Sir, – I refer to your article (D&S, June 27) about the 130th anniversary of the funicular railway at Saltburn and your statement that it is thought to be the oldest funicular railway working in the UK today.
In fact the first passenger funicular railway in the UK was Scarborough’s South Cliff Tramway which opened 139 years ago in 1875 and is still very much in operation. This set the pattern for funiculars in many resorts around the country in subsequent years. Another funicular railway in Scarborough which is still operational, the Central Tramway, also pre-dates Saltburn having opened in 1881.
What I think is special about the Saltburn funicular is that it is thought to be the oldest still operated by the water balance method whereby a tank under the upper car is filled with water to counterbalance the lower car. At South Cliff Tramway this method was replaced by electric winding in 1934 and Central Tramway always employed power winding.
CHRISTOPHER HALL Scarborough.
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