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3 of 4 - The Two RV Gypsies rode the Incline Railway at Royal Gorge
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Below: A hummingbird at a feeder by the Incline Railway |
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Below: Built in 1931, and traveling at a 45-degree angle, one
of the world's steepest incline railways is still considered one of
the most difficult structures ever built. Here, timeless granite walls
loom all around as it descends over 1,500 feet to the canyon floor,
a mere 50 feet at its widest. Looking up, the bridge appears as a delicate
ribbon cutting across the sky.
(Note: If you wish to see other incline railways,
click here, then scroll down to Incline
Railways - but be sure to return here to continue the 2012 journey) |
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Engineering Facts for the Incline Railway
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Construction began in 1930 and completed in 1931
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Length of incline: 1,550 feet
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100% grade, 45-degree angle
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Powered by Otis Elevator with a completely automatic SCR drive system
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Standby emergency diesel engine
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Maximum speed: 11.4 mph
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Rate of descent: 3 mph
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Weight of cars: 4,500 pounds
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Travel time: 5.5 minutes each way
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Same engineering and construction crews that built the Bridge
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Safety: 19 manually operated stopping devices, also equipped with automatic governor to stop each car
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Listed on the National Historic Register
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Below: The Incline Railway
making its descent to the bottom of the gorge |
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Below: Looking backwards towards the
top |
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Below;
At the bottom of the gorge, looking up at the suspension bridge and
the aerial tram. |
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Below: Stepping off the incline
railway car, the two RV Gypsies enjoyed the cool spray of the roaring
Arkansas River, while watching a white water kayaker brave the Class
5 rapids. |
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Below; The incline cars waiting at the
bottom of the gorge to take the two RV Gypsies and the other passengers
back to the top of the gorge. |
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Below: Before boarding the
incline car, Lee Duquette took one last photo of the cliff because he
liked the way the cliff was split. |
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Below: The two RV Gypsies back inside the
cage of the incline railway car, and ready to slowly ride back up to
the top. Going up, the two RV Gypsies were facing downward toward the
river - which means they were riding backwards. (This is a ride that
you stand up in for the entire trip - There are not any seats) |
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Below: BACK AT THE TOP - SOME VIEWS FROM
INSPIRATION POINT |
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