Train Set: Track Two

Funiculars are great, which is why the main image from our previous train episode featured one — except we didn’t actually talk about that one during the show. It’s a cable car from Wellington, and as it turns out it’s one of hundreds of funiculars in this city. Roman and Kurt are back with another series of railroad tales. All aboard!

First Stop: Wellington, New Zealand

One of the first things you notice driving into Wellington are the various train tracks wrapping up the steep slopes on all sides — not just for the primary public funicular (above), but for tons of private ones as well. Some are single-rail affairs with functionalist fiberglass buckets while others are enclosed and ride more smoothly on a track-spanning rails.

Wellington is a small coastal city crammed in between the water and craggy hills. It’s also one of the most densely populated cities in NZ. But because there’s so little flat land to build on, people have been forced to build up on steep slopes which might otherwise not get built on — an approach that has some upsides and some downsides.

While riding a funicular to and from home might sound like fun, these vehicles have been known to break down. And for some houses, they’re the only way in or out, so residents can simply get stranded. Also, most small funiculars can’t handle large things like furniture and appliances, much of which ends up getting flow in by helicopter instead. But for residents without anywhere else to build, a home in the hills linked to the city by a janky funicular is better than nothing at all!