The Clay Street Hill Railroad, 1873
the dummy
This is a section through the dummy and road-bed. It shows the tube, supporting pulley, rope and gripping device. Note the slot is not immediately over the center of the tube, but on one side. This keeps sand and drift from falling on the rope. The road has a gauge of 3 feet 6 inches.
The rope is grasped and released at pleasure by the gripping device and controlled by the man in charge The car is more smoothly started than by horses, and instantly stopped on any part of the road. Its mechanical construction is simple and on the streets of a city it does not frighten horses or endanger lives.