The following is an abstract of an article that appeared in the Cumberland, MD, Times-News on 24 Feb 2002:

It was built in 1891 to lift people, horses, and wagons to safety should another cataclysmic flood occur (2,209 people were killed in 1889). But today, the Johnstown Inclined Plane is a tourist attraction, transporting some 120, 000 people each year up the 3,586-foot Yoder Hill for a spectacular view of the town below. The 896-foot incline uses two counterbalanced cars to carry pedestrians and vehicles up and down a track with a 71.9% grade on Yoder Hill on the city's west side. The Guinness Book of World Records lists it as the steepest incline that carries vehicles in the world. The incline was used for its original purpose during floods in 1936 and 1977. The inclined plane normally operates from 9 AM to 10 PM on Sunday, from 6:30 AM to 10 PM on Monday through Thursday, from 6:30 AM to midnight on Friday, and from 7:30 AM to midnight on Saturday. It has a website,

Yoder Hill Inclined Plane

Submitted by Ray Yount