The Duquesne Incline ( ) is a

funicular A funicular ( ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep grade (slope), slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to ...

scaling Mount Washington near the South Side neighborhood of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, Pennsylvania, United States. The lower station is in the Second Empire style. Together with the incline, which rises in height, at a 30-degree angle, it was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1975. The incline is unusual for using a track gauge, mainly used in Finland, Russia, and Mongolia. Together with the Monongahela Incline, it is one of two passenger inclines still in operation on Pittsburgh's South Side. By 1977, the two had become tourist attractions and together served more than one million commuters and tourists annually. That year both inclines were designated as Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks by the

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing edu ...

(ASME). The incline is owned by

Pittsburgh Regional Transit Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) is the public agency responsible for most public transportation services in the Greater Pittsburgh region in Pennsylvania. It is the second-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania and the 20th-largest in ...

, and operated by the nonprofit Society for the Preservation of The Duquesne Heights Incline. Fares for the incline are standard Pittsburgh Regional Transit fares.

History

Originally

steam powered A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...

, the Duquesne Incline was designed by Samuel Diescher, a Hungarian-American civil engineer based in Pittsburgh, and completed in 1877. The incline is long, in height, and is inclined at a 30-degree angle. Its track gauge is , which is unusual in the United States (but standard in Finland, Russia, and Mongolia). Diescher is known for having designed the majority of inclines in the United States, including several in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania, in addition to numerous other industrial and highway projects. The incline was intended 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 the steep footpaths to the top of the bluff. Inclines were being built all over Mt. Washington to serve working-class people who were forced out of the lowlying riverfront by industrial development. But as more roads were built in the twentieth century on " Coal Hill", as it was known, and automobile use increased, most of the other inclines were closed. By the end of the 1960s, only the Monongahela Incline and the Duquesne Incline remained in operation. In 1962, the Duquesne 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 restore 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". The Duquesne Incline is now one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. In 1975 it was listed on the

. By 1977 the two remaining passenger inclines served more than one million commuters and tourists annually. That year both inclines were designated as Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks by the

(ASME).

Specifications

* Length: * Elevation: * Grade: 30 degrees * Gauge:

broad gauge A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways. Broad gauge of , more known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union countries ...

* Speed: * Passenger Capacity: 18 to 25 (one compartment) * Opened: May 20, 1877 * Renovated: 1888 (with steel structure) * Rebuilt: Original steam power replaced with electricity: 1935 * Renovated: Historic cars restored in 1970s

In popular culture

* The incline is featured in the opening scene of '' The Next Three Days'' (2010) trailer. The same scene is featured about halfway through the film. * It is also featured in the 1983 film '' Flashdance'', set in Pittsburgh. * In the 1987 movie '' Lady Beware'', the characters played by Diane Lane and Cotter Smith ride the incline. * The Duquesne Incline is a featured

landmark on Yinztagram.

Gallery

Duquesne Incline lower station.jpg, Lower building Downtown Pittsburgh from Duquesne Incline in the morning.jpg, The incline preceding the Pittsburgh skyline Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh PA (8899995839).jpg, The incline from above Duquesne Incline interior.jpg, Interior view looking toward the Pittsburgh skyline Ticket counter and lobby of Duquesne Incline lower station.jpg, Lobby of the lower station Duquesne Incline lower station with incline car.jpg, Platform of the lower station Drive Gear and Cable Drum at the Duquesne Incline.jpg, Drive gear and cable drum of the funicular

References

External links