First Train Crosses the Mont Cenis Pass

July 28, 1869 marked the inaugural run of the Mont Cenis Railway, a narrow-gauge line with steep gradients and Fell rack system to conquer the Alpine pass between Modane and Susa. Built under challenging conditions by British engineer John Barraclough Fell, it used specially designed locomotives to handle 1-in-12 slopes. This engineering feat reduced travel between Paris and Turin dramatically, boosting trade and tourism before the Fréjus Tunnel rendered it obsolete in 1871. It demonstrated innovative solutions to mountain railroading that influenced later Alpine projects.