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Funicular

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Funicular Railway, Cable Railway, Cableway, Wireway, Rack Railway, Rack-and-pinion Railway, Cog Railway, Cogwheel Railway

Category

Transportation, Transport Facilities, Transport Modes, Travel, Tourism, Public Facilities, Public Services, Concessions

Message / Function

To indicate the location of cable railways or rack railways

 

Source Description
Draft Pictogram Mountain Railway1) DIN 75 Side view of funicular in outline with pantograph, door, and three windows on rising rail, two wheels visible
BSI 8501 Public Information Symbol No 7015: Funicular Railway BS 8501:2002 Side view of funicular with five windows on rising rail, four wheels visible
Lugano: Pictogram Funicular Lugano Side view of funicular with four windows on rising rail, four wheels visible
Swiss Pictogram Funicular (SWISSTRAFFIC) SWISSTRAFFIC Side view of funicular with four windows on rising rail, four wheels visible
Outdated Swiss Pictogram Funicular VSS Side view of funicular with seven windows on rising rail, two wheels visible
Pictogram Funicular from Saas-Fee Saas-Fee Side view of funicular with six windows, two wheels visible, track indicated by dashed line
SN 640 827 Pictogram 9.06: Funicular SN 640 827 Side view of funicular with five windows on rising track, two wheels visible
SBB Pictogram Funicular SBB Kursbuch Side view of funicular with three windows and two wheels visible, rising track
Dolomiti Superski Map Symbol: Funicular DSS Side view of funicular car body with five windows, two wheels visible
ÖNORM A 3011 Public Information Symbol No 50: Funicular2) ÖNORM A 3011 Side view of funicular car body with five windows, rising track
Aragón: Pictogram No 67: Funicular Aragón Side view of funicular car body with four windows, rising track
Eco-Mo Foundation Pictogram B10: Cable Railway Eco-Mo
Foundation
Side view of funicular car body with four windows, rising track
Experience Japan Pictograms: Funicular EJP Side view of funicular car body with four windows, rising track
Pictogram Fortress Railway from Fortress Hohensalzburg FHS Side view of funicular car body with four windows in outline, rising track
Pictogram Funicular from Galicia Galicia Side view of funicular car body with four windows, rising track
Pictogram Funicular (Salzburg before 1978)3) SLVA Side view of funicular car body with four windows, rising track
Pictogram Funicular from Catalunya Catalunya Side view of funicular car body with windows, rising track
Funicular Pictogram from unknown source before 1980 Unknown Side view of funicular car body with three windows, rising track on arches

Discussion

There is only limited data available concerning symbols or pictograms used to signify cable or rack railways.

Responses from a Comprehension Test available for the variants marked 1) to 3) (Brugger, 1977) indicate that to the general public the term Funicular and this specific type of transportation is not as well known as the more common passenger vehicles. It seems that a large percentage of persons clearly identified the aspect of mountain / upwards transportation, but displaying a pantograph as in the pictogram marked 1) elicited the highest number of wrong responses.

In a Japanese study to propose domestically unified graphical symbols based on scientific methods, the pictogram variant labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation in the table above reached a comprehension score of 57.3, a value similar to the results from Austria for the ÖNORM symbol (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001).

Recommendations

Funicular

Based on test results available we recommend the use of symbol No 50 of ÖNORM A 3011 Part 2 to signify cable railways or rack railways as it does not contain any unnecessary details and seems well comprehensible.

Further studies conducted in locations that offer this specific kind of transportation and based on a wider range of pictogram variants are recommended to clarify this subject and support or correct this recommendation.

Tests of pictograms of referent Funicular

Brugger, Ch. (1978): Bericht über die Auswertung des Erkennungstests von November/Dezember 1977. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated 6. 3. 1978, Vienna.

Eco-Mo Foundation (2001): Test data of public information symbols in Japan - Procedure for the testing of public information symbols by the Study Committee. ISO: ISO/TC 145/SC 1 N 329.

See also

Railway, Tram, Subway
Cable Car, Chairlift

 

Updated 2024-12-06 by Ch.Brugger