THE JOHNSTOWN INCLINEJohnstown, Pennsylvania

REGIONAL

HISTORIC

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

LANDMARKThe American Society ofMechanical Engineers

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THEJOHNSTOWN INCLINE

Johnstown, Pennsylvania has become known formany things, among them a reputation for itsdevastating floods. The largest flood inJohnstown’s history occured on May 31, 1889,when some 2,209 people lost their lives. Althoughthe destruction was great, the people ofJohnstown began to rebuild their lives andcommunity.

The Cambria Iron Company, then the largest landowner in the county, began developing a hill-topcommunity on Yoder Hill. The grade betweenJohnstown and the new community, eventuallynamed Westmont, was over seventy percent, toosteep for horses and wagons. In order to makethe development accessible to Johnstown, theCambria Iron Company began construction of aninclined railway in 1890. Many of the parts of theIncline were manufactured in Johnstown by theCambria Iron Company, a predecessor ofBethlehem Steel Corporation, since railroad railswere one of the company’s main products at thetime. Due to the unique design of the Incline,many of the tools for construction andmaintenence were hand-crafted at a blacksmithshop on the work site. They are still used today.

On June 1,1891, the Johnstown Incline openedfor business. It provided convenient transportationup Yoder Hill, connecting the valley floor to thenew residential development of WestmontBorough. The move to higher land wasencouraged and grasped with enthusiasm,especially with the trepidation of the Great Floodstill fresh in the memories of survivors of thedisaster. The construction of the Incline made thismove possible. Almost 600 acres of land weredeveloped for residential building in the newcommunity of Westmont, which became one ofthe nation’s earliest residential suburbs. Itspopulation grew from 30 in 1890 to almost 500only two years later.

On March 31,1936, the flood waters again ranthrough Johnstown. The Incline proved its worthto the communtiy, carrying almost 4,000 men,women, and children to safety. Flood waters hitJohnstown again on July 20, 1977. The Incline

carried people up to safety, as well as boats,emergency personnel, and equipment down tothe valley to aid in rescue operations.

Originally, the Cambria Iron Companyincorporated the Cambria Inclined PlaneCompany to attend to the business of the Incline.In April 1935, Westmont Borough beganoperating the inclined plane, after purchasing itfrom the Cambria Inclined Plane Company for theprice of one dollar. Following World War II, theuse of the Incline declined after better roads hadbeen built up Yoder Hill. In April 1961, it wasclosed by Westmont due to the financial burdenand safety concerns over deteriorated equipment.Under public pressure against closing it, theoperating responsibilities were transferred to theCambria County Tourist Council under a leaseagreement. After restoration of the inclined planeby many community volunteers, it was reopenedin July 1962. Facing the possibility of closingagain in the early 1980’s, the ownership of theJohnstown Inclined Plane again changed hands.On March 8,1983, the Cambria County TransitAuthority became the Incline’s third owner,purchasing it from Westmont Borough for theprice of one dollar. This purchase allowed thetransit authority to seek public funds and grants.Once funds were secured, the transit authoritywas able to repair the Incline as well as improvethe hilltop station.

An attractive visitor center was built along with ascenic overlook offering a panoramic view ofdowntown Johnstown and the Conemaugh Valleybelow. Also located at the Incline site are asouvenir shop and dining facilities. Otherimprovements were made that allow tourists toview the driving drum and other mechanicalequipment in operation. These improvementsallow the Incline to continue to serve thecommunity as well as the tourists.

In its one-hundred-three years of operation, theIncline has carried over forty million passengers.Although it is now primarily a tourist attraction, itcontinues to transport workers between the cityand Westmont Borough.

