SHORTEST & STEEPEST - Scenic Railway in the World (Dubuque, Iowa)
N 42° 29.817 W 090° 40.082
15T E 691622 N 4707589
Classified as a funicular, Dubuque's Fenelon Place Elevator is described as the world's shortest and steepest scenic railway.
Waymark Code: WM50VK
Location: Iowa, United States
Date Posted: 10/23/2008
Views: 32
First built in 1882, the Fenelon Place Elevator climbs the Mississippi River bluff at the end of Fourth Street near downtown Dubuque. It has a length of 296 feet and a vertical elevation of 189 feet. It is a funicular: a cable-driven railway powered by an engine in the upper station. The two cars always leave the upper and lower stations simultaneously, and pass at the midpoint of the track. They counterbalance each other so that the engine needs to supply only enough power to overcome friction and the different weights of the passengers in the cars. In the United States, larger funiculars operate in Pittsburgh and Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Type of documentation of superlative status: Website
Location of coordinates: Dubuque, Iowa
Web Site: [Web Link]
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