Switchback Gravity Railroad
E917978
The Switchback Gravity Railroad was one of the earliest roller-coaster-like gravity railways in the United States, originally built in the 19th century to transport coal and later famed as a pioneering tourist attraction.
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
gravity railroad
ⓘ
historic railway ⓘ tourist attraction ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs | Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| cargo | anthracite coal ⓘ |
| category |
defunct railroads in Pennsylvania
ⓘ
heritage of early American railroads ⓘ |
| cityServed | Mauch Chunk (now Jim Thorpe), Pennsylvania NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| closed | 1933 ⓘ |
| connectedTo | Lehigh Canal NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| constructionStart | 1827 ⓘ |
| country |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| economicImpact |
stimulated tourism in Mauch Chunk
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
supported coal industry in the Lehigh region ⓘ |
| engineeringType | gravity railroad with self-acting planes ⓘ |
| heritageStatus | no longer in operation ⓘ |
| historicalSignificance |
among the first railroads in Pennsylvania
ⓘ
early example of a gravity-powered railway used for recreation ⓘ |
| influenced | early roller coaster design in the United States ⓘ |
| infrastructureType |
industrial railway converted to tourist use
ⓘ
mountain railroad ⓘ |
| inspired | later switchback railways and scenic railroads ⓘ |
| knownFor |
being one of the earliest gravity railways in the United States
ⓘ
pioneering tourist railroad operations ⓘ roller-coaster-like rides ⓘ |
| laterUse |
pleasure railway
ⓘ
tourist attraction ⓘ |
| length | approximately 18 miles ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
Carbon County, Pennsylvania
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Pennsylvania ⓘ |
| materialTransported | coal from Summit Hill mines ⓘ |
| opened | 1827 ⓘ |
| originalPurpose | coal transportation ⓘ |
| owner | Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| peakTouristEra | late 19th century ⓘ |
| propulsion |
gravity
ⓘ
stationary steam engines on inclined planes ⓘ |
| regionServed | Lehigh Valley NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| routeFeature |
inclined planes
ⓘ
sharp curves ⓘ steep grades ⓘ |
| safetyFeature | brakemen controlling speed on descents ⓘ |
| terminus | Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| touristDemographic | visitors from major East Coast cities ⓘ |
| touristExperience |
horses or mules used for some uphill hauls in early years
ⓘ
passenger cars descending by gravity ⓘ |
| trackGauge | standard gauge ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.