The Depression Pulley was driving me nuts for years! How can you grip the cable from above and not bump into the pulley that's holding the cable down when it goes through a concave depression? Finally I have my answer. Thanks a ton!
I would imagine they would start at the power house and separate the cable and attach a new reel of cable and let the normal pulling equipment thread it through the system. As the old cable circulates back in it could be routed to a reel for removal. Once the new cable circulates back in, the ends would be attached and the new loop is now ready for use. I don’t know if this is how it’s actually done, but it seems to me it would be the most effective way.
re the pull curve system---- developed I presume on the cable car line which rose from the flat bottom of Rattray St in Dunedin.. travelled quite steeply for about 150m then turned left as it approached St Josephs Cathedral. I probably went on it as a pre-schooler as far as where the Roslyn-Maori Hill tramway line branched off... both systems were gone by 1954. The High St cable cars looked very much like the line I walked down in San F from hill crest to Fishermans Wharf area..-- steep and in plateau-steps with stunning views. I remember it in 1957 just before the line--to our present day tourism focussed regret--- was closed.
I share the same questions asked by others and here’s another: If the system requires a person lifting the cable up to begin, then how does the car let go and then re-grip the cable around a curve or at an intersection without someone there to lift the cable?
Some historical trivia: Several US cities including NYC installed cable-car systems at the end of the 19th C. They wanted an alternative to stringing overhead wires, but found out that moving cables underground were far more trouble-prone and expensive. Most systems were gone by the early 1920s. Even SF eliminated all but 3 lines, keeping only those for steep hills along with their value as tourist attractions.
These cities didn't experiment ... they actually installed and ran cable systems. Read the exhaustively extensive tome "the Cable Car in America" by George Hilton (there's a revised edition). It details the development of the system and covers every city in the US and internationally that had cable traction. It even tells about planned systems that were abandoned when the electric streetcar was developed. It's well worth the purchase price and will leave you appreciating the Victorian-era invention which still runs the exact same way 150 years later.
@@sfmike711 Thanks for that info including the book title. I realize that I mis-spoke with the word "experimented", and have edited my original response. I have a lot of documentation on early streetcars but very little regarding cable-car systems. Interestingly, last year was the 150th anniversary of San Francisco's first line. I was very fortunate to study German with Dr. Alan Rice, who in addition to being a master linguist was one of the top experts in US traction history. I think I learned more about streetcars from him than I did about scientific translation, hah!
I heard SF wanted to eliminate the cable cars completely but yet the cable cars are SF's iconic symbol. Like the Eiffel Tower was only to be a temporary structure but it became iconic symbol for Paris. And the cable cars let you ride on the outside.
@@wrightmf Based on info I’ve seem, both are absolutely correct. The Eiffel Tower was supposed to be torn down a few years after the centennial fair ended but as you say it became a total icon. And SF’s plans to eliminated the last 3 operating cable lines ran into a lot of public opposition, especially b/c of how much tourism they bring. They and the St. Charles streetcar are the only two mobile attractions on the register of National Historic Landmarks!
The Depression Pulley was driving me nuts for years! How can you grip the cable from above and not bump into the pulley that's holding the cable down when it goes through a concave depression? Finally I have my answer. Thanks a ton!
Very detailed and clear explanation of how the cable cars work! Thank you!
So basically its like a chairlift mechanism, just not as automatic. Cool video
Cable Cars and their headquarters/museum smell really nice.
Great content answered several of my long thought of questions THANX!
How do they replace the cable when that time comes around?
I heard that the cable is changed at night. So far, I have not found a video on how to do it.
I would imagine they would start at the power house and separate the cable and attach a new reel of cable and let the normal pulling equipment thread it through the system. As the old cable circulates back in it could be routed to a reel for removal. Once the new cable circulates back in, the ends would be attached and the new loop is now ready for use. I don’t know if this is how it’s actually done, but it seems to me it would be the most effective way.
re the pull curve system---- developed I presume on the cable car line which rose from the flat bottom of Rattray St in Dunedin.. travelled quite steeply for about 150m then turned left as it approached St Josephs Cathedral. I probably went on it as a pre-schooler as far as where the Roslyn-Maori Hill tramway line branched off... both systems were gone by 1954.
The High St cable cars looked very much like the line I walked down in San F from hill crest to Fishermans Wharf area..-- steep and in plateau-steps with stunning views. I remember it in 1957 just before the line--to our present day tourism focussed regret--- was closed.
Excellent Merci.
I share the same questions asked by others and here’s another:
If the system requires a person lifting the cable up to begin, then how does the car let go and then re-grip the cable around a curve or at an intersection without someone there to lift the cable?
Well presented.
That sounds unbelievably expensive to maintain
Tourist money
Some historical trivia: Several US cities including NYC installed cable-car systems at the end of the 19th C. They wanted an alternative to stringing overhead wires, but found out that moving cables underground were far more trouble-prone and expensive. Most systems were gone by the early 1920s. Even SF eliminated all but 3 lines, keeping only those for steep hills along with their value as tourist attractions.
These cities didn't experiment ... they actually installed and ran cable systems. Read the exhaustively extensive tome "the Cable Car in America" by George Hilton (there's a revised edition). It details the development of the system and covers every city in the US and internationally that had cable traction. It even tells about planned systems that were abandoned when the electric streetcar was developed. It's well worth the purchase price and will leave you appreciating the Victorian-era invention which still runs the exact same way 150 years later.
@@sfmike711 Thanks for that info including the book title. I realize that I mis-spoke with the word "experimented", and have edited my original response.
I have a lot of documentation on early streetcars but very little regarding cable-car systems. Interestingly, last year was the 150th anniversary of San Francisco's first line.
I was very fortunate to study German with Dr. Alan Rice, who in addition to being a master linguist was one of the top experts in US traction history. I think I learned more about streetcars from him than I did about scientific translation, hah!
I heard SF wanted to eliminate the cable cars completely but yet the cable cars are SF's iconic symbol. Like the Eiffel Tower was only to be a temporary structure but it became iconic symbol for Paris. And the cable cars let you ride on the outside.
@@wrightmf Based on info I’ve seem, both are absolutely correct. The Eiffel Tower was supposed to be torn down a few years after the centennial fair ended but as you say it became a total icon.
And SF’s plans to eliminated the last 3 operating cable lines ran into a lot of public opposition, especially b/c of how much tourism they bring. They and the St. Charles streetcar are the only two mobile attractions on the register of National Historic Landmarks!
Ok who else thought that Jeremy Clarkson was narrating this?
And what happens when a driver forgets to let go of the cable for a drift curve or the crossing with the other line?
Probably nothing good mechanically. The passengers would probably be fine.
Sounds like it needs an update lol