CamTran: Incline's glitch found, solution being studied

Apr. 5—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Engineers have identified mechanical issues that have halted construction at the Johnstown Inclined Plane since November, but the review shows the local icon is not likely to reopen until autumn at the earliest, the Cambria County Transit Authority said Thursday.

CamTran Executive Director Rose M. Lucey-Noll said in a press release that an independent expert engineer found damage to the Incline's "safety cable rope," used as part of the backup brake system.

Several broken strands on the safety cable rope were identified and determined most likely to have been damaged during construction activities.

Experts found "no major safety concerns because of these broken strands," the release said.

During the inspection, however, the experts inspecting the rims of the massive sheave wheels raised concerns regarding the hardness of the metal.

The eight sheave wheels spin on the axle and guide the main drive cables.

Engineers say the wheels' metal hardness relates to the longevity of the metal and whether the main haul ropes and safety cable rope could be further damaged by continued use.

The longevity question is especially important because the goal is to have the new drive last more than 25 years, the press release said.

Thursday's press release did not identify how or when the work will resume, and attempts to reach Lucey-Noll for additional information were not successful by late Thursday.

A "Safety Assessment Timeline Graph" graph showed that it is expected to take an estimated minimum of five months of testing and inspections to reopen the Inclined Plane to the public once the construction is completed.

That includes one month for system testing by the contractors, followed by one month for rail safety oversight inspections and three months for operator training and mandated testing.

"There is no one more committed than CamTran to get the Inclined Plane reopened once all the work has been completed in the manner it is expected," Lucey-Noll said in the press release. "And that it is deemed safe to re-open to the public by the required federal and state rail safety oversight agency and state labor and industry agency."

Updates on the rehabilitation project are posted on the Inclined Plane website, www.inclinedplane.org.

The sheave wheels are familiar to those following the oft-delayed rehabilitation project.

Set to begin in 2018, the work was first delayed by a dust-up between the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and PennDOT over mass transit funds paid to PennDOT. The project was back on track in March 2020, with reopening expected by spring 2023.

Then the sheave wheels rolled into the picture as contractors scoured for foundries to recreate the 19th-century technology. The eight wheels were each cast in 24 pieces and then assembled in another location. One of the wheels had to be recast early in the process. Two had not even arrived in Johnstown by spring 2023, the original completion target.

That's when CamTran officials gave up on a 2023 reopening and crossed their fingers for a spring 2024 completion.

Thursday's press release did not include a potential completion date.