Johns St. and Edgehill Dr., Johnstown, Pennsylvania. County/parish: Cambria.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places June 18, 1973. NRIS 73001597.
1 contributing structure.Also known as:
The Johnstown Inclined Plane is a funicular in Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, U.S. The incline and its two stations connect the city of Johnstown, situated in a valley at the confluence of the Stonycreek and the Little Conemaugh rivers, to the borough of Westmont on Yoder Hill. Designed by Hungarian-American engineer Samuel Diescher, it was completed in 1891 following the Johnstown Flood two years prior. The funicular was intended to serve as an escape route during floods—a purpose it served during the Johnstown floods of 1936 and 1977—as well as a convenient mode of transportation for residents atop Yoder Hill. With a grade of approximately 72%, it holds the Guinness World Record as the steepest vehicular funicular in the world. The incline is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.
The funicular consists of two cars running on parallel tracks, which travel an 896.5-foot-long (273.3 m) route and ascend 502.5 feet (153.2 m) vertically, making the journey in 90 seconds. The cars are open to the elements, with an enclosed seating area, and can carry both passengers and automobiles. The cables connecting the cars are steel wire rope, wound around a drum that is powered by an electric motor. As one car descends, the other ascends and acts as a counterweight. The incline's upper station in Westmont contains a visitor center, gift shop, and observation deck, while the lower station in Johnstown is accessed by the Inclined Plane Bridge.
Originally operated by Cambria Iron Company and its successor Bethlehem Steel, the Johnstown Incline was initially well-used, but ridership began to decline after 1919 because of the growing popularity of automobiles. Following two attempts to close it down, the funicular was sold to the borough of Westmont in 1935. The incline was briefly shut down in January 1962 when its supply of power from Bethlehem Steel was terminated, and the Cambria County Tourist Council took over operations that July following a renovation. The Cambria County Transit Authority (now CamTran) took over the incline in 1983, and the funicular reopened in August 1984 following an 18-month renovation. The incline's lower station was temporarily closed in the early 2000s due to the replacement of the Inclined Plane Bridge, and the entire funicular was closed for a further renovation in 2021.
(read more...)National Park Service documentation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71995992