There were (or are even) several funicular street lines. You could just run one car or a single track or, if you run two you can have a passing loop (the cars would always have to take the same way through the passing loop) or, even easier two seperate tracks.
If the cable is tensioned via a tail rope (and divertor sheaf) you can have the drive at whatever end you want. If on an incline you can rely on gravity to keep the rope tensioned. The cable line I ran had 2.5 turns of rope round the drum to give adequate traction around the 8ft drum.
Its an interesting subject to model in - one which I have considered (and started to make - but as a straight incline) since giving up the real thing. Automatic operation is a must - sime infra-red detectors or reed switches (only really required at one end, delay timer switched by relay controlling reversal of motor),
Yes great prospects trev. Here's a couple of pics of what I intended to clip onto the end of my trailer layout. Its unfinished because illness prevented me from being able to lift it!
General view
the divertor sheaf
the winding wheel (or bull wheel or drum)
The divertor wheel and winding drum are just pushchair wheels with the tyres removed. They offer almost the correct profile (C shaped - concave) for such a method.
