Railway inclines in Pittsburgh

Railway inclines in Pittsburgh
Name	Inclines of Pittsburgh
Caption	Duquesne Incline on Mount Washington
Locale	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Opened	1870s–1890s
Closed	various (20th century)
Preserved	Duquesne Incline, Monongahela Incline
Lines	multiple funiculars

Railway inclines in Pittsburgh are historic funicular railways that connected riverfront neighborhoods and hilltop communities on Mount Washington and other bluffs in Pittsburgh. Originating in the late 19th century during Pittsburgh's industrial expansion, the inclines served residents, workers, and visitors linking the Monongahela River, Allegheny River, and Ohio River valleys with streetcar lines, coal yards, and steelworks in neighborhoods such as South Side Flats, Duquesne Heights, and Carrick. Surviving examples like the Duquesne Incline and the Monongahela Incline remain operational as both transit and tourist attractions, reflecting connections to Pittsburgh institutions including the Pennsylvania Railroad, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and local firms such as Westinghouse Air Brake Company.

History

The origins trace to 19th-century transportation innovations tied to the rise of the Allegheny County coal trade, the expansion of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway, and urban growth after events like the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. Early proponents included investors associated with the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce and entrepreneurs linked to the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company and the Carnegie Steel Company. Inclines were built in parallel with projects by municipal leaders influenced by engineers from firms like Babcock & Wilcox and designers associated with the American Society of Civil Engineers. Public debates involved the Pennsylvania General Assembly and local officials in Allegheny County, with financing models drawing on private corporations, company towns, and occasional municipal bonds modeled after urban transit projects in New York City and Philadelphia.

Design and technology

Engineering drew upon European precedents such as the funiculars of Nuremberg and Lisbon, combined with American mechanical firms like Westinghouse Electric Corporation and the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Typical installations used counterbalanced cable cars operating on inclined planes with track gauges influenced by standards from the Pennsylvania Railroad and brake systems inspired by patents from George Westinghouse. Stations incorporated steelwork from local foundries like Jones and Laughlin Steel Company and load-bearing masonry referencing builders linked to the Heinz Company era urban fabric. Power sources evolved from steam engines to electric motors following technologies promoted by the Edison Electric Light Company and later the Westinghouse Electric Company.

Notable inclines

Several high-profile installations shaped urban geography: the Duquesne Incline (1877) near Mount Washington, the Monongahela Incline (1870) adjacent to Station Square, the Mount Oliver Incline serving Mount Oliver, and the Castle Shannon Incline tied to the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad. Other historic inclines included the Beulah Incline, the St. Clair Incline, the Mount Washington Incline (distinct from Duquesne), and the Arlington Incline serving industrial districts near Elliott. Each linked to transit arteries like the Pittsburgh Railways Company streetcar network, shipping facilities along the Point State Park waterfront, and commuter patterns between neighborhoods such as Allentown and Oakland.

Operations and decline

Operational patterns mirrored broader shifts affecting the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the decline of the steel industry marked by closures at Homestead Steel Works and consolidation under entities like U.S. Steel. Decline also paralleled the rise of automobile travel after World War II, federal policies tied to the Interstate Highway System and investments by agencies influenced by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. Maintenance burdens, changing land use in neighborhoods such as Southside and Strip District, and competition from bus lines operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County led to phased closures through the mid-20th century. Labor disputes involving unions like the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and economic downturns in the Great Depression era accelerated abandonments.

Preservation and heritage

Preservation efforts were galvanized by local groups including the Heinz History Center, the Allegheny County Historical Society, and volunteer boards that saved the Duquesne Incline and Monongahela Incline from demolition. Funding and restoration involved partnerships with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, grant programs influenced by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and state agencies like the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Preservation work engaged architects and engineers associated with the American Institute of Architects and firms that had restored sites such as the Carnegie Museum of Art and Frick Art & Historical Center. These inclines have been designated with historic markers, celebrated in events tied to the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation and incorporated into heritage tourism with links to Point State Park and the Cultural District, Pittsburgh.

Cultural impact and in popular media

Inclines feature in art and literature connected to Pittsburgh figures like Carson McCullers and photographers like Walker Evans-style documentarians, and they appear in films set in Pittsburgh including productions involving George A. Romero and scenes echoing the industrial landscapes of The Pittsburgh Cycle playwrights such as August Wilson. They are subjects in publications by local historians affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Mellon University architecture program, and they appear on postcards and prints sold by galleries in East Liberty and Shadyside. The inclines also inform community identity in neighborhoods represented by organizations like the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation and festivals celebrating Pittsburgh heritage.

Category:Transportation in Pittsburgh Category:Funicular railways in the United States