My map of the Caspar, South Fork, and Eastern RR (operated by Caspar Lumber Co in Northern coastal California) shows 3 inclines along the line. No pictures in the book, though. :sad:
When I visited Cape Hinchinbrook Lighthouse (entrance to Prince William Sound, Alaska) in 2002, I found quite a rail tram setup to get supplies to the light. The first stage had rails laid on the dock. At the end of the dock was a crane to lift supplies from the barge/boat/ship to the tram car. The dock was curve about 60 degrees halfway along its length. The tram car was winched along the dock rails by a donkey setup in a boathouse just beyond the head of the dock. There were idler capstans to assist with winching around the curve.
At the head of the dock was a small turntable. There the tram car(s) would be turned 90 degrees to align with the incline up the 800ft hill. This was about a 1/2 mile run including crossing a stream via a small wood trestle to climb the 800ft to the cliff where the lighthouse was located. A winch house contained another diesel or gas powered donkey to winch the cars up the grade.
At the top of the grade was a switch - the straight track went into the winch house. The main track went around a 210 degree level curve to the actual lighthouse support buildings. I assume the tram cars were pushed by hand around this level curve.
Gauge of the rails appeared to be 30 or 36 inches, with rail about 3.5" high. I didn't have a camera because we flew out there rather suddenly by helicopter on a rare weather window to do a survey for microwave link improvements. wall1 My concern was making sure the survey team got the right data. But I did have a chance to walk the incline grade and the dock before we had to depart due to incoming weather. Some of the ties in the wetter areas were pretty rotten, and the trestle scared me. The donkeys were rusted hulks, although inside the intact buildings.
The 1964 Anchorage earthquake raised the seabed about 15 feet where the dock was (and washed Old Valdez at the head of the Sound into the sea). This make the dock unusable at lower tides, which cut back the resupply openings. And when the lighthouse was automated in the 1970s, the whole tram and incline system was abandoned. I'm not sure how the generator fuel gets there now - probably tractored up from a barge on a beach. Everything else - maintenance crews, parts, etc - comes in by helicopter. The crane has fallen off the end of the dock, and lays sitting in the water.
But a little imagination shows what great feats of engineering those old lighthouse keepers were capable of. And what a busy place it must have been with the operational tram and incline, keeping the light going, and just taking care of business in some of the world's most miserable weather.
just my experiences