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Mount Lowe Railway above the clouds, California, 1904

Subjects
Mountains & HillsRailroads & TrainsStreetcars & Trolleys
Card type
Printed photo
Date
c. 1904 (Early)
Front of Mount Lowe Railway above the clouds, California, 1904, c. 1904 printed photo postcard
Front
Back of Mount Lowe Railway above the clouds, California, 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

Mt. Lowe R.R. the best to look at we go to [illegible] life is one [illegible] and [illegible]

PublisherM. Rieder
Mt. Lowe Ry., above the Clouds. --- M. Rieder, Publ., Los Angeles, Cal. Made in Germany. No. 3146. IN SPACE BELOW MAY BE WRITTEN SENDER'S NAME AND ADDRESS (NO OTHER WRITING) THE SPACE ABOVE IS RESERVED FOR POSTMARK. POST CARD
Stamp
Addressed to
Mrs. C. B. Phelps

Kiantone, NY

Postcard record

PublisherM. Rieder
SeriesNo. 3146.
ConditionGood
Place addressedMrs. C. B. Phelps, Kiantone, NY
Place depictedMount Lowe Railway
PublisherM. Rieder, Los Angeles, CA
Stamp1c Benjamin Franklin, green, issued 1902, perforated vertical sides only
NotesHandwritten message in pencil on the front right; rounded corners; light spotting and staining on the image. Postmark: [illegible] NOV 2 4 PM 04. Divided back; M. Rieder imprint (Los Angeles, Made in Germany, No. 3146); 1¢ green Franklin stamp; light edge wear and toning.

Cite this card

Mount Lowe Railway above the clouds, California, 1904, postcard, c. 1904. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/mount-lowe-railway-above-the-clouds-california-1904. Accessed November 2, 2026.