Johnstown Inclined Railway
Also known as: Inclined Plane; See Also:Bridge in Johnstown City
Why it's listed
Built in 1890 and opened on June 1, 1891, the Johnstown Inclined Railway is a cable-hauled incline on the hillside above Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The Cambria Iron Company constructed it at a cost of $133,296 to carry residents of its new Westmont development up Yoder Hill, rising at a 71 percent grade over a 986.5-foot runway. Two cable-driven cars, each weighing 42 tons, were balanced on a single track and hauled by a steam-driven cast iron drum in the engine room. The railway's main public importance lies in the 1889 Johnstown Flood. Its lifesaving role was proven on March 17, 1936, when it carried over 4,000 people to safety from floodwaters in the Conemaugh and Stonycreek valleys. Its convenient access to the business district helped Westmont grow into one of the nation's earliest residential suburbs. It was closed in 1962 and restored that same year.
Significance in brief: The railway was built as a lifesaving route after the 1889 Johnstown Flood and carried thousands of people to safety during the 1936 flood. It also gave access to the Westmont residential development, which the nomination credits with helping make Westmont one of the nation's first residential suburbs. Its cable-car design is described as copied from the Portage Railroad inclined planes.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73001597, listed June 18, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Johns St. and Edgehill Dr., Johnstown |
|---|---|
| County | Cambria County |
| Listed | June 18, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001597 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1890-1891 |
| Architect / builder | Cambria Iron Company (builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered: the original steam engine was replaced by a 400 horsepower electric motor in 1962, when the railway was restored and reopened. |
| Acreage | 4.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.32581, -78.92679 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73001597.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6268789
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.