As the weight of the ascending and descending trams are very close they are usually powered by a small electric motor or by gravity if there is a water source available.

At Saltburn, water fills a small tank under the tram at the top to make it heavier than the one at the bottom. When it reaches the bottom the tank is emptied and the water is pumped back to fill the tank under the tram at the top.

The open frame board was built at an angle of 45° using recycled 1½" x 1" timber with a 9 mm MDF top to carry the tramway with the rest of the board left open for the cliffs.

It was attached to the main 2" x 1" timber open frame baseboard, 30" by 18", with paste table type hinges so it can be folded down for easier transport and storage.

The base board was fitted with one pair of folding 2" x 1½" timber legs as the other end is attached to the end of the pier board.

Two 36" lengths of Peco Streamline 00 code 75 flexible track were pinned on to the slope with the inner ends of the sleepers touching using brass pins to avoid problems with the magnets carried under the trams to operate the reed switches.

The 27 rpm 12 volt DC geared motor and drive pulley were mounted on a sliding frame, at the top of the slope, so that when the magnet stops the lower tram the position of the upper tram can be adjusted by turning the bolt, top right in the photo, so it stops at the loading platform.

Meccano parts were used for the horizontal cable drive pulley, its bearing, motor coupling and the supports, rod and cable guide pulleys at the top of the slope. The drive pulley has a guard fitted to stop the cable going under it.

The 1 mm black waxed jewellery cotton cable goes from one tram over the guide pulley at the top, one and a half times round the drive pulley, over the other guide pulley and down to the second tram.

Both normally closed reed switches have Gaugemaster 1N4001 diodes wired in parallel to allow the motor to run when the polarity is reversed and the reed switch is still open.

The wiring diagram shows the right hand tram has reached the bottom and the magnet has opened the reed switch.

When the shuttle changes over the motor will run the other way via the diode but as soon as the tram moves away the reed switch will close and current will flow through it rather than the diode.

The trams were built by Alan Kirkman who used redundant Halling 'Roundhay Park' Tram bodies, with shortened canopies, fitted on to scratch built 45° chassis.

The chassis were built from Plastikard™ and include dummy water tanks. They run on two BEC white metal chassis without motors, soldered end-to-end with only the outer axles fitted giving a 50 mm wheelbase with a piece of lead on top to give more low level weight.

Both chassis are fitted with a magnet to operate the reed switches which stop the trams at the loading platforms.

The tampo printed 'ROUNDHAY PARK' logos were carefully removed with Superdrug Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover before 'CLIFF TRAMWAY' transfers were applied to the rocker panels before the bodies were varnished to protect them.

The sea wall buildings on the end of the Pier board were all low relief and were all glued in place making their removal difficult.

A Metcalfe Terrace House Backs kit was assembled, a tram depot extension was scratch built and both were added to the cliff tramway board to make the buildings appear complete when the boards are joined.

The Pier Managers house was removed and converted into the front half of the lower tram station by making the ground floor windows into doors and giving the building an interior.

The lower station was completed by the addition of a scratch built rear half removable for transport and storage.

The upper tram station was scratch built to cover the drive pulley and is removed to allow the cable to be fitted when setting up and for transport and storage.

The cliffs were made from a 36" x 18" Exo Terra Rock vivarium (home for reptiles) back board.

3.6 mm plywood backscenes, were added supported by 20 mm by 12 mm timber, which were faced with Townscene cloudy sky paper.

Finally a Peco SK-36 Town backscene, with the sky removed, was added to the end scene behind the top tram station.

The space under the cliff tramway has been enclosed with two pieces of 3.6mm varnished plywood.

To watch a short video showing the funicular tramway in operation, click here or on the photo.