This is a pic of one of the lines of Dunedin's former cable tramway system, 1881 - 1957.
Opening on 23 March 1883, the principal Mornington line travelled one mile (1.6 km) up High Street to Mornington. Cable Car House (now a plumbing business) is still clear in the shopping area, having had little external changes since the line closed, see Google Streetview. The Mornington line was the last Dunedin cable tram to close, on 2 March 1957.
There were two extensions. The first to Maryhill which exited from the back of the Mornington cable car house, followed Glenpark Avenue for 800 metres. The line was perfectly straight, and was sometimes referred to as 'The Big Dipper' (in the picture), similar to a roller coaster, going steeply down one side of the valley and then up the other side. It opened on 18 March 1885 and closed on 29 October 1955.
Another extension also left the Mornington cable car house, going up Mailer Street and then following Elgin Road for a total of 1450 metres. It opened on 6 October 1906, but closed just over three years later, on 22 January 1910. In contrast to Dunedin's other cable tram lines, the gradient was slight.
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