Fenelon Place Elevator

{{short description|Funicular railway in Dubuque, Iowa.}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}{{Infobox rail line

| name = Fenelon Place Elevator

| image = Fourth Street Elevator in Dubuque, Iowa.jpg

| image_width =

| caption = Fenelon Place Elevator in Dubuque, Iowa

| type = Commuter rail

| system =

| status =

| locale = Dubuque, Iowa

| start = Hilltop

| end =

| stations = 2

| routes =

| daily_ridership = N/A

| open =

| close =

| owner = Fenelon Place Elevator Company

| operator = City of Dubuque

| character = Commuter rail line

| linelength = 296 feet (90 m)

| tracklength =

| tracks =

| gauge = {{track gauge|3ft}}

| electrification =

| speed =

| elevation =

| coordinates = {{coord|42.49645|-90.66905|display=inline,title}}

| map = {{routemap

|inline = y

|style = white-space:nowrap;

|title = Fenelon Place Elevator

|title-bg =

|navbar = Fenelon Place Elevator

|navbar pos = 2

|map =

KBHFa~~512 Fenelon Place

LOCK2d!~STR

KBHFe~~Hilltop

}}

}}

The Fenelon Place Elevator (also known as the Fourth Street Elevator) is a {{RailGauge|3ft|lk=on}} narrow gauge{{Cite web|title=Trams of the World 2017|url=http://blickpunktstrab.net/wordpress2/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/tramsderwelt2017.pdf|publisher=Blickpunkt Straßenbahn|date=January 24, 2017|access-date=February 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216202427/http://blickpunktstrab.net/wordpress2/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/tramsderwelt2017.pdf|archive-date=February 16, 2017}} funicular railway located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.Stewart, Connie (2011-11-05). [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-hometown-dubuque-20111106,0,561245.story Railway not inclined to be a target]. LA Times. Retrieved on 2011-11-07. It was included as a contributing property in the Cathedral Historic District in 1985,{{cite web |author1=Hawks |first=Lisa |author2=Myhre-Gonyier |first2=Pam |title=Cathedral Historic District |url={{NRHP url|id=85002501}} |access-date=2017-01-03 |publisher=National Park Service}} with {{NRHP url|id=85002501|photos=y|title=photos}} and in the Fenelon Place Residential Historic District in 2015.{{cite web |author=Jacobsen |first=James E. |title=Fenelon Place Residential Historic District |url=https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/15000787.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202092138/https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/15000787.pdf |archive-date=Feb 2, 2017 |access-date=2017-01-28 |publisher=National Park Service}}

History

File:Fenlon Place elevator 1940.tif

A predecessor to the Fourth Street Elevator was built in 1882 for the private use of local banker and former state senator J.K. Graves. The funicular was opened to the public in 1884, charging 5 cents per ride. After several fires, the existing funicular was rebuilt in 1893 on the footprint of the 1882 incline; the 1893 funicular inaugurated the use of the cable car technology that continues in use.{{cite web|url=http://www.dbq.com/fenplco/history.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020428144054/http://www.dbq.com/fenplco/history.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2002-04-28 |title=Fenelon Place Elevator Company History |work=Fenelon Place Elevator Company |access-date=2011-11-06 }}

Location

The upper station of the elevator is located at 512 Fenelon Place, while the lower station is located at the western end of Fourth Street. At the top, there are two observation decks, which offer a commanding view of the downtown Dubuque area. The states of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin can all be seen from the observation decks.{{cite web|url=http://www.dbq.com/fenplco/prices.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20021028051316/http://www.dbq.com/fenplco/prices.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2002-10-28 |title=Ride Rates |publisher=Fenelon Place Elevator Company |access-date=2015-05-10 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.dbq.com/fenplco/info.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020428143712/http://www.dbq.com/fenplco/info.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 28, 2002 |title=Fenelon Place Elevator Company |publisher=Fenelon Place Elevator Company |access-date=2015-05-10 }}

Function

The funicular is {{convert|296|ft|m}} long, and angles up at 41 degrees with a vertical elevation of {{convert|189{{cite web |url=http://www.fenelonplaceelevator.com/ |title=Home |website=fenelonplaceelevator.com}}|ft|m|1}}. The two cars start at opposite ends, passing each other at the midpoint of the elevator. The two cars counterbalance each other, drawing motive power from an engine in the station house at the top of the hill. The engine only needs to overcome inertia and friction and compensate for the varying weight of the passengers in the cars.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}}

The Fourth Street Elevator is run from April 1 to November 30. The hours are from 8 am to 10 pm.

Gallery

Fourth Street Elevator car from above.jpg

Dubuque IA - 4th Street Elevator.jpg

4thElevator4.jpg

Operator's House for the Fourth Street Elevator in Dubuque, Iowa.jpg

View North from the Fourth Street Elevator in Dubuque, Iowa.jpg

Photo from observation deck of the Fourth Street Elevator.jpg

See also

References

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