Port Vell Aerial Tramway
Encyclopedia
Port Vell Aerial Tramway is an aerial tramway
in Barcelona
, Catalonia
, Spain
, crossing Port Vell
, Barcelona's old harbour and connecting Montjuïc
with Barceloneta.
which is 107 m high and ends at the top of Torre Sant Sebastià
at 86 m, from where an elevator descends to the streets of Barcelona. The ride offers a fine view over Barcelona, the nearby Plaça del Portal de la Pau with the Columbus Monument
, Port Vell with its Balearic ferries and the World Trade Centre, and Barceloneta with its Mediterranean beaches. The tramway makes a short stop at Torre Jaume I, allowing passengers to wander around the platform of this tower which was the world's highest aerial lift pylon until 1966, when the Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III
was opened.
, a World's fair
. To this end, the Air Rail San Sebastian-Miramar, S.A. was incorporated and obtained the royal licence to build and operate the tramway. The manager of the project was Juan Rodriguez Roda. The towers were designed by the architect Carles Boigas and executed by Material para Ferrocarriles y Construcciones S.A.. The aerial tramway was built by Bleichert
, at that time a company with a worldwide reputation which had just completed the Aeri de Montserrat
. However, the size of the project was underestimated and the aerial tramway was opened only on 12 September 1931.
Initially, the aerial tramway consisted of two sections with two cars each. The cabins travelled from the terminal stations to Torre Jaume I and back, however, there was only one haul rope for the total length which moved all four cabins.
All hopes for a commercial success of the venture were annihilated in the Great Depression
and in the Spanish Civil War
(1936–1939). Torre Jaume I was used as a look-out and a machine gun post. The aerial tramway was heavily damaged and reduced to the structures of the towers rusting away. One of the two surviving cabins was transferred to Aeri de Montserrat which started to operate again in 1940. There were discussions to demolish the installation completely. Eventually, Friedrich Gründel, Bleichert's chief engineer during the construction, succeeded in establishing Teleféricos de Barcelona, S.A.. In 1960, Torre Sebastià reopened with a new restaurant at its top, followed two years later by Torre Jaume I. 1963, the aerial tramway reopened with only two cabins which travelled along the total length and through the top of Torre Jaume I. After Mr. Gründels death, the ownership changed several times, commercial results diminished and the technical status deteriorated. The authorities had already decided to close the installation, when in 1996, Barcelona decided to redevelop Port Vell and to build the World Trade Centre. In this context, the aerial tramway was also renovated and it reopened in 2000.
name of James I of Aragon
(1208–1276), King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona. Sant Sebastià is the Catalan name of San Sebastián
, the Spanish town where in 1907, Leonardo Torres Quevedo had opened his first public aerial tramway on Monte Ulia.
according to the System Bleichert-Zuegg with track ropes of 45 mm and a haul rope of 23 mm. There was also an auxiliary rope of 17 mm for a small open service vehicle which could also be used to evacuate the cabins. The total horizontal length is 1303 m with sections of 652 m and 651 m. The cabins take 20 passengers each plus the cabin attendant. Their empty weight is 1350 kg. They are still the original ones, but have been refurbished several times. The line speed is 3 m/s. The electric motor is in the Miramar station, the tension weights hang in Torre Sant Sebastià.
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, crossing Port Vell
Port Vell
Port Vell is a waterfront harbour in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and part of the Port of Barcelona. It was built as part of an urban renewal program prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Before this, it was a run-down area of empty warehouses, railroad yards, and factories...
, Barcelona's old harbour and connecting Montjuïc
Montjuïc
Montjuïc is a hill located in Barcelona, Catalonia.-Etymology:Montjuïc is translated as 'Jew Hill' in medieval Catalan, or is perhaps related to the Latin phrase Mons Jovicus . The name is found in several locations in the Catalan Countries: the Catalan cities of Girona and Barcelona both have a...
with Barceloneta.
Description
Port Vell Aerial Tramway starts at the Miramar station situated halfway down the hill of Montjuïc at an altitude of 57 m, passes through the peak of Torre Jaume ITorre Jaume I
Torre Jaume I is a 107 metre high steel truss tower in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, which was built in 1931 by Carlos Boigas. The tower is the second-tallest aerial lift pylon in the world, and is a part of the Port Vell Aerial Tramway from Torre Sant Sebastia to Montjuïc. Torre Jaume I also has...
which is 107 m high and ends at the top of Torre Sant Sebastià
Torre Sant Sebastia
Torre Sant Sebastià is a 78 metre tall lattice tower in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is the terminal of the Port Vell Aerial Tramway of Barcelona, which runs over Torre Jaume I to Montjuïc. Torre Sant Sebastia was opened in 1931.- External links :...
at 86 m, from where an elevator descends to the streets of Barcelona. The ride offers a fine view over Barcelona, the nearby Plaça del Portal de la Pau with the Columbus Monument
Columbus Monument, Barcelona
The Columbus Monument is a tall monument for Christopher Columbus at the lower end of La Rambla, Barcelona, Spain. It was constructed for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona and is located at the site where Columbus returned to Spain after his first voyage to the Americas...
