Editing Funicular (section)

====Water counterbalancing====
{{main|Waterbalast railway}}
[[File:Fribourg funicular.jpg|thumb|upright|The wastewater-powered Fribourg funicular featuring an Abt switch]]
{{For|a list of water-powered funiculars|Category:Water-powered funicular railways}}

Many early funiculars were built using water tanks under the floor of each car, which were filled or emptied until just sufficient imbalance was achieved to allow movement, and a few such funiculars still exist and operate in the same way. The car at the top of the hill is loaded with water until it is heavier than the car at the bottom, causing it to descend the hill and pull up the other car. The water is drained at the bottom, and the process repeats with the cars exchanging roles. The movement is controlled by a [[brakeman]] using the brake handle of the rack and pinion system engaged with the rack mounted between the rails.<ref name="Giessbach" /><ref name="Hofmann" />

The [[Bom Jesus funicular]] built in 1882 near [[Braga]], [[Portugal]] is one of the extant systems of this type. Another example, the [[Fribourg funicular]] in [[Fribourg]], Switzerland built in 1899,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tpf.ch/funiculaire |title=Funiculaire Neuveville – St-Pierre |publisher=Transports publics fribourgeois Holding (TPF) SA}}</ref> is of particular interest as it utilizes waste water, coming from a sewage plant at the upper part of the city.<ref name="The Atlantic">{{cite news|last=Kirk|first=Mimi|title=A Lasting Stink: Fribourg's Sewage-Powered Funicular|url=http://www.citylab.com/commute/2016/06/a-lasting-stink-fribourgs-sewage-powered-funicular/487346/|access-date=19 June 2016|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=16 June 2016 }}</ref>

Some funiculars of this type were later converted to electrical power. For example, the [[Giessbachbahn]] in the Swiss [[canton of Bern]], opened in 1879, was originally powered by water ballast. In 1912 its energy provision was replaced by a hydraulic engine powered by a [[Pelton turbine]]. In 1948 this in turn was replaced by an electric motor.<ref name="Giessbach" />
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