DESCRIPTION OF THE LANDMARKThe 896.5 foot-long (273.3 m) Johnstown Inclinerises 502.5 feet (153 m) on a continuous 71.97%grade, the steepest continuous grade of anyincline. It was designed as a balanced incline witha double track and two cars. As one car goes upthe incline the other car heads down, allowing theweight of the two cars to counterbalance eachother and assist the motor in moving the cars.These cars were designed originally to providepassengers, as well as horse and carriage, a levelride. The horse and carriage would ride on theupper deck and the passengers would enter thebottom of the car from a door on the lower floorof each station. Upon renovation in 1921, thedouble-deck cars were restored. The refurbishedcars were designed to accommodate bothvehicles and passengers on the upper deck Eachcar can hold up to fifteen tons, and is attached toa steel cable. These cables are made up of sixindividual ropes, each spun from 36 strands oftempered steel, and formed around a core ofhemp. The two hoisting cables are approximately1,075 feet (328 m) long with a two-inch (51 mm)diameter. They are wrapped around a driving

drum, 16 feet (4.9 m) in diameter and weighingthree tons (2722 kg), which winds and unwindsthe cables simultaneously. The cables run fromthe driving wheel through large sheeves thatchange their direction and align them with thetracks. Each cable uses an air brake, inconnection with a large dead-man emergencybrake connected to the cables for safety, whichautomatically takes hold, in the event of a poweror operator failure. The original power source tothe incline was a steam engine. Today the inclineis operated by a 400 HP (298 kW) electric motor.This motor drives the cast-steel drum.

The Johnstown Incline uses many interestingmechanical features. For instance, the powerplant is located at a 90 degree angle to the top ofthe railway, rather than directly beneath it, as wascustomary. This and other unique featuresexemplify its historical significance. It is an historicexample of the ingenuity and enterprise of theimaginative and skilled Welsh, German, andSlavic people who conquered natural obstaclesand frustration to develop a sound industrialeconomy in Western Pennsylvania.

Drawing of original cars used on the Inclined Plane.

DESIGNER:SAMUEL DIESCHER

Samuel Diescher was one of the many immigrants who helped topioneer technology in America. Born in 1839 in Budapest,Hungary, he was educated at Carlsruhe Polytechnic College,Germany, and at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Dieschercame to America in 1866 and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. He soonmarried Caroline Endres and worked with her father on otherinclines. He relocated to Pittsburgh, and after working as anassistant city engineer, he formed his own firm of consultingengineers. By the end of the 1870’s he had designed andsupervised the construction of one inclined plane in Cincinnati andthree in Pittsburgh. He continued to do transportation work, butdiversified his skills into improving coal cleaning and cokeprocessing. He soon became involved with cable railways andelectric street cars, but continued to design inclines.

Up until some years before his death, Sam Diescher was very active in Pittsburgh Chamber of Commercework, and also was president of the Engineer’s Society of Western Pennsylvania in 1905. He also was notedfor designing the mechanical parts of G.W.G. Ferris’ wheel that was such a marked feature at the ChicagoWorld’s Fair held in 1892-1893. In 1908, Samuel Diescher retired from engineering and two of his sonsassumed the responsibilities of the firm. He passed away on December 24th, 1915, leaving behind a legacyof engineering achievement that includes the Johnstown Incline.

An Uphill view of the Incline.

REGIONAL HISTORICMECHANICAL ENGINEERING

LANDMARKJOHNSTOWN INCLINE

1891THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL, SIMILAR INCLINESBUILT IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA DURINGTHE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY. IT WASDESIGNED BY SAMUEL DIESCHER (1839-l915)AFTER THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1889, TOPROVIDE AN EFFICIENT MEANS OFTRANSPORTATION BETWEEN WESTMONTAND THE CONEMAUGH VALLEY.

THE JOHNSTOWN INCLINE IS AMONG THEWORLD’S STEEPEST VEHICULAR INCLINES,WITH A 71 PERCENT GRADE. ITS LENGTH IS896.5 FEET. THE INCLINE SAVED MORE THAN4,000 LIVES IN THE FLOOD OF 1936.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICALENGINEERS — 1994.

