Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway Company

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Vintage postcard of the Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway Company base station

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The Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway Company was an early 20th Century incline railway which once operated in the Mount Washington district east of Downtown Los Angeles.

Inspired by nearby Angels Flight, the railway entered service in May, 1909 as a means to promote the area as a hillside suburb. Built by developer Robert Marsh, the "L.A. & Mt. Washington Ry. Co." consisted of a pair of electrically powered, counterbalanced trolley-style cars connected to an underground steel cable loop running the length of Avenue 43 - then a dirt road - to Marsh's Mount Washington Hotel at the 940'/287m summit. Speed was 4 mph (6.4 km/h). Visitors then enjoyed a yet-unspoiled vista stretching from the nearby San Gabriel Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The ride proved to be a popular one, with the railway operating until midnight on weekends. Unfortunately, this proved to be the railway's downfall. Worn equipment and concerns over safety led to its final closure in 1919. By 1930, Avenue 43 was paved and the tracks and equipment long since removed. The Mount Washington Hotel remains, having been purchased by the Self-Realization Fellowship in 1925. It was declared Historic Monument #845 by the City of Los Angeles on August 16, 2006. The base station on Avenue 43 was declared Historic Monument #269 in 1983.