Scarborough’s has had, at one time, five separate funicular railways to transport people up and down from the seafront to the clifftop areas. Two are still in operation today, including the Central Tramway, which is featured in today’s picture. This originally opened in 1881.

The other still-operating funicular is the South Cliff lift, which runs from the spa to the hotels and residential areas above. This is a little older, first running in 1875.

One more still exists and is only a stone’s throw from the Central Tramway. The St Nicholas Cliff Lift was opened in 1929. It operated until 2007 when the local council, who now owned it, could not afford the upgrade costs to meet health and safety standards. Rather than demolish the railway (which had a hefty price tag also), the two cars were both moved to the top of the slope, secured in place, and now operate as seating areas for a cafe. The station at the foot of the tracks is currently an ice-cream parlour.

The other two funiculars no longer exist, at least not in Scarborough. The North Bay Cliff Lift, which opened in 1930, operated until 2007 when it was decided to close and dismantle the structure due to corrosion and mechanical issues. Much of the dismantled railway was donated to the Launceston Civic Society and is currently in storage at the Launceston Steam Railway.

The final of the five was the Queens Parade Cliff Lift, opening in 1878. It was, however beset by misfortune, including on it’s opening day when one of the cars broke loose and crashed, forcing the railway to close until the following year. Then a series of mechanical issues and landslides meant it was deemed untenable to operate and it closed less than a decade later in 1887.

Minolta X-300, Minolta MD 50mm f/1.7 & Kodak Gold. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 14 March 2026