Fenelon Place Elevator

Fenelon Place Elevator
Overview
Locale Dubuque, Iowa
Transit type Funicular
Website www.dbq.com/fenplco
Operation
Began operation July 25, 1882
Operator(s) Fenelon Place Elevator Company
Technical
System length

296 feet (90 m)

Fenelon Place Elevator
Coordinates 42°29′46.7″N 90°40′9.7″W / 42.496306°N 90.669361°WCoordinates: 42°29′46.7″N 90°40′9.7″W / 42.496306°N 90.669361°W
Built by J.K. Graves, C.B. Terwin
NRHP Reference # 78001215[1]
Added to NRHP August 3, 1978

The Fourth Street Elevator is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge[2] funicular railway located in Dubuque, Iowa. Also known as the Fenelon Place Elevator, it is claimed to be the shortest and steepest railroad in the world (although several other funiculars also make this claim). It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[3]

History

A predecessor to the Fourth Street Elevator was built in 1882 for the private use of local banker and former state senator J.K. Graves. The funicular was opened to the public in 1884, charging 5 cents per ride. After several fires, the current funicular was built in 1893 on the footprint of the 1882 incline; the 1893 funicular inaugurated the use of the cable car technology that continues in use today.[4]

Location

The Fourth Street Elevator is located at 512 Fenelon Place. The entrance is located at the western end of Fourth Street.[5]

At the top there are two observation decks. These decks offer a commanding view of the downtown Dubuque area. Three states can be seen from the observation decks - Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Function

The funicular is 296 feet (90 m) long, with a vertical elevation of 98 feet (29.9 m). The two cars start at opposite ends, passing each other at the midpoint of the elevator. The two cars counterbalance each other, drawing motive power from an engine in the station house at the top of the hill. The engine only needs to overcome inertia and friction and compensate for the varying weight of the passengers in the cars.

The Fourth Street Elevator is run from April 1 to November 30. The hours are from 8 am to 10 pm. It only has one door, the entrance at the small shack at the bottom of the hill.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved 2011-09-07.
  2. ↑ Zeitschrift Blickpunkt Straßenbahn (Tram Focus Magazine) - Trams of the World 2013
  3. ↑ Stewart, Connie (2011-11-05). Old funicular is quaint, fun, and TSA-secure. LA Times, 5 November 2011. Retrieved on 2011-11-07 from http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-hometown-dubuque-20111106,0,561245.story.
  4. ↑ "Fenelon Place Elevator Company History". Fenelon Place Elevator Company. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Fenlon Place Elevator Company. Retrieved from http://www.dbq.com/fenplco/prices.html.

External links

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