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A historical document about the history of the Funicular Gonçalves at Salvador de Bahia, Brasil This report is if great interest for the history of this funicular. From this it can be clearly ascertained that before the installation of the Riggenbach line a further line was installed by a British firm which, however, was a failure. We have earlier assumed that an older line should have existed. Following unconfirmed information on this line cars were in use which consisted only of a flat platform and which transported probably horse trams complete with horses, the reason for this being that the earlier connexions between upper and lower town were to steep for horses which inhibited the exchange of vehicles. At the same time and in the same document can be found a letter from the director of the funicular Gonçalves thanking Riggenbach for the excellent quality of the new line. A translation of this document which can be found at the archives of the Swiss Museum of Transport Museum at Lucerne follows after the text. 
Copyright: reproduced by friendly permission from the archive of the Swiss Museum of Transport, Lucerne Translation of the document (report and letter): Notes concerning the funicular at Bahia The directors of the above mentioned company have given the execution of this work to a very renowned English firm which unfortunately had no experience with this type of line. Therefore the entire construction was such a failure that several accidents occurred and that the Government had to interdict the further operation. The director of the company, Mr. Manuel Francisco Goncalves, had received information about a Mr. N. Riggenbach from Olten, a specialist for lines with steep inclinations, and asked him if he was capable to reconstruct the line completely, with a guarantee for good functioning and complete safety. Mr. Riggenbach, together with the directors of the Lokomotivfabrik Esslingen which furnished the entire rolling stock and the installations for his railways, be it for traction by locomotives or funiculars, did not hesitate to undertake this work with great hardiness, and the success was so complete that Mr. Director Goncalves established a certificate which can be found below and which may interest the engineers who are connected with Mr. Riggenbach and the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen. Central Works and Office Travessa do Arcebispo No. 8 Companhia Linha Circular de Carris da Bahia Bahia, 1st March 1890
We thank you for the perfection of the apparatus which you have delivered to us, as well as for the choice of assembling engineer who carried out his job so well. The funicular San Salvador functions perfectly and will function perfectly and its apparatus honour its inventor Mr. Riggenbach as well as the firm which produced them. The Director:
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Signature: Goncalves
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