Duquesne Incline

Duquesne Incline
Locale Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dates of operation May 17, 1877[1]–present
Track gauge 5 ft (1,524 mm)
Length 800 feet (244 m)
Headquarters Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Website

duquesneincline.org

Duquesne Incline
Location 1220 Grandview Ave., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 40°26′21″N 80°1′5″W / 40.43917°N 80.01806°WCoordinates: 40°26′21″N 80°1′5″W / 40.43917°N 80.01806°W
Built 1877
Architectural style Second Empire, Other, T pattern
Governing body Local
NRHP Reference # 75001609[2]
Added to NRHP March 4, 1975

The Duquesne Incline (/djuːˈkeɪn/ dew-KAYN) is an inclined plane railroad, or funicular, located near Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood and scaling Mt. Washington. Designed by Samuel Diescher, the incline was completed in 1877 and is 800 feet (244 m) long, 400 feet (122 m) in height, and is inclined at a 30 degree angle. It is an unusual track gauge of 5 ft (1,524 mm).[3]

History

Originally steam powered, the Duquesne Incline was built to carry cargo up and down Mt. Washington in the late 19th century. 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 Hill” most of the other inclines were closed. By the end of the 1960s, only the Monongahela Incline 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 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 view of Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle", and the Duquesne Incline is now one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.

In popular culture

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Conquering New Territory". Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette. May 18, 1877. p. 4. The plane was opened yesterday to the public....
  2. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
  3. ↑ "Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-05-21.
  4. ↑ "Yinztagram By Pegula". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 2012. Archived from the original on December 15, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Duquesne Incline.