Passenger Trains > Mount Washington Cog Railway

Another week or so for steam operations on the first train of the day, then diesel only for a few weeks.

Any announcements on steam in 2017?


The Cog

Why the hell do they only run steam on the first train of the day?  That makes it almost impossible to get there in time to ride it.  Without a steam engine that whole line is basically pointless.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Another week or so for steam operations on the
> first train of the day, then diesel only for a few
> weeks.
>
> Any announcements on steam in 2017?
>
>
> The Cog

Couple pictures of the cog when I was there a couple years ago.



 

---

---

---

More...

 

---

---

---

Last three.....

---

---

---

As a side note....
The locomotive and the passenger car are not connected by any coupler nor is there any hose connection such as you would find for air brakes.  A brakeman rides the passenger car up the mountain as the engine pushes the passenger car so there is no way for the car to run away.  At the very top the brakeman applies the handbrake once the consist is on level ground to stop the car.
Coming down the mountain the passenger car pushes against the locomotive.  The brakeman applies and releases the handbrake accordingly to keep the passenger car from pushing too hard on the locomotive all depending on the steepness of the grade on certain sections.  Every once in a while the locomotive would get a few feet ahead of the passenger car and the brakeman would get jeered.....good naturedly of course, for not keeping the car up against the engine for a smooth ride down.

mbrotzman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why the hell do they only run steam on the first
> train of the day?  That makes it almost
> impossible to get there in time to ride it. 
> Without a steam engine that whole line is
> basically pointless.
>
There are actually people who aren't railfans (amazing as that may be) but who like to ride the train to the top of Mt. Washington to see the views.  They generally don't care about the power.

There was a thread on this several years ago.

Steam is only used on the first run of the day, and that's a premium fare.

My recollection is the owners looked at the situation, and decided that the steam locomotives were in need of serious upgrading and repairs. The state was increasingly concerned about the coal smoke, although there was a waiver.  So, costs and environmental issues.

The bio-diesel was much faster up the hill than the steam engine, adding 45 minutes more to the stay at the top.  More trains could be run in peak periods, so more revenue. The bio-diesel fuel was cheap and available. With lower pollution output. The diesel equipment could be serviced more easily, with existing parts. You didn't have to run your own forge and blacksmith shop every time you needed a part.

I've ridden it twice with diesel power and loved it both times.  The steam engine is a neat little critter though.

Andy

I rode the MWCRR several times as a child and once as an adult in the early 1990s, always steam. While I understand the efficiencies and costs associated with steam v. diesel, I would prefer they keep everything steam. You can ride diesel trains almost anywhere; steam not so much.

I took my family up there a couple years ago, got up early so we could ride w steam. When talking with other folks, both at the base station and at the summit, it was amazing how many people--WAY over half-- didn't give a rat's about whether their train was steam or biodiesel. 

This operation is a national treasure.  I'm a big steam fan, as are many here at TO, but this railroad is an amazing experience with or without steam.  Still, having travelled behind steam on my one and only ride, I cnnot imagine making the trip behind diesel, but would gladly do so if I'm ever in the neighborhood again.  AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

I rode it some years ago and recall that most of the right-of-way except when you get near the top has trees on both sides. (Maybe that has changed.) So I didn't see much. And about staying longer at the top: It's pretty desolate up there and colder, cloudier, etc. I was happy to get back on the train. There also was a drunk woman who pulled up her blouse and stuck her tongue at me when I took some photos inside my car from the aisle. She wasn't anything to look at either. She was with a man and another couple who had strong brittish accents (Aussies?) so they must have been on a vacation from out of country.  (You can tell I don't have much tollerance for drunks. Aussies yes, drunks, no.) I really liked the steam but was a bit disappointed for the price. One photo I didn't get that probably can't be repeated now is three of the locomotives on the side of the mountain at the same time with tall plumes of smoke. Now that would have been great for a promotional brochure. I thought Mount Washington COG's VHS I bought and  the literature a bit weak.

​Victor A. Baird
​http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/16 13:03 by wabash2800.