How did the original Glasgow Cable Subway work?

[PaxmanValenta]

Originally the Glasgow Subway was a cable operated Subway with the rolling stock being hauled along the rails by a cable.

How did the trains stop at stations if they were attached to a moving cable?

How fast did the trains travel?

How was braking achieved seen as electricity is needed to power a motor to generate an air or vacuum brake system?

How was electricity supplied for lighting inside the carriages since there would not have been a third rail or overhead electric supply and surely batteries would not have lasted long?

Thanks

 

[AlterEgo]

The operator simply detached the grip from the cable and apply the brakes. To set off again, the grip was reattached.

I am sure someone else can answer the remainder of the questions!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Don't know about the rest, but I think the lighting would be oil or gas. Not something anyone would entertain today!

 

[Adlington]

How fast did the trains travel?

The cable speed was 15 mph according to this advertising material.

 

[Adlington]

How was electricity supplied for lighting inside the carriages

Auntie Wikipedia says

Power for the electric lighting in the trains was supplied by two parallel wall-mounted rails (known as "T-irons") at window level on the non-platform side of the trains

 

[sng7]

One thing to note was that all the stations where island platforms hence the doors on one side and they where all built on a hump to help the trains slow down to stop and then accelerate again.

 

[Adlington]

they where all built on a hump to help the trains slow down to stop and then accelerate again.

When the grip catches the cable, the train runs at the cable speed, downhill or uphill.

 

[ASharpe]

When the grip catches the cable, the train runs at the cable speed, downhill or uphill.

Yes, but a train attaching will slow down the cable. The train setting off downhill would mitigate that.

The OP might be interested in looking into the San Francisco Cable Car system.

 

[hexagon789]

Yes, but a train attaching will slow down the cable. The train setting off downhill would mitigate that.

The drivers or gripmen were supposed to gently tighten the gripaper teeth onto the cable to ensure a smooth pickup and starting away without a jolt. As the platforns themselves are on the level the trains wouldn't be on the downhill until out of the station but the downhill stretches would help the trains reach cable speed quicker as the grip man eased onto the cable.

The side rails with T-irons for the lighting survived into electrification days, the original trains simply hadon't traction motors added to make them electrically powered and this archaic arrangement lasted until the refurbishment in 1977-80.

The lighting rails also acted as a communication device, drivers of broken down trains would rub a short-circuiting bar against the rails and this would set off a warbler and open the circuit breakers at the next substation, the driver would then attach a phone to the wires on the wall and could then telephone along to the next station.

I'm not 100% certain what braking was employed in cable-haulage days but the original electrified trains used the single-pipe air brake. It's seems likely that this was used originally either with compressors powered by the lighting circuits or by topping up the air at intermediate stations as was done at terminal stations on the Waterloo and City in the early years.

 

[theageofthetra]

Wasn't there a very unique smell which was to do with the whale oil/grease used on the cable?

 

[rebmcr]

With a cable speed of 15mph, would a simple handbrake not have sufficed?

 

[edwin_m]

With a cable speed of 15mph, would a simple handbrake not have sufficed?

Presumably the Subway was subject to the 1889 Act which made continuous automatic brakes mandatory.