Bom Jesus funicular

The Bom Jesus funicular is a funicular in the town of Bom Jesus do Monte, Braga, Portugal. Niklaus Riggenbach built the funicular in 1882, making it the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the world's oldest funicular, operating by water counterbalancing, pouring water into the car at the top of the hill, which weights it down and causes it to descend, while dragging the lighter, emptied vehicle up the hill, where the process begins all over again.

The suspension system consists of four helical shock absorbers with no dampers and hinged spiral-spring stop brakes. Each tram can seat 30 passengers, with a total capacity of 38 potential over six bunks (seating five passengers), eight standing, and the conductor. Each cabin had two water tanks, the biggest with a capacity of 5,850 litres that served as a counterbalance and supported the refrigeration circuit for the brakes, and the smaller with a capacity of 216 litres that served as a support for the rear brakes. Both trams operate in opposing directions, arriving at separate stops at the same time.

It is the world's oldest funicular, moving by water counterbalancing, pouring water into the car at the top of the hill, weighting it down so it drops to the bottom, while dragging the lighter, emptied vehicle up the hill, where the process begins again: the journey takes between 2.4 and 4 minutes. The base terminal is a rectangular stop with three bodies, the center being higher than the lateral wings, plastered and painted white, and granite corners, cornices, and frames. The main façade is somewhat expanded and elevated by several steps to wooden entry and exit entrances and their divisions, with single doors defining the lateral facades. The interior is taken up by the tram access platform. The higher station included lateral platforms with cobbled slopes and access to the train line by a double granite stairway that diverged at the top.

Location: Braga, Portugal