THE INCLINE
By Jake Lisak
Have you ever wondered why where you are eating is called “the Incline?” What is an Incline anyway? The Incline is not just a swanky cafeteria in the bottom of the Student Union, but it is named after a popular Pittsburgh attraction located across the river from the Bluff. Visible from the top of campus, the Incline is a passenger cart that ascends 800 feet to the top of Mount Washington where one can get a picturesque view of the Steel City that is postcard worthy. Structures like the Incline are better known as funiculars: cable railways that counterbalance each other while one ascends and the other descends the mountain. The Duquesne Incline was constructed in 1877 to transport coal miners during Pittsburgh’s industrial era, and it has since become a popular tourist attraction as well as a convenient shuttle for Mt. Washington residents to the South Side and Downtown area.
What might have industrial Pittsburgh sounded like?
Nowadays, one can sit and enjoy a leisurely ride on the Incline while sitting and listening to the rhythmic pulsing of the wheels on the tracks and the ambient hum. (Perhaps, also, a few shouting children as well.) Listen to the sound file of the modern-day incline and take note of the subtle ambient noises happening. Try to identify the noises beyond the sound of the car.
What sound sticks out the most to you in the audio recording of the Incline?
Car traffic?
Clicking of the furnicular car?
Train traffic/whistles?
Passenger noise?
Birds tweeting?
Other comments?
The Incline was not always the (mostly) peaceful ride it is now. Think back to the days of its infancy, as a mode of transportation for the coal miners on Mt. Washington. One could imagine an overpacked car, noisy or weary workmen, or even words that would soon make up the unique dialect of Pittsburgh. You might also hear the constant ‘drone’ of the mills. Perhaps you could hear the grinding of the Incline’s original propulsion system which at the time was a crude, coal powered engine which likely produced a low rumble that accompanied the clicking of the tracks. It’s difficult to imagine the Incline this way, because it is now a meek and commercial place. However, regardless of the time, the Incline provides a unique sonic space that is not heard anywhere else in Pittsburgh. The sounds of the engine and tracks can be heard in my audio recording. The recording is of the middle segment of the ride ascending Mt. Washington. Beyond the distinct sounds of the engine and tracks, you can also hear where slight friction occurs in the wheel well, likely because of a track binding out of alignment. A lot of the primary sounds are likely the same as they were in the Inclines infancy. The small squeaks, clicks, and grinding noises have probably varied over the years because of the dynamic nature or wear, erosion, and repair work/improvements to the mechanical components.
