The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway from the Lynmouth Station on 21st February 2017.The railway comprises two cars, each capable of transporting 40 passengers, joined by a continuous cable running around a 5 ft 6 in (1.676 m) pulley at each end of the incline. Water feeds through 5-inch (127 mm) pipes from the West Lyn River — over a mile away — into tanks under the floor of the upper car. Each car has a 700-imperial-gallon (3,182 L; 841 US gal) tank mounted between the wheels. Water is discharged from the lower car, until the heavier top car begins to descend, with the speed controlled by a brakeman traveling on each car. The parallel 3 ft 9 in (1,143 mm) gauge[2] tracks (which bow out at the centre point, to allow the cars to pass) rise 500 feet (152.4 m) and are 862 feet (262.7 m) long, giving the line a gradient of 1:1.724 (58%).
Between 1943 and 1944 the system was rebuilt to use electricity, with an official re-opening on 9 May 1944 by Mayor T.C. Pembro – who had taken office only 2 hours previously. In 1955 the original heavy wooden cars were replaced by the 'up-to-date' stronger and lighter (5.4 long tons or 5.5 tonnes) aluminium monocoque ones still in use today. Each car can carry up to 18 passengers.The rails were replaced in about 1972 with the bullhead design formerly used on mainline railways.