In 1935, quarry workers in Portmadoc, North Wales used a unique device to ride the rails when returning from work. The device consisted of three wheels and a hand brake.
To get them back down to the bottom at end-of-shift, a no-energy means was devised: A peculiar-looking board with a single large wheel mounted beneath, two smaller wheels at the nose, and a sort of outrigger arm.
To get them back down to the bottom at end-of-shift, a no-energy means was devised: A peculiar-looking board with a single large wheel mounted beneath, two smaller wheels at the nose, and a sort of outrigger arm.
If you’re wondering how they controlled the speed, to avoid having a heavier man crash into a lighter man ahead of him, this lever at the top serves as a brake. When you pull it back, it connects to something beneath the board that contacts the track.
Nevertheless, apparently there were still crashes from time-to-time (though this appears to be staged for the camera’s sake):
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