Near Altadena in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Mount Lowe Railway
Historical Marker
2015
1. Mount Lowe Railway Marker
Erected 1963 by Pasadena Historical Society, Altadena Historical Society, Pasadena Pioneer Association, U.S. Forest Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars.
Location. 34° 12.666′ N, 118° 7.251′ W. Marker is near Altadena, California, in Los Angeles County. Marker can be reached from Mount Lowe Railway Trail. Located on Echo Mountain in the Angeles National Forest. The hike is three miles up a steep trail with a strenuous 1,500-foot altitude gain. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Altadena CA 91001, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Cobb Estate (approx. ¾ mile away); Mount Lowe Scenic Railway (approx. ¾ mile away); Holmes House (approx. 0.9 miles away); Farnsworth Park (approx. 0.9 miles away); MacPherson Parkway (approx. one mile away); Andrew McNally House (approx. 1.8 miles away); Zane Grey Estate (approx. 1.8 miles away); Christmas Tree Lane (approx. 2.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Altadena.
Regarding Mount Lowe Railway.
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Wikipedia entry. Excerpt:
The Railway opened on July 4, 1893, and consisted of nearly seven miles of track starting in Altadena, California, at a station called Mountain Junction. Atop Echo Mountain was a 70-room Victorian hotel, the Echo Mountain House. A short distance away stood the 40-room Echo Chalet, which was ready for opening day. Other buildings on Echo Mountain included an astronomical observatory, car barns, dormitories, repair facilities, a casino and dance hall, and a menagerie of local fauna.(Submitted on December 12, 2023.)
For the seven years during which Lowe owned and operated the railway, it was not financially successful, and was eventually sold. A series of natural disasters destroyed the facilities, the first of which was a kitchen fire that destroyed the Echo Mountain House in 1900. Further fires and floods eventually destroyed any remaining facilities, and the railway was officially abandoned in 1938 after a flood washed railway property off the mountain sides. The ruins of Mount Lowe Railway remain.
2016
2. Marker and Cable Wheel
2. 3 minute 1907 silent video “Ascending to Heaven on the Great Mt. Lowe Railway”.
The film shows a view at :24 of the Incline Railway car #1 making its way down into Rubio Canyon. At :33 is a shot of the ascending view from car #2. At :53 the termination point, Echo Mountain House, is shown as well as the cable driving the funicular. At 1:10 are views inside a trolley car as it makes its way towards the Alpine Tavern. At 1:19 is a sign for Willard’s Canyon. At 1:28 is a view of the famed Circular Bridge. At 1:58 a group of riders on horseback trek up the mountain. At 2:25 a sign for the Mt. Lowe Scenic Railway Mule Train followed at 2:29 by a shot of the mule “Herbert” on duty pushing the rail car.(Submitted on December 12, 2023.)
2015
3. Cable Wheel and Marker
circa 1915
4. Incline Railway
circa 1913
5. Alpine Tavern
2016
6. National Register of Historic Places
Credits. This page was last revised on March 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 29, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 1,065 times since then and 183 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 29, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
