A funitel is a type of cableway, generally used to transport skiers, although at least one is used to transport finished cars between different areas of a factory. It differs from a standard gondola lift through the use of two arms attached to two parallel overhead cables, providing more stability in high winds. The name funitel is a portmanteau of the French words funiculaire and telepherique.
Funitel at Val Thorens, France
The funitel at Verbier, Switzerland. An evacuation line runs above the funitel
Image: Yamagata zao ski 1 (200712)
Image: Zao 2006 Ropeway Station
Cable transport is a broad class of transport modes that have cables. They transport passengers and goods, often in vehicles called cable cars. The cable may be driven or passive, and items may be moved by pulling, sliding, sailing, or by drives within the object being moved on cableways. The use of pulleys and balancing of loads moving up and down are common elements of cable transport. They are often used in mountainous areas where cable haulage can overcome large differences in elevation.
Cable car at Zell am See in the Austrian Alps
The Portland Aerial Tram
An aerial tramway used in mining, at the Shenandoah-Dives Mill in Silverton, Colorado
A gravity incline in use in 1955 at Llechwedd quarry in Wales. Empty wagons are arriving at the top of the incline – the winding drum is in the shed in the background
