Talk:Harderbahn

rope funicular
moved from my talk page. -- ZH8000 (talk) 23:42, 5 October 2016 (UTC)

Hi. Just noticed your edits to the Harderbahn article, an article I've previously made one or two minor edits to. Most of your changes I whole heartedly agree with, especially the need for more cites. But I do notice that you have added the word 'rope' to the description, so it is now described as a 'rope funicular'. I'm not sure why you did this, but it isn't a term I've ever heard used before. Normally funiculars are said to use a 'cable' rather than a 'rope'. I don't think 'rope' is wrong, as a rope is a more general term including ropes made of hemp or synthetic fibres as well as 'cables' (aka 'wire ropes'), but it is an unusual term to use. I wonder if there is something different about the Harderbahn I didn't realise?. -- chris_j_wood (talk) 16:42, 5 October 2016 (UTC)


 * Yes, you point to something problematic, and posibly wrong aspects. There are two types of funiculars in English: cog railways and the ones Harderbahn is one of. In American English it is even worse, Harderbahn could also be called a cable car, but a cable car can also be an arial tramway. In German it would be obvious: Standseilbahn. And I wanted to make clear that it is not a cog railway, nor a cable car aka arial tramway. Do you have a solution? -- ZH8000 (talk) 23:42, 5 October 2016 (UTC)


 * In English, a cog railway is definitely not a type of funicular, they are two quite different types of railway. Although a lot of English speakers probably don't know the difference as there are not that many cog railways or funiculars in the English speaking world. It is a confusion not unknown in Switzerland either; quite a lot of local publications describe the Dolderbahn as a Standseilbahn!. I would simply use the term funicular, as the linked article is quite definite it isn't talking about a cog railway. -- chris_j_wood (talk) 12:24, 6 October 2016 (UTC)


 * I mismatched something, indeed. I changed it back. No, in German there is no confusion possible; the terms are precise. It's either or. The Dolderbahn was actually a Standseilbahn until 1973! Then it became a Zahnradbahn. No surprise, when elderly people still describe it that way ;-) -- ZH8000 (talk) 13:00, 6 October 2016 (UTC)