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The Duquesne Incline is a funicular, or inclined plane, located near Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood and scaling Mt. Washington. It was completed in 1877.
History
The Duquesne Incline's original purpose was to take cargo up and down Mt Washington in the late 1800s. It then became available for passenger use to workers on Mt. Washington who tired of walking up footpaths to the top. Inclines were then being built all over Mt. Washington. But as time went on, more roads could be built up Mt. Washington, and most of the other inclines were closed. In the 1940s, only the Monongahela Incline and the Duquesne Incline were left.
In 1962 the incline was closed, apparently for good. Major repairs were needed, and with so few patrons, the incline's private owners did little. But a group of men from the Duquesne Heights neighborhood launched a fund-raiser to help the incline. It was a huge success, and on July 1, 1963 the incline reopened under the auspices of a non-profit organization dedicated to the incline's preservation.
The incline has since been totally refurbished. The cars, built by the J.G. Brill Company of Philadelphia, have been stripped of paint to reveal the wood. An observation deck was added for another view of Pittsburgh, and the Duquesne Incline is now one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.
See also
External links
Funicular railways | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Registered Historic Places in Pennsylvania
"Duquesne Incline"