Mount Lowe Railway above the clouds, Altadena, CA, circa 1904

Subjects: Mountains & Hills Railroads & Trains
Card type: Printed photo
Date: c. 1904 (Early)

Back of Mount Lowe Railway above the clouds, Altadena, CA, circa 1904, c. 1904 printed photo postcard — Back

About this postcard

The photograph shows a Mount Lowe Railway electric car climbing a steep, brush-covered mountainside, with the track curving along the grade and power poles following the line. A bank of clouds lies below the car, giving the scene its above-the-clouds setting. The Mount Lowe Railway opened in 1893 as Thaddeus S. C. Lowe's scenic electric line in the San Gabriel Mountains above Altadena, California. It carried tourists to Alpine Tavern and was promoted as a railway in the clouds. Storm damage closed the line in 1938.

Postcard Details

Message · English, in pen

we are having some[?] the first time[?] we[?] we are going to[?] I hope[?] with love[?]

PostmarkedIA

Addressed to

Mrs. C. B. Phelps

Kiantone, NY

Postcard record

Postmarked	IA
Publisher	M. Rieder, Publ., Los Angeles, Cal.
Series	No. 3146.
Condition	Good
Place addressed	Mrs. C. B. Phelps, Kiantone, NY
Place depicted	Mount Lowe Railway
Publisher	M. Rieder, Publ., Los Angeles, Cal., Los Angeles, CA
Stamp	1c Benjamin Franklin, green, issued 1902, perforated vertical sides only
Stamp	1c Benjamin Franklin, green, perforated on all sides
Notes	Handwritten message in pencil on the front right; rounded corners; light spotting and staining on the image. Postmark: [illegible] NOV 2 4 PM IA. Divided back; M. Rieder, Publ., Los Angeles, Cal., Made in Germany, No. 3146; 1¢ green Franklin stamp; light edge wear and toning.

Cite this card

Mount Lowe Railway above the clouds, Altadena, CA, circa 1904, postcard, c. 1904. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/mount-lowe-railway-above-the-clouds-altadena-ca-circa-1904. Accessed November 3, 2026.