Duquesne Incline: Difference between revisions

Duquesne Incline
Overview
Headquarters	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Locale	1220 Grandview Ave., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dates of operation	May 17, 1877–present
Technical
Track gauge	5 ft (1,524 mm)
Length	800 feet (244 m)
Other
Website	duquesneincline.org
	Duquesne Incline
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	Pittsburgh Landmark – PHLF
Coordinates	40°26′21″N 80°1′5″W / 40.43917°N 80.01806°W
Built	1877
Architect	Samuel Diescher
Architectural style	Second Empire, T pattern
NRHP reference No.	75001609
Added to NRHP	March 4, 1975

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Revision as of 00:58, 2 September 2021

The Duquesne Incline (/duːˈkeɪn/) is a funicular located near Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood and scaling Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Designed by Hungarian-American engineer Samuel Diescher, the incline was completed in 1877.

The lower station is in the Second Empire style. Together with the incline, which rises 400 feet (122 m) in height, at a 30-degree angle, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The incline is unusual for having a track gauge standard only in Finland, Mongolia, and the former USSR.

History

Originally steam powered, the Duquesne Incline was designed by Samuel Diescher, a Hungarian-American civil engineer based in Pittsburgh, and completed in 1877. The incline is 800 feet (244 m) long, 400 feet (122 m) in height, and is inclined at a 30-degree angle. Its track gauge is 5 ft (1,524 mm), which is unusual for United States (but standard for Finland, Mongolia, and the former-USSR).^[3]

Diescher is known for having designed the majority of inclines in the United States, including several in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania, in addition to numerous other industrial and highway projects.

The incline was intended to carry cargo up and down Mt. Washington in the late 19th century. It later carried passengers, particularly Mt. Washington residents who were tired of walking up the steep footpaths to the top of the bluff. Inclines were being built all over Mt. Washington.

But as more roads were built on “Coal Hill”, as it was known, most of the other inclines were closed. By the end of the 1960s, only the Monongahela Incline and the Duquesne Incline remained in operation.

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 local Duquesne Heights residents launched a fund-raiser to help restore 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 its preservation.

The incline has since been totally refurbished. The cars, built by the J. G. Brill and Company of Philadelphia, have been stripped of paint to reveal the original wood. An observation deck was added at the top affording a view of Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle". The Duquesne Incline is now one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. In 1975 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In popular culture

The incline is featured in the opening scene of The Next Three Days trailer. The same scene is featured about halfway through the film.
It is also featured in the 1983 film Flashdance, set in Pittsburgn.
In the 1987 movie Lady Beware, the characters played by Diane Lane and Cotter Smith ride the incline.
The Duquesne Incline is a featured Pittsburgh landmark on Yinztagram.^[4]

Gallery

Lower building
The view upward when ascending the incline
Interior view looking toward the Pittsburgh skyline
Lobby of the lower station
Platform of the lower station

References

^ "The Duquesne Incline Plane". The Daily Post. Pittsburgh. May 18, 1877. p. 4.
^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
^ "Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
^ "Yinztagram By Pegula". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 2012. Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2012.

External links

[1] "The Duquesne Incline Plane". The Daily Post. Pittsburgh. May 18, 1877. p. 4.

[nris-2] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.

[3] "Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2009-05-21.

[4] "Yinztagram By Pegula". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 2012. Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2012.

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 }}
-The '''Duquesne Incline''' ({{IPAc-en|d|uː|ˈ|k|eɪ|n}}) is a [[funicular]] located near [[Pittsburgh]]'s [[South Side (Pittsburgh)|South Side]] neighborhood and scaling [[Mount Washington, Pittsburgh (mountain)|Mt. Washington]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], United States. Designed by Hungarian-American engineer [[Samuel Diescher]], the incline was completed in 1877. The station and incline were listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1975.
+The '''Duquesne Incline''' ({{IPAc-en|d|uː|ˈ|k|eɪ|n}}) is a [[funicular]] located near [[Pittsburgh]]'s [[South Side (Pittsburgh)|South Side]] neighborhood and scaling [[Mount Washington, Pittsburgh (mountain)|Mt. Washington]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], United States. Designed by Hungarian-American engineer [[Samuel Diescher]], the incline was completed in 1877.
+The lower station is in the Second Empire style. Together with the incline, which rises {{convert|400|ft|m|0}} in height, at a 30-degree angle, it was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1975. The incline is unusual for having a track gauge standard only in Finland, Mongolia, and the former [[USSR]].
-It is {{convert|800|ft|m|0}} long, {{convert|400|ft|m|0}} in height, and is [[Grade (slope)|inclined]] at a 30-degree angle. Its track gauge is {{Track gauge|5ft|lk=on}}, which is unusual for United States (but standard for Finland, Mongolia, and the former-[[USSR]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines |url=http://files.asme.org/ASMEORG/Communities/History/Landmarks/5533.pdf |access-date=2009-05-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090816062002/http://files.asme.org/ASMEORG/Communities/History/Landmarks/5533.pdf |archive-date=2009-08-16 }}</ref>
 == History ==
-Originally [[steam powered]], the Duquesne Incline was designed by [[Samuel Diescher]], a Hungarian-American civil engineer based in Pittsburgh, and completed in 1877. He is known for having designed the majority of inclines in the United States, including several in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania, in addition to numerous other industrial and highway projects.
+Originally [[steam powered]], the Duquesne Incline was designed by [[Samuel Diescher]], a Hungarian-American civil engineer based in Pittsburgh, and completed in 1877. The incline is {{convert|800|ft|m|0}} long, {{convert|400|ft|m|0}} in height, and is [[Grade (slope)|inclined]] at a 30-degree angle. Its track gauge is {{Track gauge|5ft|lk=on}}, which is unusual for United States (but standard for Finland, Mongolia, and the former-[[USSR]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines |url=http://files.asme.org/ASMEORG/Communities/History/Landmarks/5533.pdf |access-date=2009-05-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090816062002/http://files.asme.org/ASMEORG/Communities/History/Landmarks/5533.pdf |archive-date=2009-08-16 }}</ref>
+Diescher is known for having designed the majority of inclines in the United States, including several in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania, in addition to numerous other industrial and highway projects.
 The incline was intended to carry cargo up and down Mt. Washington in the late 19th century. It later carried passengers, particularly Mt. Washington residents who were tired of walking up the steep footpaths to the top of the bluff. Inclines were being built all over Mt. Washington.

v t e Public transportation in Greater Pittsburgh
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