Edmonton Incline Railway
The Edmonton Incline Railway filled a transportation need in 1908
Edmonton’s original funicular, the Edmonton Incline Railway opened in 1908, built into the side of McDougall hill, below McDougall Church.
The Edmonton Incline Railway helped fill the need for transportation from the ferry and the paddle wheelers. It also served the industry in the river valley and the public-entertainment facilities in the river bottom such as the Exhibition Grounds and Diamond Park.
The Incline Railway was described as a "cross between an escalator and a San Francisco cable car." As one car went up the 290-foot slope, the other car came down. One of the biggest problems to overcome was to procure a large enough power source to hoist loaded rail cars up a slope. There was inadequate electricity and attempts to use a nearby gas well failed miserably. Eventually, they installed a coal-powered steam engine that turned huge gears and could lift 12 tons at one time.
The May 23, 1908, Saturday News read, “The long hard climb up the hill to Edmonton from the valley of the Saskatchewan that has for so many years taxed the energies of man and beast is no longer a necessity.” The hoist operated from 7am to 7pm, and the fare was 5 cents per passenger and 15 cents per vehicle.
Although the incline railway was a great boon for the industries in the river bottom, many people still choose to save the money and take the stairs built beside the rail line or continue using the road. However, the downfall of the venture was the failed attempts to secure a power source which made the investment too great and its revenue expectations were never met. The completion of the High Level Bridge in 1913 made this railway obsolete.
The 100 Street Funicular opened to the public on December 7, 2017, and is a tribute to the Edmonton Incline Railway.
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| A view of the hoist room under the platform (EA-500-11 courtesy of Edmonton Archives) |
Original story posted by Gary Dick to an internal Edmonton website.
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