, Port Vell with its Balearic ferries and the World Trade Centre, and Barceloneta with its Mediterranean beaches. The tramway makes a short stop at Torre Jaume I, allowing passengers to wander around the platform of this tower which was the world's highest aerial lift pylon until 1966, when the Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III
Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III
The Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III is the third section of the aerial tramway on the Kitzsteinhorn mountain at Kaprun, Austria. It was placed in service on 26 November 1966....
was opened.
History
The aerial tramway was intended to be an attraction at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition1929 Barcelona International Exposition
The 1929 Barcelona International Exposition took place from 20 May 1929 to 15 January 1930 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain...
, a World's fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
. To this end, the Air Rail San Sebastian-Miramar, S.A. was incorporated and obtained the royal licence to build and operate the tramway. The manager of the project was Juan Rodriguez Roda. The towers were designed by the architect Carles Boigas and executed by Material para Ferrocarriles y Construcciones S.A.. The aerial tramway was built by Bleichert
Bleichert
Adolf Bleichert & Co. was a famous German engineering firm.It was founded in 1874 by Adolf Bleichert and began to build bicable aerial tramwaysfor mining in the Ruhr. With important patents, and dozens of working systems in Europe, Bleichert...
, at that time a company with a worldwide reputation which had just completed the Aeri de Montserrat
Aeri de Montserrat
The Aeri de Montserrat is an aerial cable car which provides one of the means of access to the Montserrat mountain and abbey. It can be found near the city of Barcelona, Catalonia....
. However, the size of the project was underestimated and the aerial tramway was opened only on 12 September 1931.
Initially, the aerial tramway consisted of two sections with two cars each. The cabins travelled from the terminal stations to Torre Jaume I and back, however, there was only one haul rope for the total length which moved all four cabins.
All hopes for a commercial success of the venture were annihilated in the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
(1936–1939). Torre Jaume I was used as a look-out and a machine gun post. The aerial tramway was heavily damaged and reduced to the structures of the towers rusting away. One of the two surviving cabins was transferred to Aeri de Montserrat which started to operate again in 1940. There were discussions to demolish the installation completely. Eventually, Friedrich Gründel, Bleichert's chief engineer during the construction, succeeded in establishing Teleféricos de Barcelona, S.A.. In 1960, Torre Sebastià reopened with a new restaurant at its top, followed two years later by Torre Jaume I. 1963, the aerial tramway reopened with only two cabins which travelled along the total length and through the top of Torre Jaume I. After Mr. Gründels death, the ownership changed several times, commercial results diminished and the technical status deteriorated. The authorities had already decided to close the installation, when in 1996, Barcelona decided to redevelop Port Vell and to build the World Trade Centre. In this context, the aerial tramway was also renovated and it reopened in 2000.
Names
Jaume I is the CatalanCatalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
name of James I of Aragon
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
(1208–1276), King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona. Sant Sebastià is the Catalan name of San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
, the Spanish town where in 1907, Leonardo Torres Quevedo had opened his first public aerial tramway on Monte Ulia.
Technical Details
The aerial tramway was built by BleichertBleichert
Adolf Bleichert & Co. was a famous German engineering firm.It was founded in 1874 by Adolf Bleichert and began to build bicable aerial tramwaysfor mining in the Ruhr. With important patents, and dozens of working systems in Europe, Bleichert...
according to the System Bleichert-Zuegg with track ropes of 45 mm and a haul rope of 23 mm. There was also an auxiliary rope of 17 mm for a small open service vehicle which could also be used to evacuate the cabins. The total horizontal length is 1303 m with sections of 652 m and 651 m. The cabins take 20 passengers each plus the cabin attendant. Their empty weight is 1350 kg. They are still the original ones, but have been refurbished several times. The line speed is 3 m/s. The electric motor is in the Miramar station, the tension weights hang in Torre Sant Sebastià.
See also
- Montjuïc Aerial TramwayMontjuïc Aerial TramwayMontjuïc Aerial Tramway is an aerial tramway in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.- See also :* Port Vell Aerial Tramway, primary aerial tramway in Barcelona...
(es) - second aerial tramway in Barcelona
External links
- Laurent Berne, Téléphérique du Port Documentation (description and photos) on Remontées Mécaniques (French)
- Website of Port Vell (Catalan, Spanish, English)