Mt. Adams Incline in 4K

This is a 35mm film reel of the Mt. Adams Incline in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1931. It shows Cincinnati Street Railway car 1541 and motor bus 412 traveling up and down the incline. This is unusual because buses weren't normally run up the incline until the 1940s just before the incline was abandoned. Streetcar 1541 is a double-ender as well, the only one in the entire system. This was due to construction of the new Ida Street Bridge just past the top of the incline, which took place between February and September 1931. Streetcar route 49 normally ran from Fountain Square to the Zoo via Eden Park, but the double-end car was used only to the top of the incline. The bus was used through Eden Park to maintain service until the Ida Street Bridge was finished. Since the trees look pretty bare, this is probably in March or April.

The date stamp on the film stock is 1926 but this was shot later as noted. Carew Tower, which was built in 1930, is visible in the distance. Bill Myers received the film reel from someone unknown, and there was no accompanying information. What this film was for is a mystery. Being shot on 35mm film suggests that it was intended for a fairly high-budget, if not Hollywood production. Note the "director" motioning to the company employee in the head house to get into position to open the gate and allow passengers to disembark. The reel was generously digitized at 4K resolution by Bob Gerding at The PPS Group in Covington, Kentucky.