Popular Mechanics South Africa

90 Years Old AND STILL SWINGING

IMAGINE BEING suspended high above the Cape Peninsula in an open wooden box relying solely on a primitive temporary ropeway system to transport building materials and workmen to the summit of Table Mountain, all while battling a brutal south-easterly wind.

In the late 1920s, a group of skilled engineers and builders experienced the thrill (and at times, terror) of being suspended in mid-air while performing a feat of engineering that would result in the construction of one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.

Ninety years have passed since those brave men played a key role in catapulting Cape Town on to the global tourist stage. Thankfully, modern technology meant I did not have to muster the same courage during my recent ascent to the top of the mountain, and instead could

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