Saturday, December 14, 2013

How You Get Up

Gateway Arch Funicular Car

We had a link the other day to a video about the funicular ride to the top of the Arch. One of the old cars is on display in the museum. The inside looks exactly the same today: five people sit in a little cylinder, one in the back, two on each side. It's cramped and not for the claustrophobic. Ain't no way out on your own.

The second picture is an old one of Mrs. C and son Andy squashed into one with me. Carolyn is not from Lilliput and Andy is not Gulliver. I was just using a really wide angle lens.

The sign in the bottom picture refers to the official name of the whole complex, The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. It's about the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, when President Thomas Jefferson bought a great part of what is now the United States west of the Mississippi from France (useful map here) for, I forget, a few bolts of silk and a case of really good snuff, something like that. Westward ho!        

Carolyn and Andy In the Arch Tram

630 Feet

Welcome To The Gateway Arch

4 comments:

Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.com said...

If people today, rather than the 1950's, had the idea to build something like the Arch and proposed it to the Federal Government, what do you think the reaction would be? It is hard to imagine St. Louis without the Arch.

Birdman said...

Never been to the Lou, so never attempted the Arch, but would if I ever 'land' there. I must say though, when you 'take me there' you do so in such interesting ways.
I say, FIRE AWAY, BC!

William Kendall said...

I can see the claustrophobic would have problems!

cieldequimper said...

Thankfully I am not claustrophobic.