Johnstown Inclined Railway, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA
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: WM4K87
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 09/02/2008
Views: 54
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
Seasonal?: Open All Year
Funicular's Official Website: [Web Link]
Length of Track: 273 m
Angle of Incline: 35 degrees, 25 minutes (70.9%)
Elevation: 153 m
|
Visit Instructions:
To log a visit to a funicular, an original photo of the funicular must accompany the log.
Please provide any updated information regarding fees, hours of operation, etc.
Do not be shy about including coordinates at the other end of the track from the ones provided for the waymark