Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
Encyclopedia
The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is an inclined plane
railway located along the side of Lookout Mountain
in Chattanooga, Tennessee
, in the United States
. Passengers are transported from St. Elmo's Station at the base, to Point Park at the mountain summit, which overlooks the city and the Tennessee River
. The railway is approximately one mile (1.6 km) in length (single track except for a short two-track stretch at the midway point, allowing operation of two cars at one time), and has a maximum grade of 72.7%. It is billed as the world's steepest passenger railway, a claim that can be disputed (e.g.).
, which operated from 1886 to 1898. The railway is now operated by the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority
, the area's public transit agency.
Inclined plane
The inclined plane is one of the original six simple machines; as the name suggests, it is a flat surface whose endpoints are at different heights. By moving an object up an inclined plane rather than completely vertical, the amount of force required is reduced, at the expense of increasing the...
railway located along the side of Lookout Mountain
Lookout Mountain
thumb|right|See seven statesLookout Mountain is located at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southern border of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain, along with Sand Mountain to the northwest, makes up a large portion of the...
in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Passengers are transported from St. Elmo's Station at the base, to Point Park at the mountain summit, which overlooks the city and the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
. The railway is approximately one mile (1.6 km) in length (single track except for a short two-track stretch at the midway point, allowing operation of two cars at one time), and has a maximum grade of 72.7%. It is billed as the world's steepest passenger railway, a claim that can be disputed (e.g.).
History
The Incline Railway opened on November 16, 1895, and was the second of two inclines constructed on Lookout Mountain; the first was the Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain RailwayChattanooga and Lookout Mountain Railway
The Chatanooga and Lookout Mountain Railway is a historic railroad that operated in the southeastern United States.The company was chartered in 1887 and began operations in 1889, running from Chattanooga, Tennessee to the Lookout Inn, a hotel at the summit of Lookout Mountain, Georgia.The railroad...
, which operated from 1886 to 1898. The railway is now operated by the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority
Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority
The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority is the mass transit provider for Chattanooga, Tennessee and its vicinity....
, the area's public transit agency.