Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
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Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
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A view down the 1-mile (1.6 km) length of the railway from the top of Lookout Mountain
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| Location | 3917 St. Elmo Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37409 |
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| Coordinates | 35°0′28″N 85°20′8″W / 35.00778°N 85.33556°WCoordinates: 35°0′28″N 85°20′8″W / 35.00778°N 85.33556°W |
| Built | November 16, 1895 |
| Architect | Josephus "Jo" Conn Guild, Sr. |
| NRHP Reference # | 73001774 |
| Added to NRHP | April 26, 1973 |
The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is a 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gaugeinclined plane railway located along the side of Lookout Mountain in the historic St. Elmo neighborhood of Chattanooga, Tennessee. 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. It is just a short drive to three of Chattanooga's main tourist attractions, Ruby Falls, Cavern Castle, and Rock City Both less than 10 minutes drive from the railway's top station. The railway is approximately one mile (1.6 km) in length (single-track except for a short two-track stretch (passing loop) at the midway point, allowing operation of two cars at one time), and has a maximum grade of 72.7%. It is billed as 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.
The Incline Railway opened on November 16, 1895, and was the second of two inclines constructed on Lookout Mountain; the first was the Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain Railway, which operated from 1886 to 1898. The railway is now operated by the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, the area's public transit agency.
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