Cog Train Visit to Mt Washington in New Hampshire

Last fall we had a fun adventure to the top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Mt. Washington part of the White Mountains and is the highest mountain in the northeastern states. It is well above the tree line. On a clear day, there are views in all directions. You can see five states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts), Quebec and the Atlantic Ocean. Although there is a road to the peak, we traveled by a cog train for a scenic trip. Look closely to see the cog train coming up the incline.

Our trip was on a Sunday in October. This happened to be the last day the trains operated before they shut down for the winter.

Although we took the trip in October, it had already snowed and a light dusting of snow covered the ground. We stopped several places along the way from our starting point in Boston to our destination in New Hampshire; taking in the beautiful mountains and scenery.

Mt. Washington is the highest mountain in the northeastern United States. The wind and climate is forbidding on this mountain and the highest winds (outside of hurricanes) have been recorded on this peak.

The wind was biting, even on this clear day. You can’t stay at the peak for very long in these conditions.

The cog train goes up the west side of the mountain at a steep grade, averaging 25% and nearing 38% in some spots.

It is too steep for a standard locomotive. Instead the train uses cogs — like a bicycle chain — to pull the train up the mountain. The locomotives are powered by either steam or biodiesel. 

This view is looking in the opposite direction — down the mountain.

The train ride takes about 35 minutes. A guide narrates the history of the train as you ride along.

The expansion of rail travel throughout the country in the mid-1800s opened up new parts of the country to tourists and business alike. In the White Mountains of New Hampshire, hundreds of hotels and inns in the region (two of them on the summit) were built and the most luxurious of them were known as Grand Hotels.

In 1855, Chicago businessman Sylvester Marsh left a successful career in the meat packing and grain drying industries and moved back to his native New England. His personal fortune was sufficient to guarantee a very comfortable retirement. In 1857, Marsh and his pastor took a summer hike up the steep incline of Mt Washington encountering a life threatening storm along the way. Marsh vowed to find a safer way for tourists to traverse the steep incline of the mountain so they could enjoy the majestic views at the peak. He became determined to build a rail and train to the top. Things came to a halt during the Civil War, but Marsh resumed his project after the war ended. 

The three-mile rail road was built completely on trestles above the ground. A clog gear (rack and pinion) system pulled the train up the mountain. The teeth of the cog gears under the locomotive engaged the rack, a spooled center track fixed to the cross ties between the running rails, and as the cog turned, the locomotive pulled itself forward. 

The bulk of the railway was finished and Marsh held a formal opening celebration on August 14, 1868. The remainder of the rail road to the peak was finished the next summer.

It is easy to see the steep incline out the window of the passenger car of the train.

The White Mountains are home to the Presidential Range, the highest peaks of the Whites. The summits are named for American presidents. It includes 13 mountains, 9 of which are considered 4,000 footers. The first range and highest is Mount Washington. Here you can see the second summit — Mount Adams — as well as Mount Jefferson and Mount Madison (I think). 

On the day of our trip, the sky was blue and we had beautiful panoramic views. You can see five states from the views at the top of the mountain. This view is north and west.

There is an weather observation station at the top of the mountain which is manned the year around. It uses the slogan,  “Home of the World’s Worst Weather.”  The Mount Washington Observatory (MWObs) is a private, non-profit scientific and educational institution. The Observatory’s mission is to “advance understanding of the natural systems that create the Earth’s weather and climate, by maintaining its mountaintop weather station, conducting research and educational programs and interpreting the heritage of the Mount Washington region.”  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_Observatory

There is a visitors center, gift shop and restaurant at the peak, too. However, these buildings closed earlier in the month. To provide tourists with a warm place to wait for the return trip, a passenger car is parked at the end of the railroad.

It had snowed the day prior to our arrival and the snow still was clinging to tree branches making for beautiful, scenic winter photos. . 

Here comes another train.

We had a great adventure to the top of Mt Washington and hope to visit again some time!