Hogwarts Express, Theme park funicular at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Orlando, US.
The Hogwarts Express is a 1,800 mm broad-gauge cable railway, not a cabin lift, running 676 meters on a single elevated track between Hogsmeade station in Islands of Adventure and King's Cross station in Universal Studios Florida. Each train is an articulated cable car of five sections: a replica steam locomotive and tender plus three coaches with seven compartments apiece. The locomotive, modelled on GWR Hall class 5972 Olton Hall, faces Hogsmeade on both trains.
The installation opened in 2014 to link the two Harry Potter themed sections within the resort. Before construction, visitors had to exit the park and walk through the main gate to reach the other area.
The name comes from the Harry Potter novels and refers to the school train taking students to Hogwarts. Riders see recreated British railway station settings and hear typical English train announcements throughout the journey.
The ride requires a ticket granting access to both parks, as the departure and arrival stations sit in separate facilities. Cabins hold several people and depart at regular intervals throughout the day.
The two trains are pulled by cable, not by their own engines: a haul rope and a counter rope, each 46 mm thick, run the 676 m track from a motor at King's Cross station. The locomotive always faces Hogsmeade, so it cannot be turned toward King's Cross. Each train carries 168 passengers in 20 compartments.
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