Could anyone tell me how many cog railways were built in North America? I can think of only three: Manitou & Pikes Peak, Mt. Washington, and the Madison Hill grade of the Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis before the "Reuben Wells" took over. Does anyone know of any others, even very short stretches?

mckay1995@comcast.net

> Could anyone tell me how many cog railways
> were built in North America? I can think of
> only three: Manitou & Pikes Peak, Mt.
> Washington, and the Madison Hill grade of
> the Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis
> before the "Reuben Wells" took
> over. Does anyone know of any others, even
> very short stretches?

There was the Green Mountain Railway which once operated near Bar Harbor, Maine. I beleive that it operated up Mt. Desert which was said to be the first point in the US to receive the morning sun.

Two of its engines, #1 "Mt Desert" and #2 "Green Mountain," were sold in 1895 to Mount Washington and (I beleive) still operate there as #4 & #5. These two engines were built in 1883 by Manchester.

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net

I can't think of any others. Strange how a design which originated in America (I think) had so few actual applications here compared to Europe.
On a related topic, how many incline railways were there like the one near Chattanooga up to Lookout Mountain? I think there were many more incline railways in the U.S. than cog railways.

> Could anyone tell me how many cog railways
> were built in North America? I can think of
> only three: Manitou & Pikes Peak, Mt.
> Washington, and the Madison Hill grade of
> the Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis
> before the "Reuben Wells" took
> over. Does anyone know of any others, even
> very short stretches?

I believe there are still two inclines operating in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: the Mt. Washington and the Duquesne. -- Ray

> I can't think of any others. Strange how a
> design which originated in America (I think)
> had so few actual applications here compared
> to Europe.
> On a related topic, how many incline
> railways were there like the one near
> Chattanooga up to Lookout Mountain? I think
> there were many more incline railways in the
> U.S. than cog railways.


raymondreter@aol.com

> On a related topic, how many incline
> railways were there like the one near
> Chattanooga up to Lookout Mountain? I think
> there were many more incline railways in the
> U.S. than cog railways.

In Massachusetts there was the Mt. Tom Railroad. It was described as a "cable-trolley-electric modern mountain railway" and once brought passengers to the "Summit House" at Mt. Tom.



Mt. Tom Railroad

SJHussar@aol.com

> I can't think of any others. Strange how a
> design which originated in America (I think)
> had so few actual applications here compared
> to Europe.

Everything I've heard or read about the Mt. Washington railway indicates that it's the first of its kind in the world.

> On a related topic, how many incline
> railways were there like the one near
> Chattanooga up to Lookout Mountain? I think
> there were many more incline railways in the
> U.S. than cog railways.

Funiculars.net list dozens of incline railways in North America, several of which are still in operation today. The site also lists many cog railways around the world, but inexplicably leaves out those in the U.S., which is what led to my original posting.

Thanks to everyone for your responses.


mckay1995@comcast.net

The Green Mountian Railway started construction in Feb. 1883 and started operations in June. The line was built up Green Mountian(el. 1530ft.) now known as Cadillac Mt. The line operated until sold at a sheriff's sale on January 16, 1893. It's a little confussing but Mount Desert is the name of the island.

There was the Green Mountain Railway which
> once operated near Bar Harbor, Maine. I
> beleive that it operated up Mt. Desert which
> was said to be the first point in the US to
> receive the morning sun.

> Two of its engines, #1 "Mt Desert"
> and #2 "Green Mountain," were sold
> in 1895 to Mount Washington and (I beleive)
> still operate there as #4 & #5. These
> two engines were built in 1883 by
> Manchester.

> Brian Norden


downdrikson@bright.net

> The Green Mountian Railway started
> construction in Feb. 1883 and started
> operations in June. The line was built up
> Green Mountian(el. 1530ft.) now known as
> Cadillac Mt. The line operated until sold at
> a sheriff's sale on January 16, 1893. It's a
> little confussing but Mount Desert is the
> name of the island.

Thank you for the information. I was getting the names from Canrad's steam locomotive book. And I was trying to recall information from an artilce in Trains Magazine years ago.

I just looked up that article using an on-line index and found that it was in the April 1966 issue of TRAINS. I don't think I've read the article since then.

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net

According to the Colin Garrett book "The World Encyclopedia of Locomotives" (and others), Niklaus Riggenbach of Switzerland took out a patent for a cog railway system in 1863 but did not build it then. Around 1869 he visited the Mt. Washington line and later built the first cog railways in Switzerland.
mw

> Funiculars.net list dozens of incline
> railways in North America, several of which
> are still in operation today. The site also
> lists many cog railways around the world,
> but inexplicably leaves out those in the
> U.S., which is what led to my original
> posting.

> Thanks to everyone for your responses.


p_michael_warren@yahoo.com

There were a number of inclines which were more often electric than steam powered.

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum's Trolley Fare newsletter has a column in each issue about Inclines.

The Colorado Railroad Museum has an Incline engine on display as does the Pikes Peak Incline which is now powered by Diesels.


ted_miles@nps.gov

John Stevens built a small cog engine in Hoboken around 1815, as a proof of concept for building a steam Rail Road either between NY and Phila., or between Phila. and Columbia PA on the Susquehanna.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

> The Colorado Railroad Museum has an Incline
> engine on display as does the Pikes Peak
> Incline which is now powered by Diesels.

Ted: Are you refering to the Mt. Manitou Inclined Railroad that used to be just across the road from the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railroad? I was told that several years ago the insurance bill was doubled and the owner responded by dismantling the entire property.

Bob Reich

RJReich@aol.com

Does anyone know what happened to the Mt. Manitou equipment after the line was dismantled? Was it stored or destroyed?

ryarger@rypn.org

> John Stevens built a small cog engine in
> Hoboken around 1815, as a proof of concept
> for building a steam Rail Road either
> between NY and Phila., or between Phila. and
> Columbia PA on the Susquehanna.

I believe there is a replica of this very engine in the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago. According to notes posted on steamlocomotive.info; it was built by Pennsylvania RR Altoona shops, 1928. The original was built in 1825.

The Strasburg Museum also has a replica of the John Stevens locomotive; also built in Altoona shops in 1940.

I have a picture of one of these that was included in a past Update CD-ROM; but it is not on the Program CD-ROM.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project
james@survivingworldsteam.com

Now I'm confused. I assumed that Ted was referring to Manitou & Pikes Peak #1, which is on display at the Colorado RR Museum, and pictured on my CD-ROM.

Number 4 is stored servicable at the M&PPRR, 5 is on display at the Railroad, and 2 is on display in downtown Manitou Springs. As Ted stated, they were replaced by Swiss-built diesels some time back.

What is the Mt. Manitou Inclined Railroad, and what equipment did it have? What equipment from it is in Golden?

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

> Ted: Are you refering to the Mt. Manitou
> Inclined Railroad that used to be just
> across the road from the Manitou and Pikes
> Peak Cog Railroad? I was told that several
> years ago the insurance bill was doubled and
> the owner responded by dismantling the
> entire property.

> Bob Reich


Surviving World Steam Project
james@survivingworldsteam.com