Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway Company
Encyclopedia
The Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway Company was an early 20th Century incline railway which once operated in the Mount Washington
district north of Downtown Los Angeles
.
Inspired by nearby Angels Flight
, the railway entered service in May, 1909 as a means to promote the area as a hillside suburb. Built by developer Robert Marsh, the "L.A. & Mt. Washington Ry. Co." consisted of a pair of electrically powered, counterbalanced trolley-style cars connected to an underground steel cable loop running the length of Avenue 43 - then a dirt road - to Marsh's Mount Washington Hotel at the 940'/287m summit. Speed was 4 mph (6.4 km/h). Visitors then enjoyed a yet-unspoiled vista stretching from the nearby San Gabriel Mountains
to the Pacific Ocean
. The ride proved to be a popular one, with the railway operating until midnight on weekends. Unfortunately, this proved to be the railway's downfall. Worn equipment and concerns over safety led to its final closure in 1919. By 1930, Avenue 43 was paved and the tracks and equipment long since removed. The Mount Washington Hotel remains, having been purchased by the Self-Realization Fellowship
in 1925. It was declared Historic Monument #845 by the City of Los Angeles on August 16, 2006. The base station on Avenue 43 was declared Historic Monument #269 in 1983.
Mt. Washington, Los Angeles, California
Mount Washington is a neighborhood located in the hills of northeastern Los Angeles, California.-Geography:The boundaries of Mount Washington are roughly defined by Division Street on the west, El Paso Drive and Avenue 50 on the northeast, Marmion Way on the southeast, and Isabel street on the...
district north of Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
.
Inspired by nearby Angels Flight
Angels Flight
Angels Flight is a landmark funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has two funicular cars, Sinai and Olivet ....
, the railway entered service in May, 1909 as a means to promote the area as a hillside suburb. Built by developer Robert Marsh, the "L.A. & Mt. Washington Ry. Co." consisted of a pair of electrically powered, counterbalanced trolley-style cars connected to an underground steel cable loop running the length of Avenue 43 - then a dirt road - to Marsh's Mount Washington Hotel at the 940'/287m summit. Speed was 4 mph (6.4 km/h). Visitors then enjoyed a yet-unspoiled vista stretching from the nearby San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The ride proved to be a popular one, with the railway operating until midnight on weekends. Unfortunately, this proved to be the railway's downfall. Worn equipment and concerns over safety led to its final closure in 1919. By 1930, Avenue 43 was paved and the tracks and equipment long since removed. The Mount Washington Hotel remains, having been purchased by the Self-Realization Fellowship
Self-Realization Fellowship
Self-Realization Fellowship / Yogoda Satsanga Society of India is a worldwide spiritual organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920 and based in Mount Washington in Los Angeles, California....
in 1925. It was declared Historic Monument #845 by the City of Los Angeles on August 16, 2006. The base station on Avenue 43 was declared Historic Monument #269 in 1983.