The cliff lift is one of the world’s oldest water-powered cliff lifts (the oldest being the Bom Jesus funicular in Braga, Portugal). The Saltburn tramway, as it is known, replaced a vertical lift, which was closed on safety grounds in 1883. The cliff tramway opened a year later and provided transport between the pier and the town. The railway is water-balanced and since 1924 the water pump has been electrically operated. The first major maintenance was carried out in 1998, when the main winding wheel was replaced and a new braking system installed. In more recent times there have been problems which hopefully are now overcome.
Image courtesy of a supporter of the Archive.
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