The Old Quebec Funicular is a funicular railway

Funicular

A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...

 in the Old Quebec

Old Quebec

Old Quebec is a historic neighbourhood of Quebec City, the capital of the province of Quebec in Canada. Comprising the Upper Town and Lower Town , the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...

 neighbourhood of the city of Quebec

Quebec City

Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...

 in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It links the Haute-Ville (Upper Town) to the Basse-Ville (Lower Town), which includes such sites as the ancient Notre Dame des Victoires church, the historic Petit Champlain

Petit Champlain

Petit Champlain is a neighbourhood in Quebec City, Canada. It is located in the district of Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire in the borough of La Cité–Limoilou, near Place Royale. Its main street is the Rue du Petit-Champlain at the foot of Cap Diamant...

 district, the port, and the Musée de la civilisation

Musée de la civilisation

The Musée de la civilisation is a museum located in Quebec City. It is situated in old Québec near the Saint Lawrence River...

 (Museum of Civilization).

The funicular opened on November 17, 1879, and originally used the water ballast system of propulsion, similar to that still used by the Nerobergbahn

Nerobergbahn

The Nerobergbahn is a funicular railway in the city of Wiesbaden, Germany. The line links the city with the Neroberg hill to its north, where visitors may view a panorama of the city....

 in Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. 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.

The funicular has the following technical parameters:

• Length: 64 metres
• Height: 59 metres
• Cars: 2
• Configuration: Double track
• Traction: Electricity

External links

• Official web site of the funicular (in English)