Duquesne Incline facts for kids
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| Overview | |
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| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Locale | 1220 Grandview Ave., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Dates of operation | May 17, 1877–present |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 5 ft (1,524 mm) |
| Length | 800 feet (244 m) |
| Other | |
| Website | duquesneincline.org |
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Duquesne Incline
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 Location in Pittsburgh
Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Built | 1877 |
| Architect | Samuel Diescher |
| Architectural style | Second Empire, T pattern |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001609 |
| Added to NRHP | March 4, 1975 |
The Duquesne Incline is a special kind of railway. It uses strong cables to pull cars up and down a very steep hill. You can find it near Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood. It climbs up Mt. Washington in Pennsylvania, United States.
A smart engineer named Samuel Diescher designed this amazing incline. It was finished in 1877. The incline is about 800 feet (244 meters) long. It climbs 400 feet (122 meters) high. The track is super steep, at a 30-degree angle! Its tracks are 5 feet wide. This is a bit unusual for the United States.
Contents
The Story of the Duquesne Incline
How It Started
The Duquesne Incline first opened in the late 1800s. Back then, it used steam power. Its main job was to carry heavy cargo up and down Mt. Washington. Soon, it also started carrying people. Many people lived on Mt. Washington. They were tired of walking up steep footpaths every day.
At that time, many inclines were built all over Mt. Washington. People called Mt. Washington "Coal Hill" back then. But as more roads were built, most of these inclines closed down. By the late 1960s, only two were left. These were the Monongahela Incline and the Duquesne Incline.
Saving the Incline
In 1962, the Duquesne Incline closed. It looked like it would be closed forever. It needed big repairs. The owners didn't have many riders, so they didn't fix it. But the people living in Duquesne Heights loved their incline. They started a fundraiser to save it.
Their efforts were a huge success! On July 1, 1963, the incline reopened. A special group now runs it. This group works hard to keep the incline running for everyone.
The Incline Today
Since then, the Duquesne Incline has been fully updated. The old cars were built by the J. G. Brill and Company. Workers removed the paint to show the original wood. This makes the cars look just like they did long ago.
An observation deck was added at the top. From here, you can see Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle." This is where two rivers meet. The Duquesne Incline is now one of Pittsburgh's most popular places to visit. It offers amazing views of the city!
Gallery
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Lower building
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The view upwards when ascending the incline
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Interior view looking towards the Pittsburgh skyline
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Lobby of the lower station
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Platform of the lower station
