Castle Shannon Incline
Encyclopedia
The Castle Shannon Incline was a funicular railroad in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. It was originally built in 1890 as part of the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad
as a means of transporting passenger traffic over Mt. Washington, rather than using the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel
through Mt. Washington, which used a former coal mine. The mine continued to be used as a tunnel to transport coal to a separate incline
that unloaded at a station on Carson Street. The incline ran from Bailey on Mt. Washington to Carson Street and Arlington. Its large cars were able to carry both passengers and automobiles. Originally steam powered, it was converted to electrical operation in 1918 by the Otis Elevator Company
.
The incline was closed 21 June 1964.
The former route of the incline is partly replaced by East Sycamore Street.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. It was originally built in 1890 as part of the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad
Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad
The Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Originally built in 1871, it may have been the first American common carrier narrow gauge railroad. It purchased a rail line called the Coal Hill Coal Railroad from the Pittsburgh Coal...
as a means of transporting passenger traffic over Mt. Washington, rather than using the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel
Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel
The Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel, also known as the Mount Washington Coal Tunnel, was a narrow gauge railway tunnel under Mt. Washington.-History:It was originally begun as a coal mine in 1825 by Jacob Beltzhoover....
through Mt. Washington, which used a former coal mine. The mine continued to be used as a tunnel to transport coal to a separate incline
Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Plane
Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Plane was an incline that ran from the northern end of the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel to Carson Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally built to carry coal from the Jacob Beltzhoover mine, it was sold by the Pittsburgh Coal Company to the Pittsburgh...
that unloaded at a station on Carson Street. The incline ran from Bailey on Mt. Washington to Carson Street and Arlington. Its large cars were able to carry both passengers and automobiles. Originally steam powered, it was converted to electrical operation in 1918 by the Otis Elevator Company
Otis Elevator Company
The Otis Elevator Company is the world's largest manufacturer of vertical transportation systems today, principally focusing on elevators and escalators...
.
The incline was closed 21 June 1964.
The former route of the incline is partly replaced by East Sycamore Street.