Thul Ka Cable Ways

Beneath many of the busiest streets of central Thul Ka run great cables which are pulled in endless loops by great hydraulic engines. To these cables, wonderful cars of painted wood and shining brass are attached and conveyed about the city at marvelously constant speeds allowing persons and goods to travel great distances without the need to resort to beasts of burden.

The Cable-ways of Thul Ka are a recent invention, but in the decade and a half or so since the first reliable system began operations, they have become an invaluable, highly profitable, and even much beloved symbol of a city where innovation and commerce are held in high esteem.

A Brief History of the Cable-Ways

Thul Ka is a vast city and to traverse it fully is a task for which few urban travelers are suited. A variety of options exist for the urbanite who wishes to spare his feet the weary task of walking through the labyrinthine streets, risking blisters, shin splits, or becoming lost and stumbling quite unintentionally into a dangerous region where thieves and murderers stroll freely beneath the all-pervading sun. Carriages, hired coaches, omnibus coaches traveling fixed routes, sedan chairs, palanquins, and rickshaws are all to be had for price but even these conveyances are not sufficient to quickly and efficiently move so many millions about the city.

In the decade leading up to the great Crisis of 2712 there was a great noise made in many quarters about the wonderful, mechanized, and gloriously modern future that awaited Mugroba; a future that would surely propel Mugroba, already more advanced, far ahead of its neighbors and rivals. Great industry and ingenuity, along with even greater sums of money, were invested in all manner of wild, mechanistic ventures to improve the life of the city. One of the more successful of these were the cable-way transit lines which now aid in reducing the nearly intolerable congestion of Thul Ka’s streets.

Cable and track vehicles had been used in mining for ages but these systems were always cumbersome and ill suited to large-scale people moving for they relied on counterweight cars and could only travel in straight lines. The Nutmeg Hill Funicular Company, which formed in 2682 to great applause and promises of ‘An End to Congestion in Our Time’ only to collapse due to unpaid debts and constant cost-overruns in 2684, offers a cautionary tale. Several other funicular companies formed around this time, but they too suffered a similar fate. Still, the general idea of moving people about by cable persisted and experiments into all sorts of unlikely methods were made.

It was not until 2703 that Sirma Salhu Belziid arrived at a solution that would make cable-based transit feasible on any kind of scale, though it would take her another seven years to perfect it. Her innovation was to couple a constantly moving cable with cars equipped with a specialized gripping system which allowed the cars to attach and detach to cables as needed. Suddenly, counterweight cars were no longer needed, and Belziid’s company, The Cinnamon Hill Cable-Way, was a great success.

Since that time, a number of other cable-way operators have entered the market, though for the most part they do not directly compete but rather operate in different parts of the city. This is not out of any sense of politeness or respect, but rather a nod to the very great expense of setting up such a system and the still-unconquered difficulties arising from having multiple cables operating beneath the same streets.

Operation of the Cable-Ways

All of the Thul Ka’s cable-ways operate upon the same principles of a constantly moving cable and cars which can attach and detach at the command of the car’s operator. The operators, called grips, are required to be prodigiously strong to safely work the gripping mechanisms and brakes. So strong indeed that nearly every grip to date has been uncommonly burly humans. A few wicks have succeeded in joining the ranks of the grips, but not a single galdor has ever come close to joining that profession.

In addition to the grips, there are the conductors whose job it is to collect fares (often very modest fares for the cable-ways serve rich and poor alike), advise passengers upon how to get to the destination, and deal with any other concerns to that the grip can focus upon the difficult task of controlling the car.

There are also a number of mechanics, engineers, and other administrators who work with the cableways. These tend to be disproportionately galdori, although some imbali and humans have also managed to join their ranks.

The Main Routes

The Nutmeg Hill Line: Runs from the top of Nutmeg Hill and down to the Cashew on one side and across the river into Dejai Point (where Thul'Amat is found) upon the other.
The Cinnamon Hill Cable-Way: Runs all throughout Cinnamon Hill, down through Aratra and into Hlun and Seven Lanterns.
The Slow-Dust Line: Runs from Slowwater to Gathering Dust
The Windward Cable Company: Runs cars throughout Windward Market, Nighingale, and Myrrh Gate
The Pipe and Salt Industrial Line: Runs mostly industrial cars through the Pipeworks and down into Salt. There is also an extension line heading into Nomfa’s Bazaar.