Johnstown Inclined Railway - Johnstown, PA
Posted by: 
sherpes
N 40° 19.530 W 078° 55.698
17T E 676003 N 4465945
An inclined cable car that transports vehicles on a steep hill
Waymark Code: WM4K86
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 09/02/2008
Views: 38
The Johnstown Inclined Plane was built to serve the residents of one of these new communities, Westmont. The borough of Westmont is on top of Yoder Hill, which has a grade of 70.9%, too steep for a road. Consequently, a decision was made to build a funicular, with construction started in 1890, and service beginning on June 1, 1891. The inclined plane transported people, and even horses and wagons up and down the steep hillside.
The inclined was designed by Pittsburgh engineer Samuel Diescher.[4] He had previously worked on other funiculars, including the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines in Pittsburgh, and later designed the machinery used to operate the original Ferris wheel at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.
Perpendicular Lift: 502.2 feet (153 m)[5]
Elevation at Summit: 1,693.5 feet (516 m)
Angle: 35 degrees, 25 minutes
Lights: 114 high pressure sodium lamps
Cars: 15 ft 2 in x 15 ft 6 in x 34 ft (4.6 x 4.7 x 10.4 m), 38 tons each
Length: 896.5 feet (273 m) from top to bottom
Grade: 70.9%
Ties: 720 in total, each 12 in x 12 in x 14 ft (305 mm x 305 mm x 4.3 m)
Rails: total length: 3,586 feet (1093 m), total weight: 120,553 lb (54,682 kg)
Cable Size: 2 in (51 mm) powersteel, wire rope, 6 x 36 right regular lay
County / Borough / Parish: Cambria
Year listed: 1973
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1875-1899
Historic function: Transportation
Current function: Transportation
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2008 To: 12/31/2008
Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Street address: Not listed
Privately owned?: Not Listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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