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Incline L.A.: The Lost Residential Railway of Mt. Washington (Episode 2)

By Nathan Masters
July 11, 2013
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View Mt. Washington Incline Railway in a larger map

In case you missed it, watch Part 1 on incline railways in downtown L.A. here.

Mount Washington: a hill more than a mountain, the landform in northeast Los Angeles is home today to leafy streets and artists' bungalows. But just a century ago, Mount Washington remained carpeted in chaparral, its hilltop land inaccessible to real estate developers and homebuyers. Ultimately, it was the simple Edwardian technology embodied in the Los Angeles and Mount Washington Incline Railway that conquered the hill.

Closed more than ninety years ago, the Mt. Washington funicular is one of several Southern California incline railways lost to history, their remains rusting on hillsides or long ago sold for scrap, their memory preserved only in the photographs, films, and maps of the region's archives.

Now, discover the story of this lost residential railway -- and other forgotten funiculars --through "Incline L.A.," a new video series showcasing L.A. as Subject member collections and the archivists, historians, and experts who care for them.

Collections Featured in Episode Two: Mt. Washington

Automobile Club of Southern California Archives

Los Angeles Public Library Map Collection

Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection

Transportation Library & Archives - Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection

UCLA, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library

Experts Featured in Episode Two: Mt. Washington

Morgan P. Yates, Automobile Club of Southern California Archives

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