The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is a

inclined plane An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...

funicular railway A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...

leading to the top of

Lookout Mountain Lookout Mountain is a mountain ridge located at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southeastern Tennessee state line in Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain was the scene of the 18th-centu ...

from the historic St. Elmo neighborhood of

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

. Passengers are transported from St. Elmo's Station at the base, to Point Park at the mountain summit, which overlooks the city and the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...

. It is just a short drive to three of Chattanooga's main tourist attractions,

Ruby Falls Ruby Falls is a series of underground cascading waterfalls totaling in Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the United States. Geology About 200 to 240 million years ago (in the Carboniferous Period, at the end of the Paleozoic E ...

, Cavern Castle, and Rock City. The railway is approximately in length ( single-track except for a short two-track

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...

at the midway point, allowing operation of two cars at one time). It has a maximum

grade Grade most commonly refers to: * Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance * Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage * Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope Grade or grading may also ref ...

of 72.7%, making it one of the world's steepest passenger railways. It obtained Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark status in 1991. The cable system for the cars was made by the

Otis Elevator Company Otis Worldwide Corporation (trade name, branded as the Otis Elevator Company, its former legal name) is an American company that develops, manufactures and markets elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and related equipment. Based in Farming ...

History

The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway (Incline No. 2) was opened on November 16, 1895, by the Chattanooga Incline and Lula Lake Railway and functions as a major mode of transportation to the top of the mountain. It was the second of two inclines constructed on Lookout Mountain; the first was the

Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain Railway The Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain Railway was a historic, railroad that operated in the southeastern United States.Railroads of Chattanooga, 2003, p. 100 The company was chartered in 1887 and started operations in 1889, running from Chattanooga ...

(Incline No. 1), which operated from 1886 to 1895 and dismantled in 1900. Service was disrupted twice by fires that destroyed the powerhouse, upper station and cars stored there overnight (the first fire occurring on December 13, 1896, and the second on March 24, 1919). Both fires put the railway temporarily out of service, substitute service being provided by the Chattanooga Railway and Light Company's Lookout Mountain route. The railway was sold in the 1940s to Southern Coach Lines and is now operated by the

Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is the mass transit provider for Chattanooga, Tennessee and its vicinity. Public transportation first appeared on the streets of Chattanooga in 1875, utilizing horse-drawn trollies ...

, the area's public transit agency. The Incline Railway is a well-known and beloved Chattanooga landmark; the railway has been depicted in numerous regional and national publications, including being on TV, most prominently on

Larry the Cable Guy Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), known professionally by his persona Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, country music artist, and former radio personality. He was one of the members of the ...

's ''

Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy ''Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy'' is an American travel documentary series that aired for three seasons from 2011 to 2013 on History. It premiered on February 8, 2011. Premise In the series, Larry the Cable Guy Daniel Lawrence Whi ...

'' in February 2011. The railway is one of the main tourist attractions in the Chattanooga area, totaling over 100,000 visits annually. The top station features an observation deck and a gift shop. Lookout_Mountain_Incline_Railway_2007

References

External links

Lookout Mountain Incline Railway official web site

Funicular railways in the United States Heritage railroads in Tennessee Lookout Mountain Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks Transportation in Hamilton County, Tennessee National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee Railway inclines in the United States Standard gauge railways in the United States Tourist attractions in Hamilton County, Tennessee 1895 establishments in Tennessee National Register of Historic Places in Chattanooga, Tennessee Cableways on the National Register of Historic Places Rail infrastructure on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee {{Tennessee-transport-stub

History

See also

References

External links