Cable Car turns 119
Wellington’s Cable Car is turning 119 this month.
Here are some interesting facts and figures.
- The Cable Car is a funicular railway rising 120 metres over a length of 609 metres. The line rises at a constant grade of 1 in 5 (18%), through three tunnels and over three bridges.
- The Cable Car has two cars, which start from opposite ends of the line and pass in the middle. They are attached to each other by a 30 mm diameter cable, guided by 120 rollers, which runs round a pulley at the top of the hill.
-The normal operating speed is 14.5 kmh, with a maximum load of about 75 passengers. Each car weighs about 13 tonnes when empty and 20 tonnes when full.
- It is used by about 1.1 million people each year.
- The original Cable Car railway was built and operated by the Kelburne & Karori Tramway Company. The line opened to the public on 22 February 1902.
- The hilltop location of Victoria University’s main campus was influenced by the company’s offer of a donation of £1000 if the university were located in Kelburn, so students would patronise the car when travelling between the city and the university.
- The designer of the system was James Fulton, a Dunedin-born engineer who had earlier helped build and operate the privately-owned Wellington-Manawatu railway.
- The Cable Car’s original steam-powered winding gear was replaced by an electric motor in 1933.
- In the 1940s the Cable Car suffered from increased competition: City Council buses ran to Karori and other western suburbs, bypassing it. The company believed that it was wrong for the City Council to compete with a private company, and a legal dispute broke out. The argument ended when the City Council agreed to purchase the company in 1947.
- The safety of the original Cable Car system, including its antique carriages, became a major issue in the 1970s. At that time the Ministry of Works concluded that aspects of the Cable Car were unsafe, particularly the use of unbraked trailers, and called for the system to be scrapped. Luckily for us, instead the Cable Car was replaced in 1979 with the design that we have today.
- Since the replacement, each car has completed over 993K trips, which is a total distance of over 605,000 km. That is 15 times around the earth, or 290 trips from Bluff to Cape Reinga
Six tips for improving security around your home
1) Improve outdoor lighting
Ensure that streets, driveways, and front yards are well-lit. Motion-sensor lights around homes deter trespassers by reducing hiding spots and illuminating their movements.
2) Trim your trees
Overgrown shrubs and trees provide cover for intruders. Keeping them well-trimmed around windows and doors improves visibility and reduces potential hiding spots.
3) Secure Entry Points
Ensure doors, windows, and gates are always closed when you are away from the house. Upgrade to more secure locks, deadbolts, or even smart locks for added protection.
4) Add a security camera
Place security cameras in the main entry points to your home. Doorbell cameras are also relatively cheap and a great way to keep track of who is visiting your home when you aren't there.
5) Start a Neighborhood Watch Program
You could reach out to members on Neighbourly to form a group of neighbors who can regularly keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it. You could also check with Neighbourhood Support to see what is existing in your area.
6) Introduce yourself to your neighbours
The closer you are to your neighbors, the more likely they’ll notice when something unusual or suspicious is happening around your property
Feel free to share anything that you do around your area to deter crime.
Poll: Is dumping an issue in your neighbourhood?
There's nothing worse than strolling around the streets in your neighbourhood and seeing dumped rubbish.
Have you noticed this in your area? What could we do to combat this around the country?
-
43.4% Yes, I've seen some illegal dumping
-
56% No, our neighbourhood is pretty good
-
0.6% Other - I'll share below
Art courses beginning 21 October
At Inverlochy Art School we offer day-time and evening courses in painting, drawing, pottery, printmaking, jewellery and more.
Suitable for those new to art through to experienced artists, our courses offer a fun and supportive environment to learn and create.
Bookings for of most of our up-coming 6-8 week courses will close 16 October so visit our website and find an art class before it's too late!
Image: Jake Fairweather
Loading…
