Otis Elevating Railway
Encyclopedia
The Otis Elevating Railway was a cable funicular
railroad to the Catskill Mountain House
in Palenville, New York
. For the first 64 years of its existence, the Catskill Mountain House
was accessible only by a long stage coach from Catskill Landing on the Hudson. Faced with increased competition from the Hotel Kaaterskill, served by the Kaaterskill Railroad, Charles Beach hired the Otis Elevator Company
to build a cable funicular railroad straight up the Wall Of The Manitou. Opening on August 7, 1892, the line was 7,000' long with a rise of 1,630', a maximum grade of 34%, and an average grade of 12%. In 1904, the line was shortened and the lower trestle eliminated.
A cable pulled the specially-designed passenger cars up the mountain, with the car having a mechanism that hooked onto the cable. To balance the system there were two cars. The cars were built by Jackson & Sharp Co. in 1892, and each car could seat 75 passengers. The cars were named Rickerson and Van Santvoord. A small open-air baggage car was coupled to the downhill end of each passenger car.
The cable was pulled by two Hamilton Corliss steam engine
s that spun a set of cogwheels that drove the cable. Each engine was 12 inches in diameter and had a 30-inch stroke. Steam was supplied by two Manning Patent vertical tubular boilers. As one car went up from the bottom of the incline, the other car went down from the top of the incline. There was a passing track in the middle of the run where the track split in two, and then rejoined. This was so the cars could pass each other without colliding, as they shared the center rail above and below the passing track.
The Otis Railway and the Catskill Mountain Railway
had several freight cars interchangeable with both the Catskill and Tannersville Railway
at Summit Station and the Catskill Mountain Railway
at Junction Station. The freight cars were 22 feet long and had a capacity of 5 tons or 8 tons. One car could be carried at a time coupled below the coach. Boxcar
s were Otis Ry. 1, Otis Ry. 2, C.M. Ry. 17 & C.M. Ry. 18. Gondolas
were Otis Ry. 3, Otis Ry. 4, C.M. Ry. 15 & C.M. Ry. 16. In operation, a single freight car could be coupled to the downhill end of the open-air baggage car.
The Otis Junction station (pictured right after the 1904 reconstruction) connected the Otis to the Catskill Mountain Railway
, a 15 mile railroad between Catskill Landing and Palenville, New York
. At the Otis Summit station at the top, it connected to the Catskill and Tannersville Railway
, that ran the 5.2 miles to Tannersville. In 1918, all three railroads were closed and sold for scrap. The two cars survive to this day. Soon after the railroad was scrapped, the coaches were shipped to Lookout Mountain
, where they now serve the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
.
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
railroad to the Catskill Mountain House
Catskill Mountain House
The Catskill Mountain House was a famous hotel near Palenville, New York in the Catskill Mountains overlooking the Hudson River Valley, built in 1824. In its prime, from the 1850s to the turn of the century, it was visited by three U.S. presidents The Catskill Mountain House was a famous hotel...
in Palenville, New York
Palenville, New York
Palenville is a hamlet in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 1,037 at the 2010 census.Palenville is in the southwest part of the Town of Catskill, located at the junction of Routes 23A and 32A. It lies at the foot of Kaaterskill Clove, nestled against the base of the...
. For the first 64 years of its existence, the Catskill Mountain House
Catskill Mountain House
The Catskill Mountain House was a famous hotel near Palenville, New York in the Catskill Mountains overlooking the Hudson River Valley, built in 1824. In its prime, from the 1850s to the turn of the century, it was visited by three U.S. presidents The Catskill Mountain House was a famous hotel...
was accessible only by a long stage coach from Catskill Landing on the Hudson. Faced with increased competition from the Hotel Kaaterskill, served by the Kaaterskill Railroad, Charles Beach hired the Otis Elevator Company
Otis Elevator Company
The Otis Elevator Company is the world's largest manufacturer of vertical transportation systems today, principally focusing on elevators and escalators...
to build a cable funicular railroad straight up the Wall Of The Manitou. Opening on August 7, 1892, the line was 7,000' long with a rise of 1,630', a maximum grade of 34%, and an average grade of 12%. In 1904, the line was shortened and the lower trestle eliminated.
