Johnstown
Incline Plane

Johnstown, Pennsylvania has become known for many things, among them a reputation for its devastating floods. The largest flood in Johnstown's history occurred on May 31, 1889 when some 2,209 people lost their lives. The Cambria Iron Company began construction of the inclined railway in 1890, to carry people, horses and wagons to the new hilltop community of Westmont. On June 1, 1891 the Johnstown Inclined Plane began providing convenient transportation up Yoder Hill which had a steep 70.9% grade. On March 17, 1936 when flood waters again ran through Johnstown, the Inclined Plane proved its worth by carrying almost 4,000 residents to safety.

Johnstown Incline Plane

n attractive visitor center was built along with a scenic overlook offering a panoramic view of downtown Johnstown and the Conemaugh Valley below. Also located at the Incline site are a souvenir shop and dining facilities. Other improvements were made that allow tourists to view the driving drum and other mechanical equipment in operation. These improvements allow the Incline to continue to serve the community as well as the tourists. In its one-hundred-three years of operation, the Incline has carried over forty million passengers. Although it is now primarily a tourist attraction, it continues to transport workers between the city and Westmont Borough.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

he 896.5 foot-long (273.3 m) Johnstown Incline rises 502.5 feet (153 m) on a continuous 71.97% grade, the steepest continuous grade of any incline.

It was designed as a balanced incline with a double track and two cars. As one car goes up the incline the other car heads down, allowing the weight of the two cars to counterbalance each other and assist the motor in moving the cars. These cars were designed originally to provide passengers, as well as horse and carriage, a level ride. The horse and carriage would ride on the upper deck and the passengers would enter the bottom of the car from a door on the lower floor of each station. Upon renovation in 1921, the double-deck cars were restored. The refurbished cars were designed to accommodate both vehicles and passengers on the upper deck Each car can hold up to fifteen tons, and is attached to a steel cable. These cables are made up of six individual ropes, each spun from 36 strands of tempered steel, and formed around a core of hemp. The two hoisting cables are approximately 1,075 feet (328 m) long with a two-inch (51 mm) diameter. They are wrapped around a driving drum, 16 feet (4.9 m) in diameter and weighing three tons (2722 kg), which winds and unwinds the cables simultaneously. The cables run from the driving wheel through large sheeves that change their direction and align them with the tracks. Each cable uses an air brake, in connection with a large dead-man emergency brake connected to the cables for safety, which automatically takes hold, in the event of a power or operator failure. The original power source to the incline was a steam engine. Today the incline is operated by a 400 HP (298 kW) electric motor. This motor drives the cast-steel drum.

The Johnstown Incline uses many interesting mechanical features. For instance, the power plant is located at a 90 degree angle to the top of the railway, rather than directly beneath it, as was customary. This and other unique features exemplify its historical significance. It is an historic example of the ingenuity and enterprise of the imaginative and skilled Welsh, German, and Slavic people who conquered natural obstacles and frustration to develop a sound industrial economy in Western Pennsylvania.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers