A Visit to the Wellington Cable Car (May 7th, 2021)

Ever since it opened in 1902 (and even after its rebuilding in 1979), the Wellington Cable Car has carried millions of people up and down the hill between Lambton Quay and Kelburn. The system is now one of the most iconic tourist attractions in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand.

Every time I go to Wellington, I always like to ride the cable car at least once. This video is about the first of two trips I made up to Kelburn on this particular trip. As well as the main cable car itself, we will also have a look at the two old Grip Cars (from the 1902 to 1978 system), which are on display in the Cable Car Museum.

Incidentally - despite its name - the Wellington Cable Car is actually a funicular. This is because the cars are permanently attached to the cable (like on a funicular), but on a proper cable car (like what Dunedin had until around 1957 and what San Francisco still has), the cable is hidden under the ground and a person has to stand in the car and move levers back and forth to clamp blocks onto or off the cable as needed. The original Wellington Cable Car appears to have been a hybrid of both systems.