The car will gently pivot during the ride to keep visitors in an upright position. While taking the 4-minute journey to the top, riders may look out a small window for a view of the Arch interior. There are eight tram cars on the north tram and eight on the south tram. Each of the 16 tram cars, or "pods", can hold five seated persons. What to Expect on Your Ride to the Top: Riding the tram to the top of the Arch is like stepping into the future as it was envisioned in the 1960's. The trains have been operating for over 25 years, traveling a total of approximately 200,000 miles and carrying over 18 million passengers.When running near capacity each train typically carries 200 to 225 passengers per hour.Each of the Arch trams carries 40 passengers and is capable of making a round trip with passengers in around 9 minutes, including loading and unloading passengers in both directions.These rotations occur as gentle pivots, similar to what you might experience on a Ferris Wheel. Each capsule rotates approximately 155 degrees during the trip to the top of the Arch.There are five seats in each barrel, so the weight of the passengers helps keep the capsule in an upright position.Each train capsule has a 5-foot diameter barrel that is open on the front and closed on the back.Eight small capsules, used in each of the two Arch trains.In no way could the conveyance system distort the exterior of the Arch.īefore arriving at the tram solution, many other options were considered, including the following, but each posed problems rendering the ideas either impractical or impossible.īowser's Unique Design: Finally, a combination of the elevator principle and the Ferris wheel principle was developed into a train of capsules, and Bowser had his solution: The transportation system was required to move 3,500 people in an 8-hour day, or up to 11,000 people in a 14-hour day. For the complete story of Dick Bowser and the Arch's Unique Tram System, read the essay by former park Historian Bob Moore and this page about Mr.
The trams are a one-of-a-kind invention, conceived in just two short weeks by an amazing man who never received a college degree. The highlight of a visit to Gateway Arch National Park is a ride to the top of the 630-foot Gateway Arch, for a panoramic view of the surrounding area. There is nothing else like it anywhere in the world! The tram system was custom-made for the unique constraints of the Gateway Arch.
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