The picture shows a Mount Lowe Railway electric trolley car climbing a steep, brush-covered mountainside above a sea of clouds, with the track curving along the slope and power poles following the line. The Mount Lowe Railway, opened in 1893 by Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, was a scenic electric mountain railway in the San Gabriel Mountains above Altadena, California, celebrated as a "railway in the clouds" and terminating at the Alpine Tavern. It operated until 1938, when storm damage ended service.
Postcard Details
Message · English, in pen
Dear [illegible]
[illegible] the [illegible] to go
as a trip on
like a [illegible]
we [illegible] and
you [illegible]
Handwritten message in pencil on the front right; rounded corners; light spotting and staining on the image; undivided-back era.
Postmark: [illegible] NOV 2 4 PM [illegible]. 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, circa 1910, postcard, c. 1915. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/mount-lowe-railway-above-the-clouds-california-circa-1910-1915. Accessed October 24, 2026.