The funicular that takes guests from the base of the complex to track level is operating again, following almost $150,000 in mechanical and electronic replacements and repairs.

After closing the funicular during the COVID-19 pandemic, checking out known deficiencies and making repairs that seemed to bring the device into compliance by mid-2023, the museum hired a consultant to analyze the software and electronics, in expectation that operations could resume early this year, but discovered it needed to replace the computerized “brains” of the system, said Executive Director Joe DeFrancesco on Friday.

After the museum installed a new computer drive, it was able to download the software, after which all the code needed to be reinstalled and checked, according to DeFrancesco.

The fine-tuning was completed a couple weeks ago, allowing the museum to schedule an inspection with the Elevator Division of the state Department of Labor and Industry, DeFrancesco said.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Brad Martin of Elora, Ontario, rides the cable-guided funicular at the historic Horseshoe Curve on Friday.

“It passed,” he said. “Now we’re back in business.”

The funicular is a “one-off,” with nothing else quite like it, which made all the repairs challenging, according to DeFrancesco.

The management of the Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh assisted by providing references to organizations that had “helped them in similar situations” and the L&I inspector helped the museum set up maintenance protocols, DeFrancesco said.

The experience of getting the funicular back into operating condition, including dealings with consultants and with POMA of Colorado, the manufacturer, coupled with museum staff now being certified to operate and maintain the machine, plus knowing now which parts are interchangeable and which are unique, will put the museum “in a better position” to keep the funicular running and to “troubleshoot if we’re ever in a jam again,” DeFrancesco said.

“We (now also) have the contacts and the relationships to move it forward,” he said.

“It should run for a good period” before further work is done, he said, not specifying how long that period might last.

If the manufacturer ever goes out of business, the museum could be forced to have parts reverse-

engineered and fabricated in a machine shop, he said.

The museum held a “soft opening” for the funicular last weekend.

The first publicly advertised operating date was Friday, when more than 100 customers had ridden as of early afternoon, DeFrancesco said.

On Saturday this weekend, the museum is offering dual admission to the Curve complex and the museum itself at 1200 Ninth Avenue for $10, a discounted price.

Normal price for dual admission is $26.

Normal admission to the Curve complex alone is $13.

Weather permitting, the Curve complex will be available for visitation 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays through Sunday through the end of the year, according to DeFrancesco and the museum website.

It will be closed through January and February, then open for weekends only in March, with additional hours added as the season progresses, DeFrancesco said.

The museum will be open weekends only through the winter.

Prospective visitors should check the museum website for potential changes in visitation schedules for both sites.

The North American Railway Foundation contributed $75,000 to the funicular repairs.

The museum raised funds toward the remaining costs.

“The timeline was less than ideal,” DeFrancesco said. “But (it was a challenge) peeling back the layers and problems and solving the complexities of it.”

“I’m thankful to the community for being patient,” he said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.