The bigger picture: Take a moment to consider the feat of engineering that takes us to the top of Table Mountain.

PERCHED AT about 302 m above sea level, the lower station of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is the gateway to the mountain’s summit, at 1 067 m. Construction was completed in 1929 and the cableway has undergone many improvements since then.

Using a jig-back system – one cabin will always move up the mountain while the other moves down, creating a counterbalance – the cabins weigh approximately 11 tons each including the fixed hanging gear. The cabins are suspended on track cables while the haul and heel cables pull the cabins up and down. The haul cable is driven and controlled at the lower station with a bull wheel, which is powered by a 540 kW electric motor via a reduction gearbox. The haul and track cables have a combined minimum breaking load of 313 tons. The plant room – where the engine and braking system is housed – was relocated to the lower station in 1997 to allow for easier and faster access during maintenance periods while also accounting for a more reliable electricity supply. The plant has three braking systems – the service brake, emergency brake and track-cable brakes. The service brake is used during normal operations and stops the gearbox shaft, which drives the haul cable. The emergency brake can stop the haul-cable drive wheel directly, while the track-cable brakes are situated on the cabin and can operate completely independently from the plant. Brake inspections are performed daily.