Year of construction

1887

Date of opening

8 July 1888

Journey time (1888)

16 minutes at 1 m/s. Powered by electricity

Manufacture

Th. Bell & Co, Kriens-Lucerne; overhauled by the von Roll Foundry, Berne

Base/summit terminus

Alt. 434 m / 874 m

Altitude difference

440 m

Length

944 m, 2283 steps

Overhaul 1910/11

Calliper brakes; journey time 10 minutes at 1.6 m/s

2^nd overhaul 1928/29

Automatic trip brakes; journey time 6 minutes 30 seconds at 2.7 m/s

3^rd overhaul 1979/80

Journey time 6 minutes 13 seconds at 3 m/s

4th overhaul 2001/02

• Chassis overhaul by the Doppelmayr Company
• New Hählen carriage superstructures
• Programmable PSS Pilz safety controls
• New remote control monitoring system from Frey AG
• Ward Leonard overhaul (400 VAC) by EWN

Gauge

1000 mm

Incline

In Kehrsiten: 27%, from midway section to summit terminus: 58%

Speed (now)

3 m/s

Drive

• From 1980: Ward Leonard system (electric)
• Convertor motor: 3 x 500 VAC; 1470 rpm; 160 kW, 226 A
• Overhauled in 2002: 4 x 400 VAC
• Generator: 470 VDC; 303 A
• Drive motor: 470 VDC, 130 kW, 800 rpm. Controls: Frey AG, Stans

Unladen weight per carriage

7100 kg

Carriages

Two, accommodating 80 passengers each

Bürgenstock drive station

At the drive station, the funicular cable passes a number of times around two 4-metre diameter wheels arranged one behind the other, each having three channels to accommodate the cable. Drive sequence: main motor - gears - cogwheel - drive wheel.

Capacity

630 passengers per hour in each direction

Gears

Maag, Zurich, 750/90 rpm, 200 HP

Funicular cable diameter

37 mm

Cable guide rollers

108 vertical, 94 slanted rollers

Lengths of track

94, each 10 m in length

Brakes

Each of the two carriages has three pairs of calliper brakes located 6 mm from the conical head of the steel rail. One of the pairs of brakes is designed for manual operation, and although the other two pairs operate automatically, they can also be applied manually.