Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Plane
Encyclopedia
Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Plane was an incline
that ran from the northern end of the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel
to Carson Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. Originally built to carry coal from the Jacob Beltzhoover
mine, it was sold by the Pittsburgh Coal Company
to the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad
in 1871. It was used only for coal as early as 1864, passenger traffic was added in 1874 for the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad
. For safety reasons, the tunnel was closed to passenger traffic, and passengers were diverted to the Castle Shannon Incline
, constructed in 1890. Emergency use of the plane for passengers and freight continued as late as 1900. Its use for the transport of passengers and freight other than coal was made obsolete by the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel. Operation as a coal incline continued until May 1, 1912.
It was operated as a gravity plane, with returning empty cars being pulled to the mine mouth by the weight of the descending full coal cars.
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...
that ran from the northern end of the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel
Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel
The Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel, also known as the Mount Washington Coal Tunnel, was a narrow gauge railway tunnel under Mt. Washington.-History:It was originally begun as a coal mine in 1825 by Jacob Beltzhoover....
to Carson Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Originally built to carry coal from the Jacob Beltzhoover
Jacob Beltzhoover
Jacob Beltzhoover was a pioneer of St. Clair Township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He and his family received a land grant from the Penn family...
mine, it was sold by the Pittsburgh Coal Company
Pittsburgh Coal Company
The Pittsburgh Coal Company was a bituminous coal mining company, controlled by the Mellon family. It later merged with Consolidation Coal Company, controlled by the Rockefeller family.-Coal Mines:...
to the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad
Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad
The Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Originally built in 1871, it may have been the first American common carrier narrow gauge railroad. It purchased a rail line called the Coal Hill Coal Railroad from the Pittsburgh Coal...
in 1871. It was used only for coal as early as 1864, passenger traffic was added in 1874 for the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad
Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad
The Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Originally built in 1871, it may have been the first American common carrier narrow gauge railroad. It purchased a rail line called the Coal Hill Coal Railroad from the Pittsburgh Coal...
. For safety reasons, the tunnel was closed to passenger traffic, and passengers were diverted to the Castle Shannon Incline
Castle Shannon Incline
The Castle Shannon Incline was a funicular railroad in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was originally built in 1890 as part of the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad as a means of transporting passenger traffic over Mt. Washington, rather than using the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel...
, constructed in 1890. Emergency use of the plane for passengers and freight continued as late as 1900. Its use for the transport of passengers and freight other than coal was made obsolete by the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel. Operation as a coal incline continued until May 1, 1912.
It was operated as a gravity plane, with returning empty cars being pulled to the mine mouth by the weight of the descending full coal cars.