A cable pulled the specially-designed passenger cars up the mountain, with the car having a mechanism that hooked onto the cable. To balance the system there were two cars. The cars were built by Jackson & Sharp Co. in 1892, and each car could seat 75 passengers. The cars were named Rickerson and Van Santvoord. A small open-air baggage car was coupled to the downhill end of each passenger car.
The cable was pulled by two Hamilton Corliss steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s that spun a set of cogwheels that drove the cable. Each engine was 12 inches in diameter and had a 30-inch stroke. Steam was supplied by two Manning Patent vertical tubular boilers. As one car went up from the bottom of the incline, the other car went down from the top of the incline. There was a passing track in the middle of the run where the track split in two, and then rejoined. This was so the cars could pass each other without colliding, as they shared the center rail above and below the passing track.
The Otis Railway and the Catskill Mountain Railway
Catskill Mountain Railway
The Catskill Mountain Railway was a narrow gauge railroad, long, running from Catskill to Palenville in Greene County, New York....
had several freight cars interchangeable with both the Catskill and Tannersville Railway
Catskill and Tannersville Railway
The Catskill and Tannersville Railway was a historic narrow gauge railroad operating in New York.Also known as "The Huckleberry", the C&T operated tracks that were laid to a three foot gauge...
at Summit Station and the Catskill Mountain Railway
Catskill Mountain Railway
The Catskill Mountain Railway was a narrow gauge railroad, long, running from Catskill to Palenville in Greene County, New York....
at Junction Station. The freight cars were 22 feet long and had a capacity of 5 tons or 8 tons. One car could be carried at a time coupled below the coach. Boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
s were Otis Ry. 1, Otis Ry. 2, C.M. Ry. 17 & C.M. Ry. 18. Gondolas
Gondola (rail)
In railroad terminology, a gondola is an open-top type of rolling stock that is used for carrying loose bulk materials. Because of its low side walls, gondolas are used to carry either very dense material, such as steel plates or coils, or bulky items such as prefabricated pieces of rail...
were Otis Ry. 3, Otis Ry. 4, C.M. Ry. 15 & C.M. Ry. 16. In operation, a single freight car could be coupled to the downhill end of the open-air baggage car.
The Otis Junction station (pictured right after the 1904 reconstruction) connected the Otis to the Catskill Mountain Railway
Catskill Mountain Railway
The Catskill Mountain Railway was a narrow gauge railroad, long, running from Catskill to Palenville in Greene County, New York....
, a 15 mile railroad between Catskill Landing and Palenville, New York
Palenville, New York
Palenville is a hamlet in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 1,037 at the 2010 census.Palenville is in the southwest part of the Town of Catskill, located at the junction of Routes 23A and 32A. It lies at the foot of Kaaterskill Clove, nestled against the base of the...
. At the Otis Summit station at the top, it connected to the Catskill and Tannersville Railway
Catskill and Tannersville Railway
The Catskill and Tannersville Railway was a historic narrow gauge railroad operating in New York.Also known as "The Huckleberry", the C&T operated tracks that were laid to a three foot gauge...
, that ran the 5.2 miles to Tannersville. In 1918, all three railroads were closed and sold for scrap. The two cars survive to this day. Soon after the railroad was scrapped, the coaches were shipped to Lookout Mountain
Lookout Mountain
thumb|right|See seven statesLookout Mountain is located at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southern border of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain, along with Sand Mountain to the northwest, makes up a large portion of the...
, where they now serve the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is an inclined plane railway located along the side of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the United States. Passengers are transported from St. Elmo's Station at the base, to Point Park at the mountain summit, which overlooks the city and the...
.