How it works 
When each car is ‘docked’ with full water tanks (700 gallons) at both stations the cars are in balance (weighing the same) and are ready for loading. As passengers board, the variations are accommodated for by the brakes which clamp the cars to the rails. Each car’s brakes can hold the weight of both cars fully laden.
When loaded, the drivers use pre-arranged signals, release the safety locking device - and the cars breaks are taken off. The lower driver then discharges water to make the top car heavier. The top car then rolls down the rails - at the same time pulling the lower car up. Each car has two sets of brakes which are water operated. The ‘governor’, which in turn, are driven by the main wheels operate one set. These brakes have shoes which press down on the top surface of the rail and actually lift the car off the rail by 2 mm, thereby relying on the weight of the car to give maximum friction between the rail and the brake shoes.
The other set of brakes work in reverse to a conventional break system, such as that found in a motor car. In a car, the driver presses the peddle to apply the breaks. However, on the railway, the brakes are permanently on - operated by a large water accumulator via the drivers hand wheel. This means when the cars are unattended, the brakes clamp it to the rails making it impossible to move under any circumstances. These brakes are a calliper type which clamp each side of the crown of the rail.
The Lynmouth and Lynton Lift Company was formed through an act of Parliament which, gives the company perpetual right to the water form the West Lyn river. This is gravity fed by way of pipe line, when it reaches the top station it is held in large storage tanks from which the lifts draw their supply, this replenished fully overnight for the next day.
Eco Friendly
The Lifts need absolutely no power to operate , water is its motive power. This not damaged or polluted in any way, just used as ballast and dropped on the beach at Lynmouth about 100 metres away from the river, from which it was taken. The lifts themselves do not create any emissions and is probably one of the most environmentally friendly tourist attractions in the country and has been for well over a hundred years.