Prospect Park Incline Railway
Encyclopedia
The Prospect Park Incline Railway was a funicular railway
in the city of Niagara Falls
, New York
, United States
. It was built in 1845 on the United States side of the Niagara Falls
at Prospect Point Park. An accident in 1907 claimed a single life and lead to the closure of this line.
The incline railway was covered and consisted of two parallel rail tracks leading from the top of the gorge to the bottom, with each track carrying an open railcar with a capacity of 15-20 passengers. The line was originally on water counter-balance principals, but was later converted to electrical operation.
Following the 1907 accident, the funicular railway was removed in 1908. In 1910, it was replaced with elevator
s, which operated in separate shafts drilled through the rock and opened out to a building at the base of the gorge. In 1960 the elevators were closed due to a rock fall. It replaced with the current Prospect Point Observation Tower
in 1961.
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
in the city of Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built in 1845 on the United States side of the Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
at Prospect Point Park. An accident in 1907 claimed a single life and lead to the closure of this line.
The incline railway was covered and consisted of two parallel rail tracks leading from the top of the gorge to the bottom, with each track carrying an open railcar with a capacity of 15-20 passengers. The line was originally on water counter-balance principals, but was later converted to electrical operation.
Following the 1907 accident, the funicular railway was removed in 1908. In 1910, it was replaced with elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s, which operated in separate shafts drilled through the rock and opened out to a building at the base of the gorge. In 1960 the elevators were closed due to a rock fall. It replaced with the current Prospect Point Observation Tower
Prospect Point Park observation tower
The Prospect Point Park Observation tower is located in Niagara Falls, New York, USA and just east of the American Falls.The tower stands at 282 feet with the base at the gorge level and visitors entering at the ground level from Prospect Point Park. It sees eight million visitors annually.The...
in 1961.
See also
- Spanish Aerocar
- Niagara Parks Commission People MoverNiagara Parks Commission People MoverThe Niagara Parks Commission People Mover is a bus service in the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The service links the various tourist sights and attractions along the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls and the gorge downstream of it....
- Incline railways at Niagara Falls