On April 5, Cambria County Transit Authority (CamTran) Executive Director Rose M. Lucey-Noll provided an update on the Inclined Plane Rehabilitation, which is 92 percent complete.
The update follows the pause by CamTran on the Inclined Plane Rehabilitation project based upon the advice of consultants and Industry experts earlier this year.
Conroy Engineering, an independent engineering firm hired by CamTran, continues to investigate the issues found at the Inclined Plane on Nov. 28, 2023, including:
- Safety cable rope: The safety cable is a two-inch diameter cable made up of multiple core wires, each wrapped in many smaller strand wires. The cable is used as part of the back-up safety brake system for the Inclined Plane. Several broken strands on the safety cable rope were identified. The cause of the breaks was likely the result of construction activities during removal of the rope, during storage or when it was re-installed. It was determined that there are no major safety concerns because of the broken strands.
- Sheave wheels rims: The sheave wheel is the device that spins on the axel. The rim around the sheave wheel guides the cables. There are eight sheave wheels. While the ropes were being reviewed for the source of the damage, Conroy Engineering inspected the rims and raised concerns regarding the hardness of the metal. Metal hardness relates to the longevity of the metal and whether the main haul ropes and safety cable rope could be further damaged moving around the rims with continued use.
“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 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,” said Lucey-Noll.
