Welcome to Gravity Railroads, a group for exchanging information on Switchback Gravity Railroads, especially in northeastern Pennsylvania. True switchback gravity railroads in NE PA include the Delaware and Hudson, Pennsylvania Coal Company, Room (originally Rhume) Run and Shohola Glen. Discussion on Gravity railroads that run on a continuous loop (like a modern roller coaster), is certainly welcome. These would include the Mauch Chunk in Jim Thorpe, Ashley Planes of the Jersey Central RR, and the Mt. Penn in Reading.

Discussion on any railroad with a cable or chain operated lift plane is encouraged. This catagory would include railroads that return on the same or adjacent track such as the: Beaver Meadows, Panther Creek, Mahanoy Plane and the Gordon Planes of the Reading Railroad. Please share information of other lines with stationary engines and lift planes, such as the Bunker Hill Gravity RR in Mass., Allegheny Portage Railroad of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad with the Belmont and Columbia planes and Danville and Pottsville Railroad with four planes.

Finally, railroads that used an animal to pull cars up a plane that were then allowed to return by gravity should certainly be included in this group. This catagory would include the portions of the Delaware and Hudson , Mauch Chunk and Bunker Hill railroads as they were originally designed in the early 1800's.

Please check out the Photo and Links section for additional information
and join our group to share your knowledge, explorations, memories, links and pictures.

This discussion group is dedicated to John B. Jervis, the amazing engineer who conceived the idea of and constructed the first True Switchback Gravity Railroads, and allowed the other gravity railroads to emulate his two track switchback design.

We apologize for having to approve new members, but unfortunately it is the only way to reduce the spam postings.

Tom Gibson and Dan Rifkin, Moderators