steepest, tallest, biggest.....

["David Martin" <d_martin@mountains.net.au>]

Some time ago, I did a Web search for the world's steepest railways.
>From memory, I found at least 3 U.S. funiculars claiming to be the world's
steepest!
Of course, we all know that the USA is home to the world's steepest,
tallest, biggest, fastest, first.....  :-)

David Martin


James Robinson wrote in message <366CB02E.4561@ERIE.NET>...
>David Martin wrote:
>
>> Anyone know how many "world's steepest railways" there are in the USA at
>> present? :-)
>
>There are some steeper tourist lines, branch lines, and street railways,
>but the steepest main line grade is considered to be the Saluda Hill on
>Norfolk Southern in the western part of North Carolina.  It is 1 in 21.3
>(4.7%).  Unit coal trains operate down the hill several times a day, and
>there is a runaway spur with an automatic switch about half way down the
>hill.
>
>There used to be some other lines with this gradient, but they have
>pretty well all been abandoned or bypassed.  There is still a 1 in 21.3
>grade in Mexico on the line between Veracruz and Mexico City.  This was
>part of the original Mexicano Railway, and was electrified in the early
>1920's.  The electrification has been dismantled, and a new bypass was
>built about 10 years ago, but local passenger and freight trains still
>operate on the old route.