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The Brand: Lookout Mountain Incline Railway

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The two cars of the Incline Railway meet at the passing siding halfway up the mountain. The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway reopened on Monday, June 29 after six months of closure for scheduled maintenance and preparations for new Incline cars. "The Incline Railway is excited to unveil our brand-new railcars that were manufactured by Brookville Equipment Corporation in Brookville, PA," said Lisa Maragnano, Executive Director of CARTA. One of the new cars is accessible and allows for wheelchairs. The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is Chattanooga's oldest tourism attraction and is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2020.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The two cars of the Incline Railway meet at the passing siding halfway up the mountain. The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway reopened on Monday, June 29 after six months of closure for scheduled maintenance and preparations for new Incline cars. "The Incline Railway is excited to unveil our brand-new railcars that were manufactured by Brookville Equipment Corporation in Brookville, PA," said Lisa Maragnano, Executive Director of CARTA. One of the new cars is accessible and allows for wheelchairs. The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is Chattanooga's oldest tourism attraction and is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2020. Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The two cars of the Incline Railway meet at the passing siding halfway up the mountain. The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway reopened on Monday, June 29 after six months of closure for scheduled maintenance and preparations for new Incline cars. "The Incline Railway is excited to unveil our brand-new railcars that were manufactured by Brookville Equipment Corporation in Brookville, PA," said Lisa Maragnano, Executive Director of CARTA. One of the new cars is accessible and allows for wheelchairs. The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is Chattanooga's oldest tourism attraction and is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2020.

By Mary Fortune 2 min read

* Name: Lookout Mountain Incline Railway

* Address: 3917 St. Elmo Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37409

* History: Celebrating its 125th anniversary of operation, the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is Chattanooga’s oldest continuing operational tourist attraction and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Incline Railway is known as “America’s most amazing mile.” It is a funicular railway system started by John Crass in November 1895, and has served millions of passengers throughout its existence. The Incline is powered by two 100-horsepower winches developed by the Otis Elevator Company. The approximately one-mile-long, single-track system has a passing loop in the middle, know as “the switch,” that allows both counter-balanced train cars to operate at once.

The Incline Railway goes about 8 miles per hour straight up Lookout Mountain and has new cars that allow for an enhanced panoramic view of the Chattanooga Valley. The Incline runs year-round and boasts at the top station a breathtaking 72.7% grade, making it the steepest passenger railway in North America.

* Products and prices: The Incline Railway offers round-trip excursions from the bottom station for $15 for adults and $7 for children ages 3-12. Tickets can be purchased on ridetheincline.com and reservations are encouraged, as there is limited seating.