapted Fell locomotives and rolling stock.
History
The Fell 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 Derbyshire, 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 in 1865. As a result, the Mont Cenis Pass Railway was built to provide a temporary connection between France and Italy whilst the tunnel under the alpine pass was being built.
A list of Fell 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 only surviving Fell locomotive, New Zealand Government Railways H class 199, is preserved at the Fell Engine Museum, Featherston, New Zealand, near the Rimutaka Incline.
- 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 Chemin de Fer du Puy de Dôme at Clermont Ferrand in France opened in 1907 and closed in 1926. It used compressed air to force the wheels against the centre rail.
- The Mont Cenis Pass Railway on the borders of France and Italy was 48 miles long and ran from 1868 until superseded by the tunnel under the pass in 1871.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 Rewanui Incline on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island used a Fell rail for braking from its opening in 1914 to 1965. The line closed in 1985.
- The Rimutaka Incline near Featherston in New Zealand opened in 1878 and closed in 1955 when replaced by a long tunnel.
- The Roa Incline on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island used a Fell rail for braking. It opened in 1909 and closed in 1965.
- The Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man opened in 1895 and is still in use. This line uses electric railcars, and the Fell rail is used for braking.
Related patents
J. B. Fell lodged the following patents relating to his system with the British Patent Office:
See also
External links
- [Fell Centre Rail] - Describes with pictures how the Fell system works.
References
- Manx Electric, ISBN 1-872524-52-4, by Mike Goodwyn, published by Platform 5 Publishing Ltd. in 1993.
- The Mont Cenis Fell Railway, ISBN 0-906294-41-X, by P. J. G. Ransom, Truro: Twelveheads Press, 1999.
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