Mount Beacon Incline Railway, 1905

The 3ft-gauge, 2,200 ft (671 metre) long Mount Beacon Incline Railway, a funicular, was a popular tourist attraction in Beacon, NY, and the neighboring Town of Fishkill. It operated from 1902 (the same year that Wellington's Cable Car began, see earlier posts) to 1978 (the same year Wellington's original system ceased), providing sweeping views of the Hudson Valley. The Otis Elevator Company and Mohawk Construction opened the railway on Memorial Day, 1902. Sixty thousand fares were sold in its first year; two decades later that had almost doubled. Riders were often day visitors from New York City who came up the Hudson River by steamboat to Newburgh and then took a ferry to Beacon. After a trolley trip to the base station on Wolcott Avenue, the railway would take them up to the 1,540-ft (470 metres) northern summit via an average gradient of a steep 65% and a maximum gradient of a very steep 74%.

Once on the mountain, tourists could then visit the Beaconcrest Hotel, the Casino, or enjoy the natural setting while taking in 75-mile (120 km) panoramic views of the valley and surrounding areas. Once it opened in 1922, Beacon Reservoir, the city's main water source, also became a popular place to visit.

In 1978 the railway ceased operations due to financial problems. In 1982 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. A fire attributed to vandalism destroyed many of the buildings the next year. The route remains and is visible from much of the city.

The Mount Beacon Incline Railway Restoration Society is working to rebuild it and restore service by 2013, the centennial of the City of Beacon. website