, ▁from ▁about ▁ 1 8 2 0 . ▁Pon ies , ▁don keys ▁and ▁carri ages ▁were ▁available ▁for ▁h ire , ▁but ▁the ▁ste ep ▁grad ients ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁animals ▁having ▁only ▁short ▁working ▁lives . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁propos als ▁for ▁a ▁rail - based ▁lift , ▁able ▁to ▁carry ▁passengers ▁and ▁goods , ▁were ▁made ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁although ▁this ▁first ▁scheme ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁steam ▁power ed . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁ ▁The ▁water - power ed ▁railway ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁George ▁Cro yd on ▁Mark s ▁( l ater ▁Baron ▁Mark s ▁of ▁W ool wich ), ▁and ▁paid ▁for ▁mainly ▁by ▁his ▁business ▁partner , ▁the ▁publish er ▁Sir ▁George ▁New nes . ▁New nes , ▁who ▁owned ▁a ▁large ▁residence ▁at ▁nearby ▁Hol ler day ▁Hill , ▁also ▁back ed ▁the ▁L ynt on ▁& ▁Bar n st ap le ▁Railway ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁L ynt on ▁Town ▁Hall ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁work   – ▁re lying ▁entirely ▁on ▁manual ▁labour   – ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁and ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁less ▁than ▁three ▁years . ▁The ▁railway ▁uses ▁cl if ft op ▁railway ▁cars ▁designed ▁to ▁operate ▁like ▁lif ts . ▁The ▁railway ▁compr ises ▁two ▁cars , ▁each ▁capable ▁of ▁transport ing ▁ 4 0 ▁passengers , ▁joined ▁by ▁a ▁continuous ▁cable ▁running ▁around ▁a ▁ 5   ft ▁ 6