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Monongahela Incline

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Monongahela Incline
The lower terminal and a car descending
Lower station of the Monongahela Incline
Overview
OwnerPittsburgh Regional Transit
LocalePittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Termini
  • West Carson Street
  • Grandview Avenue
Stations2
Service
TypeFunicular
History
OpenedMay 28, 1870 (1870-05-28)
Technical
Line length635 feet (194 m)
Track gauge5 ft (1,524 mm)
Electrification1935
Operating speed6 mph (9.7 km/h)
Monongahela Incline
City of Pittsburgh Historic Structure
Monongahela Incline is located in Pittsburgh
Monongahela Incline
Location within Pittsburgh
Monongahela Incline is located in Pennsylvania
Monongahela Incline
Location within Pennsylvania
Monongahela Incline is located in the United States
Monongahela Incline
Location within the United States
LocationGrandview Avenue at Wyoming Avenue,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°25′55″N 80°0′20″W / 40.43194°N 80.00556°W / 40.43194; -80.00556
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1869
ArchitectJohn Endres and Caroline Endres
Architectural styleLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Second Renaissance Revival
NRHP reference No.74001742[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 25, 1974
Designated CPHSMarch 15, 1974[2]
Designated PHLF1970[3]
Route map
Map
Legend
 to South Hills Junction
W. Carson St.
Station Square
Mount Washington
Transit Tunnel
 NS Mon Line
 P. J. McArdle Rdwy.
Grandview Avenue
Key
Monongahela Incline
Pittsburgh Light Rail
 Norfolk Southern Railway
This diagram:

The Monongahela Incline is a funicular on the South Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, near the Smithfield Street Bridge. Designed and built by Prussian-born engineer John Endres in 1870, it is the oldest continuously operating funicular in the United States.

Its lower station is located across the street from the Station Square shopping complex, and is accessible from the Pittsburgh Light Rail at Station Square station.[4]

It is one of two surviving inclines in Pittsburgh, along with the nearby Duquesne Incline, from the original 17 passenger-carrying inclines in the city. In 1977, both inclines were designated as Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).[5]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

History

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Monongahela Incline (right) and the Monongahela Freight Incline (left) in 1905. The latter has been demolished.

In the 1860s, Pittsburgh's expanding industrial base created a huge demand for labor, attracting mainly German immigrants to the region. This created a serious housing shortage, as industry occupied most of the flat lands adjacent to the south bank of the Monongahela River, leaving only the steep, surrounding hillsides of Mount Washington, or "Coal Hill", for housing. Travel between the "hill" and other areas was hindered by the steep terrain and a lack of public transport or good roads. The German immigrants who settled on Mt. Washington, remembering the Seilbahnen (cable cars) of their former country, proposed construction of inclines along the face of Coal Hill.

Prussian-born engineer John Endres of Cincinnati was commissioned to design the Monongahela Incline, which opened on May 28, 1870, as the first for passenger use. On the first day, some 944 fares were collected. On the second day, 4,174 people rode the incline and it became a success.[6] Endres was assisted by his American-born daughter, Caroline Endres, who became one of the first women engineers in the United States.[7][8][9]

Earlier inclines were used to transport coal in the Pittsburgh area, including the Kirk Lewis incline on Mt. Washington, and the Ormsby mine gravity plane in nearby Birmingham, which was later annexed to the city of Pittsburgh.

The Monongahela Incline was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Both it and the Duquesne Incline were recognized in 1977 as Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).[6] That year the two inclines served a total of more than one million commuters and tourists annually.[6]

In the 21st century, the Monongahela Incline is operated by Pittsburgh Regional Transit. Transfers can be made between the incline, light rail, and buses free of charge.[10] It serves both commuters and visitors, and is a popular tourist attraction.

On February 2, 2019, flooding caused by a broken city water main forced the incline to close.[11] The incline reopened on May 10.[12]

Statistics

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  • Length: 635 feet (194 m)
  • Elevation: 369.39 feet (112.59 m)
  • Grade: 35 degrees, 35 minutes
  • Gauge: 5 ft (1,524 mm) broad gauge
  • Speed: 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
  • Passenger Capacity: 23 per car
  • Opened: May 28, 1870
  • Renovated: 1882 (with steel structure)
  • Original steam power replaced with electricity: 1935
  • Renovated: 1982–83 new track structure, cars and stations
  • Renovated: 1994 upper, lower stations, restored cars, replaced electric motors and controls[5]
  • Renovated: 2022–23 upper, lower stations, mechanical controls, electrical system, exterior track lighting[13]
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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "National Register Information System – (#74001742)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Local Historic Designations". Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Historic Landmark Plaques 1968–2009" (PDF). Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  4. ↑ James D. Van Trump (March 1973). National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP Monongahela Incline. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved December 7, 2025. (Downloading may be slow.)
  5. 1 2 "Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines" (PDF). ASME. May 11, 1977.
  6. 1 2 3 Leherr, Dave (May 7, 1977). "Inclines Rise to National Landmarks". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 9 – via Google News.
  7. ↑ "Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines" (PDF). American Society of Mechanical Engineers. May 11, 1977. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 16, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Legendary Ladies" (PDF). Pennsylvania Commission for Women. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2006.
  9. ↑ Swetnam, George (December 4, 1955). "Pittsburgh's Declining Inclines". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Inclines". PortAuthority.org. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  11. ↑ Blazina, Ed (March 24, 2019). "Port Authority making progress to repair flooded Monongahela Incline station". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Monongahela Incline Closed Briefly Friday Morning". CBS Pittsburgh. May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  13. ↑ "StackPath". www.masstransitmag.com. March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
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