Inclines are common in Europe, and immigrants, like the German, Slavic, and Welsh people who settled near Johnstown, remembered them from their native lands and brought the concept to the United States.
The earliest inclines in the United States were a series of 10 that were built in the 1830s as part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
The portage railroad carried canal boats over the Allegheny Mountains to connect the canals from Pittsburgh to the ones from Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh at one time also had "at least 17" inclines—some carried passengers, others freight, while another two inclines (like the Nunnery Hill Incline) were curved.

On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam collapsed upstream of Johnstown on the Little Conemaugh River.
The resulting deluge devastated the city, killing 2,209 people.
As the city rebuilt, the Cambria Iron Company started work on a residential development atop Yoder Hill.
To provide easy transportation on the steep slope for residents of the new community of Westmont, the company constructed an inclined plane.
In addition to being a convenient mode of transportation, the Johnstown Inclined Plane doubled as an escape route in event of flood.
Diescher was hired by Cambria Iron to design the incline.
The rails used in the incline were manufactured in Johnstown at Cambria Iron, and many of the construction tools handcrafted there.
The 232-foot (71 m) Inclined Plane Bridge was built to span the Stoneycreek River to provide access to the lower station of the incline.
Originally named the Cambria Inclined Plane, the Johnstown Inclined Plane opened on June 1, 1891 and cost $133,296 to build.
The convenience the incline provided stimulated a rapid growth of population in Westmont and made the borough one of the country's first suburbs.
Over 40 million trips were taken on the incline in its first 80 years of operation.
Inclines are common in Europe, and immigrants, like the German, Slavic, and Welsh people who settled near Johnstown, remembered them from their native lands and brought the concept to the United States. The earliest inclines in the United States were a series of 10 that were built in the 1830s as part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. The portage railroad carried canal boats over the Allegheny Mountains to connect the canals from Pittsburgh to the ones from Philadelphia. Pittsburgh at one time also had "at least 17" inclines—some carried passengers, others freight, while another two inclines (like the Nunnery Hill Incline) were curved.
On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam collapsed upstream of Johnstown on the Little Conemaugh River. The resulting deluge devastated the city, killing 2,209 people. As the city rebuilt, the Cambria Iron Company started work on a residential development atop Yoder Hill. To provide easy transportation on the steep slope for residents of the new community of Westmont, the company constructed an inclined plane. In addition to being a convenient mode of transportation, the Johnstown Inclined Plane doubled as an escape route in event of flood. Diescher was hired by Cambria Iron to design the incline. The rails used in the incline were manufactured in Johnstown at Cambria Iron, and many of the construction tools handcrafted there. The 232-foot (71 m) Inclined Plane Bridge was built to span the Stoneycreek River to provide access to the lower station of the incline. Originally named the Cambria Inclined Plane, the Johnstown Inclined Plane opened on June 1, 1891 and cost $133,296 to build. The convenience the incline provided stimulated a rapid growth of population in Westmont and made the borough one of the country's first suburbs. Over 40 million trips were taken on the incline in its first 80 years of operation.
Johnstown Inclined Plane