Angels Flight is a landmark and historic 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has two funicular cars, named Olivet and Sinai, that run in opposite directions on a shared cable. The tracks cover a distance of 298 feet (91 m) over a vertical gain of 96 feet (29 m).
Angels Flight in 2017
Low end view of the original Angels Flight with the 3rd Street Tunnel and an observation tower, c. 1905.
Low end view of the original Angels Flight with the 3rd Street Tunnel, 1960.
Joseph M. Cooper operating an Angels Flight car, 1960.
A funicular is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages permanently attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, which is looped over a pulley at the upper end of the track. The result of such a configuration is that the two carriages move synchronously: as one ascends, the other descends at an equal speed. This feature distinguishes funiculars from inclined elevators, which have a single car that is hauled uphill.
Funicular in Baku, Azerbaijan
Bottom towrope
Funicular drive train
Petřín funicular wheelset with Abt rack and pinion brake