The Monongahela Freight Incline was a funicular railway that scaled Mount Washington in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Locale | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Dates of operation | 1884–1935 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 10 ft (3,048 mm) |
History and features
editDesigned by European immigrants Samuel Diescher and John Endres, this incline was built beside the smaller, original Monongahela Incline and opened in 1884.[1] The incline cost $125,000.
It had a unique 10 ft (3,048 mm) broad gauge that would allow vehicles, as well as walk-on passengers, to ascend and descend the hill. The cars were hoisted by a pair of Robinson & Rea engines.[2]
The incline operated until 1935.[3]
The older passenger incline, which was built in 1870, is one of two inclines still serving South Side Pittsburgh today, out of a total of seventeen that were built during the nineteenth century. Passengers can see concrete pylons remaining from the freight incline during the descent.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Diescher, Samuel (June 1897). "American Inclined Plane Railways". Cassier's Magazine. 12 (2): 86.
- ^ A Century of Inclines, pp. 7-8.
- ^ "Twentieth Century Progress Dooms Vehicle Incline Built Before Autos Replaced Hansoms and Victorias". The Pittsburgh Press. 11 October 1935. p. 37.
Sources
edit
- A Century of Inclines, The Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Incline.