The
Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first
railroad constructed through the
Allegheny Mountains in central
Pennsylvania in the
United States. It was a combination of a
towpath canal and
inclined plane railroad, approximately 50 mi (80 km) long, and operated from 1834 to 1854. It connected the two branches of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal between
Johnstown on the west and
Hollidaysburg on the east, thus allowing continuous barge traffic between the
Ohio and the
Susquehanna rivers. Considered a technological marvel in its day, it played a critical role in opening up the interior of the United States beyond the
Appalachian Mountains to settlement and commerce. Its inauguration was marked with great fanfare
Construction of the railroad began in 1831 and took three years to complete, financed by the State of Pennsylvania as a means to compete with the
Erie Canal in
New York. The work was done largely through private contractors. The railroad used ten
inclined planes--five on either side of the summit of the
Allegheny Ridge. The vertical ascent from Johnstown was 1,172 ft (355 m). The vertical ascent from Hollidaysburg was 1,399 ft (424 m). The barges were drawn by horses along level sections, which included a 900 ft (273 m) tunnel, as well as a
viaduct over the
Little Conemaugh River upstream from Johnstown. A typical voyage took between six and seven hours to complete. The entire Main Line system connecting
Pittsburgh and
Philadelphia was 400 mi (640 km) long.
In 1854 the portage railroad was rendered obsolete by the construction a
locomotive railroad over the Alleghenies by the
Pennsylvania Railroad, a private company. In 1857, Pennsylvania Railroad bought the portage railroad from the state and began dismantling it.
A small portion of the portage railroad is preserved at the
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, established in 1964 and located approximately 12 mi (19 km) west of
Altoona.
See also
External link
Category:Canals in the United States
Category:Historic civil engineering landmarks