REFERENCESDarr, H.H., “History of the Johnstown Inclined Plane,” Cambria County Tourist Council, 1982.

Richard A. Burkert & Eileen Mountjoy Cooper, “Uphill All the Way: Johnstown and Its Inclined Plane,”Cambria County Tourist Council, 1985.

THE HISTORY AND HERITAGERECOGNITION PROGRAM of the ASME

The ASME History Recognition program began inSeptember 1971. To implement and achieve itsgoals, ASME formed a History and HeritageCommittee, initially composed of mechanicalengineers, historians of technology, and curator(emeritus) of mechanical engineering at TheSmithsonian Institution. The Committee providesa public service by examining, noting, recording,and acknowledging mechanical engineeringachievements of particular significance. TheHistory and Heritage Committee is part of theASME Council on public Affairs and Board ofpublic Information. For further information pleasecontact public Information, American Society ofMechanical Engineers, 345 East 47th Street, NewYork, NY 10017-2392, 212-705-7740.

The Johnstown Incline is the 13th RegionalHistoric Mechanical Engineering Landmark to bedesignated. Since the ASME Historic MechanicalEngineering Recognition program began in 1971,163 Historic Mechanical Engineering landmarks,6 Mechanical Engineering Heritage Sites, and 6

Mechanical Engineering Heritage Collectionshave been recognized. Each reflects its influenceon society, either in its immediate locale,nationwide, or throughout the world.

An ASME landmark represents a progressive stepin the evolution of mechanical engineeering. Sitedesignations note an event or development ofclear historical importance to mechanicalengineers. Collections mark the contributions of anumber of objects with special significance to thehistorical development of mechanicalengineering.

The ASME Historic Mechanical EngineeringRecognition program illuminates ourtechnological heritage and serves to encouragethe preservation of the physical remains ofhistorically important work. It provides anannotated roster for engineers, students,educators, historians, and travelers. It helpsestablish persistent reminders of where we havebeen and where we are going along the divergentpaths of discovery.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown StudentSection of the ASME gratefully acknowledges thesupport and participation of the Cambria CountyTransit Authority, the present owners of theJohnstown Inclined Plane. We would also like to

The American Society of Mechanical EngineersPaul J. Torpey, P.E., PresidentJohn B. Kitto Jr., P.E., Vice President Region VWilliam B. Weber, P.E., History and Heritage

Chairman Region VJohn R. Parker, Senior Vice President, Public

AffairsErwin Fried, P.E., Vice President Public

InformationDavid L. Belden, P.E., Executive DirectorArthur W. Ebeling, Director, Midwest Regional

Office

Pittsburgh SectionWilliam Spohn, History & Heritage Committee

thank the ASME Pittsburgh Section for giving uspermission to dedicate this landmark, theemployees of the Incline for their help and insightand Kandi Forte’, brochure author.

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown StudentSection

Kenneth Belanus, P.E., Faculty AdvisorJohn G. Klavuhn, Past Faculty Advisor

ASME National History & Heritage CommitteeJ. Lawrence Lee, P.E., ChairmanRobert M. Vogel, SecretaryWilliam DeFotisBurton DichtRobert B. GaitherR. Michael Hunt, P.E.William J. Warren, P.E.Rchard S. Hartenberg, P.E. (Emeritus)Diane Kaylor, Staff Liaison

Cambria County Transit Authority Board of DirectorsFrank J. Castelli, ChairmanErnest E. Wadsworth, Vice-ChairmanRegina Winslow, SecretaryJack W. Shearer, Assistant SecretaryJoseph J. McAneny, TreasurerMargaret L. Armbruster, Assistant TreasurerSenator William J. StewartEdward J. Cernic, Sr.Joseph P. RobertsWilliam J. Gasior, General ManagerRex W. McQuaide, Solicitor

Cambria County CommissionersKathy Holtzman, PresidentTed BaranikMark Wrssinger

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