Mauch Chunk and Summit Hill Switchback Railroad

Infobox nrhp
name = Mauch Chunk and Summit Hill Switchback Railroad
nrhp_type =

---

caption = Looking down at the Lehigh Canal landing, circa 1870.
locator_x =
locator_y =
lat_degrees = 40
lat_minutes = 51
lat_seconds = 3
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 75
long_minutes = 48
long_seconds = 17
long_direction = W
location = Carbon County, Pennsylvania
nearest_city =
area =
built = 1827
architect = Josiah White
architecture =
designated =
added = 1976
established =
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
refnum = 76001616
mpsub =
governing_body = The Mauch Chunk and Summit Hill Switchback Railroad, originally called the Mauch Chunk Railroad, was a 9-mile (14-km) gravity railroad in Pennsylvania that went between Mauch Chunk, now Jim Thorpe, and Summit Hill.

History

The Mauch Chunk Rail Road was built and owned by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. Construction began in January 1827 on an existing road and the road opened on May 5, 1827.cite web|title=History of the Switch Back Gravity Railroad|url=http://www.switchbackgravityrr.org/sbhist.htm|accessyear=2008| accessmonthday=February 9] It sent anthracite from company mines up at Summit Hill to the company's coal chutes in Mauch Chunk on the Lehigh River. The return trip was handled by mules,cite web| title=CNJ Mauch Chunk Switchback|url=http://www.gingerb.com/cnj_mauch_chunk_switchback.htm| accessyear=2008| accessmonthday=February 9] who then rode the trains downhill.cite web| title=History: 1870| author=Pescovitz, David| url=http://www.britannica.com/coasters/1870.html| work=Inventing the Scream Machine| publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.| authorlink=http://pesco.net| accessyear=2008| accessmonthday=February 9] Thus, downhill cars covered the trip in just half an hour, while the uphill trip took four hours. The trains were sometimes up to fourteen cars long, hauling convert|25|ST|kg of anthracite. The railroad was only the second in the United States (and the first coal road),cite web| title=Switch Back Home Page| url=http://www.switchbackgravityrr.org/| accessyear=2008| accessmonthday=February 9] and it was scenic and exciting to ride downhill, so it became a tourist attraction, and started occasionally carrying passengers. Soon, coal would only be handled in the morning, with passenger service taking over the afternoon. This recreational use would gain importance, become the sole purpose of the railroad, and inspire the development of the roller coaster. Some famous personalities who visited the railroad over the years include Prince Maximilian of Wied, President Ulysses S. Grant, William Astor (son of John Jacob Astor), and Thomas Edison. [Vince Hydro's Insider's Guide to the Switchback, Jim Thorpe Insider's Press, 1999.]

In 1846, the railroad responded to increasing demand for coal and the poor logistics of a single-track route by building a new up track consisting of two steam-powered, convert|120|hp funicular systems to replace the use of mules. One of the inclines rose convert|664|ft|m up Mount Pisgah, and the other crossed Mount Jefferson. The downhill trip continued to be powered by gravity, as did the downhill portions of the otherwise uphill direction. [cite web| title=The Mauch Chunk, Summit Hill, and Switchback Gravity Railroad| url=http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/switchbackrr/| accessyear=2008| accessmonthday=February 9] The up track was uniquely equipped with a ratchet which would prevent a car that detached from the cable from running away down the hill. This invention would later evolve into the anti-rollback device used on roller coasters. This was also when the railroad extended its name to the Mauch Chunk and Summit Hill Switchback Railroad. The modernization of the railroad reduced a passenger round-trip from 4.5 hours to just 80 minutes.

In 1872, the Panther Creek Railroad opened as a replacement for the switchback line. The Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) purchased it in 1874 and leased it to brothers Theodore and H. L. Mumford who operated the line as a tourist attraction. On May 24, 1929, the CNJ sold the line to the new Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway Company, which operated a few more years until 1932, at which point the line fell victim to the Great Depression. The mortgage on the property foreclosed and it was sold to scrapper Isaac Weiner for $18,000.

The right-of-way is now the Switchback Railroad Trail, [cite web| title=Mountain Bike Trails in Pennsylvania : Pocono Mountains Region Mountain Biking : Switchback Trail : bikekinetix.com| url=http://www.bikekinetix.com/t_pa/pa_rail/switchback_rt.php| accessyear=2008| accessmonthday=February 9] but efforts are underway to rebuild the Mt. Pisgah incline portion of the route.

Gallery

References