The
Duquesne Incline is a inclined plane railroad, or
funicularA funicular, also known as a funicular railway, incline, inclined railway, inclined plane, or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each...
, located near
PittsburghPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
's South Side neighborhood and scaling
Mt. WashingtonMount Washington is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's south city area. It has a zip code of 15211 and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 3 and District 2 . The Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire houses 27 Engine in Mt. Washington...
. It was completed in 1877 and is long, in height, and is inclined at a 30 degree angle. It is an unusual gauge.
Originally steam powered, the Duquesne Incline was built to carry cargo up and down Mt. Washington in the late 1800s. It later carried passengers, particularly Mt.
Discussion
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The
Duquesne Incline is a inclined plane railroad, or
funicularA funicular, also known as a funicular railway, incline, inclined railway, inclined plane, or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each...
, located near
PittsburghPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
's South Side neighborhood and scaling
Mt. WashingtonMount Washington is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's south city area. It has a zip code of 15211 and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 3 and District 2 . The Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire houses 27 Engine in Mt. Washington...
. It was completed in 1877 and is long, in height, and is inclined at a 30 degree angle. It is an unusual gauge.
History
Originally steam powered, the Duquesne Incline was built to carry cargo up and down Mt. Washington in the late 1800s. It later carried passengers, particularly Mt. Washington residents who were tired of walking up footpaths to the top. Inclines were then being built all over Mt. Washington. But as more roads were built on “
Coal HillMount Washington is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's south city area. It has a zip code of 15211 and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 3 and District 2 . The Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire houses 27 Engine in Mt. Washington...
” most of the other inclines were closed. In the 1940s, only the
Monongahela InclineThe Monongahela Incline, located near the Smithfield Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, is the oldest continuously operating funicular in the USA, and one of two surviving from the original 17 passenger-carrying inclines built in Pittsburgh...
and the Duquesne Incline remained.
In 1962, the incline was closed, apparently for good. Major repairs were needed, and with so few patrons, the incline's private owners did little. But local
Duquesne Heights'Duquesne Heights is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's south city area. It has a zip code of 15211, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2 ....
residents launched a fund-raiser to help the incline. It was a huge success, and on July 1, 1963 the incline reopened under the auspices of a non-profit organization dedicated to its preservation.
The incline has since been totally refurbished. The cars, built by the J. G. Brill and Company of Philadelphia, have been stripped of paint to reveal the original wood. An observation deck was added at the top affording a magnificent view of Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle", and the Duquesne Incline is now one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.
See also
- Monongahela Incline
The Monongahela Incline, located near the Smithfield Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, is the oldest continuously operating funicular in the USA, and one of two surviving from the original 17 passenger-carrying inclines built in Pittsburgh...
- Johnstown Inclined Plane
The Johnstown Inclined Plane, located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in the United States, is the world's steepest vehicular inclined plane.-History:...
- Angels Flight
Angels Flight is a landmark funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of downtown Los Angeles, California.The funicular has operated on two slightly different sites, using the same cars. The first Angels Flight operated from 1901 until it was closed in 1969 when its location was redeveloped....
- Funicular railway
A funicular, also known as a funicular railway, incline, inclined railway, inclined plane, or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each...
- List of funicular railways
External links