A Trip to the Mount Lowe Ruins, June 8, 1958

A Trip to the Mount Lowe Ruins, June 8, 1958

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Stephen Dudley and his late father, Paul Dudley, decided to make a hike of the old Mount Lowe right-of-way and photograph their June 8, 1958, journey. These images are from that trip, and we gratefully thank Steve for sharing them with our readers.

View from across Rubio Canyon showing the outlines of the abandoned incline right of way. The rails were removed about 1940 — this was the condition of the right of way less than 20 years later and after vegetation grew and the weather took its toll on the topography.
Looking down the incline at the turnout site where the two cars passed. By putting a passing spot midway, it allowed the rest of the line to be constructed using three rails.
Along the incline showing the guide wheels for the cables.
Power house at Echo Mountain. Several years after this photo was taken, the Forest Service took steps to demolish the structure.
One of a number of notices posted by the Pacific Electric Ry. along the right of way.
Along the right of way near the Granite Gate area.
A curve on the right of way with the ties still in place.
The right of way as it approaches Alpine Tavern. The Tavern burned in 1936 and as the remaining structure was felt to be a safety hazard, it was removed about 1959.
Alpine Tavern. The rail line at the Tavern was re-configured slightly over the years. It ultimately terminated beside the walkway extending left from the base of the several steps in the middle of the picture.
Alpine Tavern from the back side.
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Showing 14 comments
  • david sobo
    Reply

    Marvelous, absolutely marvelous. Thank you.

    • Jillian Van Liew
      Reply

      These are so cool. I ADORE OLD PHOTOS! This is right up my alley (old photos & hiking ). Thanks for sharing 🙂

  • Michael Patris
    Reply

    Fabulous to see this material in color! Thanks a million!

  • Gerald A Hunter
    Reply

    Thanks for the trip in the time machine, great to see it all before the dynamite ruined it.

  • Paul Ayers
    Reply

    Wonderful, thank you!

  • Matthew Reiser
    Reply

    Priceless photographs. I remember the long, large ties on the Incline, from my hike with my father in 1978, just before the 1979 Pinecrest Fire burned all (or most) of them.

  • Jimbo Boren
    Reply

    Thanks for the photos! Very special going back to a time I can only imagine about.

  • KC
    Reply

    Wonderful thanks for sharing

  • Marc DeKlotz
    Reply

    Great pictures. My first trip there was Just over 20 years after these. After the fire of 1978. Most all of the wooden remains in the incline area were gone. I had heard most of the tressels in Rubio canyon were still intact till then. I climbed the incline in 1979 and several times after that. The concrete structures had long since been blasted and only ruins to see. The Tavern site was so bulldozed that I cannot orient myself to where the buildings were. It’s great to see the history preserved here

    • Matthew
      Reply

      Marc: I saw those huge wooden ties on The Great Incline, on my only hike (down) the Incline, in 1978, as a 12-year-old. I didn’t realize they’d burned in 1979 until 25 years later.

  • Ronald Palige
    Reply

    I have been hiking up there since 1974, at 14 years of age and often wondered how things were oriented at the Tavern site, These photos are fantastic

  • B
    Reply

    Any photos of it in it’s had day?

  • LIZ THOMPSON
    Reply

    Where is this trail?

  • Bjorn Palenius
    Reply

    Only 20 years later and nature had reclaimed a lot! If it hadn’t been blown up, it would have been covered in grafitti anyway!

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