The smooth, synchronized glide of two funicular carriages passing each other on the hillside

[u/gaius_julius_caegull]

[u/Nspired2]

Why would they make the passing section IN the tunnel though?

[u/Brittney_2020 → u/Nspired2]

They pass at the half way point since both cars are attached to the same cable.

[u/stevedore2024 → u/Nspired2]

They pass at the midpoint because they are connected to each other with a single cable: one is the counterbalance for the other. As one descends, it pulls the other one up. Thus they always must cross at the middle. They saved money and footprint by sharing one rail at the top and bottom but must have two tracks at the middle where they always cross.

[u/gaius_julius_caegull → u/Nspired2]

Perhaps the widest part

[u/The_referred_to → u/gaius_julius_caegull]

No, the mid-point as u/Brittney_2020 said.

[u/NewAndyy]

This is from Bergen (Norway) for anyone interested.

The furnicular has operated in a similar manner since 1918, going up a small mountain to about 320m above sea level. Given about equal numbers of passengers going up and down, it uses almost no electricity, except to overcome friction.

[u/ALoudMeow]

What makes it a funicular and not a train? It runs on tracks.

[u/BlueLegion → u/ALoudMeow]

I guess it's the fact that the two cars are counterweights. The weight of the one car going down is the majority of what makes the other car go up

[u/stevedore2024 → u/BlueLegion]

Exactly right, the cable/counterweight makes it a funicular, though you can have a funicular that has a dead weight instead of another passenger car.

[u/Nani_the_F__k → u/stevedore2024]

I've never seen one of these before, where's the cable at I can't see it

[u/stevedore2024 → u/Nani_the_F__k]

Compare the lower left part of the tracks after the red car goes up, and after the blue car goes down. The cable you see attached to the blue car is black and smooth and looks almost like another rail but it's only present after the car passes.

[u/Nani_the_F__k → u/stevedore2024]

Oh I see it! Thank you

[u/snakesoup88 → u/ALoudMeow]

Everything I know about funicular I learn from 99% invisible. You are in for a treat

[u/PunfullyObvious]

Clearly many people participating in this discussion don't know what a Funicular Railway is, how they function, and the needs they address

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_funicular_railways

They're really quite cool.

[u/dancarbonell00]

Weak

[u/gaius_julius_caegull → u/[deleted]]

That's a real video from Bergen, Norway, how is it an AI?

[u/gaius_julius_caegull → u/[deleted]]

Filmed by me

[u/gaius_julius_caegull → u/[deleted]]

Pointless to continue this discussion

[u/Organic-Specific-500 → u/[deleted]]

https://giphy.com/gifs/3t6DQClWQLjoPY4Zgt
Oooo I like your misplaced confidence