The Duquesne Incline

Red text and an illustration of a trolley on a white background

The Duquesne Incline is a cable railway system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally built to carry cargo up and down Mount Washington in the late 19th century, the Duquesne Incline now carries passengers up and down the steep slope. It is a popular tourist destination and is one of the few inclines that remain open and operational in the area. The Incline climbs to a 400-foot elevation over a track length of 794 feet. The Duquesne Incline is a funicular railway. These unique railway systems use two vehicles or cars that move synchronously on one cable that rotates through a pulley located at the top of a slope. The two cars counterbalance one another – as one vehicle ascends the inclined track the other descends.