Google Books previews are unavailable because you have chosen to turn off third party cookies for enhanced content. Visit our cookies page to review your cookie settings.
Cliff Railways (Hardback)
An Historic Survey
By
Peter Johnson
Imprint: Pen & Sword Transport
Pages: 240
Illustrations: 200 colour illustrations
ISBN: 9781399048309
Published: 30th September 2025
Imprint: Pen & Sword Transport
Pages: 240
Illustrations: 200 colour illustrations
ISBN: 9781399048309
Published: 30th September 2025
You'll be £31.50 closer to your next £10.00 credit when you purchase Cliff Railways. What's this?
+£4.99 UK Delivery or free UK delivery if order is over £40
(click here for international delivery rates)
Order within the next 5 hours, 37 minutes to get your order processed the next working day!
Need a currency converter? Check XE.com for live rates
(click here for international delivery rates)
Order within the next 5 hours, 37 minutes to get your order processed the next working day!
Need a currency converter? Check XE.com for live rates
In the 19th Century there was a widespread feeling in seaside resorts with cliffs that visitor numbers would be increased if there was an easy way of reaching, and more importantly, returning from the beach, avoiding flights of stairs or long zig-zag paths. To address this issue, the first cliff railway was built at Scarborough in 1875. Since then, another twenty-nine, or thirty if the Leas lift at Folkestone, which was duplicated in 1890, is counted as two, have been built, including three at inland locations.
Despite having the same function, all the cliff railways are different and have their own characteristics. Some of them still use water as a power source. The remainder use electric motors.
In addition to telling the story of Britain’s cliff railways, author Peter Johnson tells the story of the authorised but unbuilt cliff railways, vertical lifts and electric stairways that serve or served the same function in a few places, and adds details of what might be called ‘cliff railway derivatives,’ steep-grade, rope-hauled, railways, airport automated people movers, and modern inclined lift installations that might have been built as cliff railways if they had been built a hundred years ago.
To compile this new book, Peter Johnson, who has written books on Welsh and narrow gauge railways for Pen & Sword, has carried out extensive research in government files and old newspapers. Many of the illustrations have not been published previously and a few of them are very rare.
There are no reviews for this book. Register or Login now and you can be the first to post a review!
About Peter Johnson
Best known for his books on narrow gauge and Welsh railways, Peter Johnson first wrote about travelling post offices in 1985 and added the Post Office (London) Railway to his portfolio in 1995. Living in Leicester, he was employed in local authority fire service communications for 29 years.
More titles by Peter Johnson
Other titles in Pen & Sword Transport...