Mahanoy Plane
Encyclopedia
The Mahanoy Plane was a railroad Incline plane located along northern edge of the borough
of Frackville, Schuylkill County in the Anthracite Coal Region
of Pennsylvania
.
The Mahanoy and Broad Mountain Railroad, predecessor of the Reading Company
opened the Mahanoy Plane on July 16, 1861. The Plane traversed Broad Mountain between the boroughs of Mahanoy Plane and Frackville. With a pitch of 28 degrees at its steepest point, the plane rose 524 feet (159.7 m) over a distance of 2460 feet (749.8 m).
A 2500 hp engine could hoist a three car trip, equivalent to 200 tons in three minutes. After a fire in 1868, new 6000 hp engines were installed. These were supposedly the most powerful engines in the world, later surpassed only by the engines operating the locks
on the Panama Canal
. Approximately 800 to 900 railroad cars passed over the plane every twenty-four hours. The Mahanoy Plane ceased operation on February 27, 1932, due to the decline of Anthracite and the much easier route through the Mahanoy Tunnel.
Foundations are all that remain and there are currently no plans of historical preservation or restoration.
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Frackville, Schuylkill County in the Anthracite Coal Region
Coal Region
The Coal Region is a term used to refer to an area of Northeastern Pennsylvania in the central Appalachian Mountains comprising Lackawanna, Luzerne, Columbia, Carbon, Schuylkill, Northumberland, and the extreme northeast corner of Dauphin counties....
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
The Mahanoy and Broad Mountain Railroad, predecessor of the Reading Company
Reading Company
The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
opened the Mahanoy Plane on July 16, 1861. The Plane traversed Broad Mountain between the boroughs of Mahanoy Plane and Frackville. With a pitch of 28 degrees at its steepest point, the plane rose 524 feet (159.7 m) over a distance of 2460 feet (749.8 m).
A 2500 hp engine could hoist a three car trip, equivalent to 200 tons in three minutes. After a fire in 1868, new 6000 hp engines were installed. These were supposedly the most powerful engines in the world, later surpassed only by the engines operating the locks
Locks
Locks may refer to*Lock, a fastening device*Locks of hair*Dreadlocks, matted coils of hair, known as locks*Lock , a device for transferring vessels between bodies of water of different levels...
on the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. Approximately 800 to 900 railroad cars passed over the plane every twenty-four hours. The Mahanoy Plane ceased operation on February 27, 1932, due to the decline of Anthracite and the much easier route through the Mahanoy Tunnel.
Foundations are all that remain and there are currently no plans of historical preservation or restoration.