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Construction of the railroad began in 1831 and took three years to complete, financed by the State of Pennsylvania as a means to compete with the Erie CanalThe Erie Canal (also known since 1918 as the Barge Canal is a canal in New York State, United States, that runs from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. Although the canal was first proposed in 1699, it was n in New YorkNew York is a state in the northeastern United States whose U. postal abbreviation is NY . It is sometimes called New York State when there is need to distinguish it from New York City. History See: History of New York New York was one of the thirteen col. The work was done largely through private contractors. The railroad used ten inclined planeAn inclined plane is a system used on some canals for raising boats between different water levels. Typically, such a feature consists of a slope, up which there are two sets of rail tracks, and boats are raised between different levels by sailing into gis--five on either side of the summit of the Allegheny Ridge. The vertical ascent from Johnstown was 1,172 ft (355 m). The vertical ascent from Hollidaysburg was 1,399 ft (424 m). The barges were drawn by horses along level sections, which included a 900 ft (273 m) tunnel, as well as a viaduct over the Little Conemaugh RiverThe Little Conemaugh River is a tributary of the Conemaugh River, approximately 30 mi (48 km) long, in western Pennsylvania in the United States. The main branch rises in eastern Cambria County, along the western slope of the Appalachian ridge separating upstream from Johnstown. A typical voyage took between six and seven hours to complete. The entire Main Line system connecting PittsburghPittsburgh is a city in western Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 334,563 ( metropolitan area 2,358,695). Pittsburgh, nicknamed The Steel City has traditionally and PhiladelphiaAlternate meanings: Philadelphia (disambiguation Philadelphia is the fifth-largest city in the United States and the largest city in Pennsylvania, occupying all of Philadelphia County . As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,517,550, but a July 1, 20 was 400 mi (640 km) long.
In 1854 the portage railroad was rendered obsolete by the construction a locomotive railroad over the Alleghenies by the Pennsylvania Railroad, a private company. In 1857, Pennsylvania Railroad bought the portage railroad from the state and began dismantling it.
A small portion of the portage railroad is preserved at the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, established in 1964 and located approximately 12 mi (19 km) west of Altoona.