Inclined elevator design is based on the same basic technology as conventional, vertical
elevator. In general standard elevator equipment can be adapted for systems with an inclines up 10
° from vertical, while an incline with more than 20° from vertical will require some additional adaptation. While some inclined elevators are outdoor systems are designed to move people and goods along steep gradients, Most common inclined elevators are constructed from steel or aluminum, are powered by electric motors, and operate with push button electronic controls. Common drive systems include cable winding drums and continuous loop traction drives. Many inclined lifts are constructed along the pressure lines of storage power plants for transporting building materials. Examples are the
Gelmerbahn leading to the
Gelmersee and the
Funicolare Piora–Ritom leading to
Lago Ritom, both in Switzerland. Modern versions resembling an
elevator are used in some installations, such as at the
Cityplace Station in
Dallas, Texas, the
Huntington Metro Station in
Huntington, Virginia, the
San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, the
Luxor Las Vegas hotel on the
Las Vegas Strip, and the
Eiffel Tower in Paris. The
London Millennium Funicular provides an alternative to staircase access to London's
Millennium Bridge. A mixture between an inclined lift and a funicular with two cars was the second
Angels Flight in Los Angeles, which ran from 1996 to 2001. The original funicular closed in 1969 and was reinstalled in 1996 using separate cables for each car, which were winched on separate winch drums in the station at the top. The winch drums were connected to the drive motor and the service brake by a gear train. The system failed because of a gear train breakage, causing a fatal accident in 2001. The railway reopened as a true funicular, with a single main haulage cable with one car attached to each end, in 2010. It has closed and reopened several times since, last re-opening on 31 August 2017.
Distinction from funicular An inclined elevator differs from a
funicular in that the latter has a cable attached to a pair of vehicles, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other. In the inclined elevator one car is either winched up to the station at the top of the incline where the cable is collected on a winch drum, or the single car is balanced by a counterweight., since each of its two cabins has its own cable traction with its own counterweight and they operate independently from each other, but retain its historical name. (which regulates cableways). == See also == • • • • • • • • == References ==