Cog Railway up Mt Washington NH. LOTS of pics.

[ebinmaine 63,241]

This year's Mother's day trip/adventure/gift from Trina to the Mama was a trip up to the top of Mt Washington NH via the oldest and 2nd steepest cog ⚙️ railway in the world. 

 

Absolutely beautiful, fascinating adventure. 

 

I took about 40, 45 pics. Trina about the same. 

Enjoy !!

 

 

[c-series don 7,850]

@ebinmaine Thanks for the pictures Eric, up there, there’s two seasons July 4th and winter!! 

[ebinmaine 63,241]

3 minutes ago, c-series don said:

@ebinmaine Thanks for the pictures Eric, up there, there’s two seasons July 4th and winter!! 

You're not far off!!

 

Mt Washington is the only place in the USA east of the Mississippi that has recorded snow in ALL 12 calendar months.   

[squonk 38,976]

Now I'm cold again! 

[JCM 8,665]

Spent many summer vacations up in that area in both a Slide -in truck camper and travel trailer with the 86 Chevy K-20 as the power source. Had the privilege to get to the top of that rockpile twice, once on the cog and by way of the vans that take you up. Looks like you captured Tuckermans ravine too. Thanks for the memories 

[ri702bill 7,353]

16 minutes ago, JCM said:

Looks like you captured Tuckermans ravine too.

Is that where The Old Man in the Mountain isn't anymore?

[lynnmor 6,802]

Drove up it one time,  if I ever get there again I might take the railroad.

 

That poor moose is frozen stiff!  

[ebinmaine 63,241]

7 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

Is that where The Old Man in the Mountain isn't anymore?

No Sir. 

That was Franconia Notch. Maybe 20 or 30 miles south. 

The Mts Lincoln Lafayette and Haystack (in the notch) are clearly visible from Washington.  

[ri702bill 7,353]

Was up that way 45 years ago this April on my honeymoon - but I was "busy"...

[Darb1964 1,014]

5 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

No Sir. 

That was Franconia Notch. Maybe 20 or 30 miles south. 

The Mts Lincoln Lafayette and Haystack (in the notch) are clearly visible from Washington.  

My wife and I did the cog on our first wedding anniversary  in 1986 July 13. Her sister was working at the MT Washington motel, we stayed at the Darby motor in, no relation. 

That trip was, I guess was our hunny moon, we had closed on the home we still live in two weeks before our wedding, so money short.

[ri702bill 7,353]

56 minutes ago, Darb1964 said:

we had closed on the home we still live in two weeks before our wedding, so money short.

But the memories are everlasting.

[Oldskool 6,582]

Great pictures.

How old is that particular rail?

Some great scenery right there. Some of America at its finest. Someday the wife and I would like to visit that area.

 

Did I miss something though? Where are the Wheel Horse??

A fella must need transportation once up there.😁😁

[Stormin 9,975]

Thanks for the photo's, Eric. Looks a great ride up. I'd like a good look at the steamers and loco's. Though not to be I suppose. 

[ebinmaine 63,241]

46 minutes ago, Oldskool said:

Did I miss something though? Where are the Wheel Horse??

Too heavy for "carry on" 

[ebinmaine 63,241]

32 minutes ago, Stormin said:

Thanks for the photo's, Eric. Looks a great ride up. I'd like a good look at the steamers and loco's. Though not to be I suppose. 

Norm I'll go through and send all the pics we took of the engines on display. 

The only public area is what's inside the fence where the Peppersass sets.  

[8ntruck 6,389]

Thanks for the photos. 

 

I visited there in the late 70's, when they were still running steam engines.  Quite a ride.  At the summit, a couple were taking pictures of each other beside the locomotive.  As he was getting ready to take a picture of her, I noticed one of the crew members sitting on a benh watching the couple nudge the other and they both started grinning.  About the time the guy taking the picture hit the shutter, the safety valve on the boiler popped off.  She screamed, he jumped, and the two crew laughed.

 

The other thing I remember was the complex turnouts to shift the train onto a siding.  Did they do that on your trip?

 

Mr. Washington is also the place where the highest wind speed has been recorded in the lower 48 states - was over 100mph.

[ebinmaine 63,241]

4 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

Washington is also the place where the highest wind speed has been recorded in the lower 48 states - was over 100mph

 

It's still the world record holder for highest wind speed ever witnessed in person. 

 

231 MPH !!!

 

We learned yesterday that was VERY likely beaten but the recording mechanism was blown off the building that day.  

 

 

12 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

turnouts

Turnouts are no longer used. 

There are long sections of double track where the trains can pass each other.  

There are 4 switches on the system.   

 

[Stormin 9,975]

1 hour ago, 8ntruck said:

Mr. Washington is also the place where the highest wind speed has been recorded in the lower 48 states - was over 100mph.

 

I noticed the chains holding the building roof on in the 7th photo'. 

[ebinmaine 63,241]

If I remember correctly the tour guide told us they hit 100 MPH+ wind speed an average of over 100 times a year

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,592]

Great pics. 
  So what was the temp difference from base to summit? 
  Are folks still allowed to drive their personal vehicles up the mountain? Wife and I went up and down in my pickup back in the early 90’s 

[ebinmaine 63,241]

19 minutes ago, Sparky said:

Great pics. 
  So what was the temp difference from base to summit? 
  Are folks still allowed to drive their personal vehicles up the mountain? Wife and I went up and down in my pickup back in the early 90’s 

Thanks Man. 

The term "base" in this case should be defined because it's a fair altitude (for this area). 

The train station is at 2700 feet or so. Peak is 6288.  

 

Base temp was around 42 I think?

Peak was around 12 to 15 degrees cooler and of course more breezy. 

 

 

The Mt Washington Auto Road is most certainly alive and well. 

There are restrictions on what vehicles can be driven up. 

 

[953 nut 51,826]

Your pictures brought back some great memories.                              Pun intended!           

We vacationed in the NH mountains in the early '70s during July. Plan "A" was to ride our bikes to the summit on the auto road. Lady at the motel told us about the "Cog" so we decided against the ride. We had been on a few rides on scenic roads that went beyond sundown and about froze! Temperature at the base was about 70 and at the peak it may have been 40! 

[8ntruck 6,389]

@953 nut were you planning to ride down the mountain, too?  A dozen cranks on the pedals, and hope you have enough brake pads for the rest of the way down.  You would have found out what the terminal velocity of a bicycle is.

[midpack 804]

Wife and I rode the MW cog railway back when they burned coal, we got covered in coal exhaust crud 😝.

I think they use natural gas now.

[ebinmaine 63,241]

5 minutes ago, midpack said:

Wife and I rode the MW cog railway back when they burned coal, we got covered in coal exhaust crud 😝.

I think they use natural gas now.

2007 they went to biodiesel for some engines. 

Now they have (5?) Biodiesel engines and one being built. 

They still run the steam trains once a week or so. I think there's 2 of those left in operation. 

 

All the engines and passenger cars are made and repaired right there on the Mountain. 

Tremendous workshop downslope from the station.