In light of yesterday's horrific crash at the quasi-funicular Los Angeles icon, one has to wonder if the restoration team debated putting some type of centrifugal emergency braking system on the cars. If so, some might have argued that to be true to the "historic fabric" of the cars, additional safety devices were untenable. Let us take a lesson. Safety first! If an artifact is to be operated, historical accuracy becomes secondary to safety concerns. Comments?

wyld@oct-net.com

well in light of how badly the mechanical system and trackage has been butchered already, a modern braking system wouldn't have made much of a difference.

rickrailrd@aol.com

From what I read on the story, a major problem was the system of inspections for the attraction. I believe it was being inspected by the same agency that inspects commuter trains and railroads (forget the name) and that they just didn't have any standards for inspecting such a unique machine, so they did their best and trusted the rest to the operators. Clearly an expert on elevator/skilift or similar systems should have been involved in the inspections.

I wonder if this has ever happened before in the history of the railway? One official interviewed mentioned that the cable on the decending car was "intact between the gauge of the rails". Perhaps the old technology of operating as a true funicular would have not been so bad after all? If the brakes were to go out at least the cars would not collide.

I have heard you and several others refer to Angel's Flight as a "quasi-funicular" but everything I've read just calls it a funicular, though I did not find anything that describes mechanical changes to the AF in its new incarnation since '96 to its older operation. Was it a "true funicular" before it was disassembled in the 60's and modified when it was rebuilt, or was it always a "quasi-funicular"?

Was it a "true
> funicular" before it was disassembled
> in the 60's and modified when it was
> rebuilt, or was it always a
> "quasi-funicular"?

My understanding is that in its original incarnation the AF was a true funicular, with both cars connected via a common cable running around a bull wheel at the apex, and thus counterbalancing one another.

As for causes and corrective actions, I'm content not to speculate and to wait on the NTSB report.

Steamtown roster
eledbetter@mail.rypn.org

The descriptions I have read and heard in the LA media makes me think that the two cars have separate cables and winding machinery. Some how the cable of the one car un-spooled; it did not fail.

A Eric says the NTSB is working on the incident. Its report will be worthwhile reading.

Brian Norden

bnorden@gateway.net