Written and photographs by Jonah Soolman
Upon reaching the finish line of the Mount Washington Road Race, I looked to my right to where the Cog Railway’s tracks dead end at the summit and wearily thought to myself, “You mean I could have just taken the train up here?” Since that day in 2009, I hoped to eventually ride the cog railway back to the top of Mount Washington. After years of logistical obstacles getting in the way, I finally had an opportunity to take the train earlier this summer.
Hurdles presented themselves up until the very last minute, when bad weather at both the base and the summit made us rethink our plans. As it turned out, the rain and cold were blessings in that they kept the crowds away. Approximately 10 people, far less than capacity, rode our train, allowing everybody to have a window seat.
Hefty ticket prices may also have played a role with the small crowd. At $68.00 per person for adults ($73.00 if you want to take the steam train, which is the first run of the morning, compared to the biodiesel engines that run the rest of the day) the outing is certainly not cheap. Prices for the day’s last run are discounted, which probably explained why reservations for that train were all booked while the others were wide open.
Still, one must pay a price – literally and/or figuratively – to reach the summit one way or another. Driving up the auto road costs $28.00 for the first adult and $8.00 for each additional adult, and passengers must be able to stomach the steep and narrow road that winds its way up the mountain with precipitous cliff drops to virtually-certain death inches from your wheels. (Did I mention there are no guardrails?) And if you want to go up on foot, well, at best you are in for a tough workout and at worst your outing could legitimately turn fatal.
Upon boarding the train, I asked the conductor if he recommended one side of the train or the other. He was new and in training, so his more seasoned supervisor strongly recommended that we sit on the train’s left side, as that offers the best views up the mountain.
The tracks ahead looked steep, intimidatingly steep, and the seats themselves, which pitch forward significantly when the train is on flat ground, offered a further clue to the sharp grade in front of us. Indeed, just a few minutes into the ride and we were leaning back so far that it felt like we were ascending a roller coaster.
Along the way, the conductor took to a microphone and told us about the railway’s construction as well as the sights as we passed them. The section of the trestle known as Jacob’s Ladder is the steepest part of the tracks, close to a 40% grade, and highlights what an achievement of engineering it was to construct such an ambitious route in such harsh wilderness.
The conductor pointed out to us that the engine and the passenger car are not actually attached to each other. Rather, they rub up against each other, with the engine always further downhill than the passengers and either pushing them up or acting as a brake on the way down. The main reason that he cited for this setup is that if something should happen to the engine’s brakes and it hurtles down the tracks uncontrollably, better that the passenger compartment be free to stop itself with its own set of brakes rather than face certain catastrophe along with the engine.
In response to a passenger’s question about safety, the novice conductor let slip that he was trained not to talk about accidents, but in reality two fatal train accidents, one in 1929 and the other in 1967, killed a total of nine people on the cog railway.
Upon reaching the summit, passengers disembark the train and are allowed approximately one hour to explore the top of the mountain before reboarding for the descent. Mount Washington’s summit is a mix of contradictions. Some of the most severe weather in the world takes place there and books have been written about the various misfortunes and deaths that have taken place on the mountain, yet you will find a snack bar with fresh pizza and clam chowder, souvenir stands selling shirts and refrigerator magnets, and a post office from which you can impress your friends by sending a mailing with a novelty Mount Washington post mark.
The weather can change in an instant. Paying no attention to the calendar, the rain and cold that greeted us cared not that it was the summer and instead demanded our heaviest winter jackets. However, the harsh weather quickly gave way to sunshine and warmth. A recently-renovated weather museum next to the cafeteria delves more deeply into the mountain’s quirky and rapidly-changing weather.
Some of the passengers who wished to spend longer at the summit were disappointed to learn that they were required to take their regularly-scheduled train back to the base, as opposed to waiting for a later train, but at least the descent began with clearing skies and a look down at the clouds.
The clouds then soon enveloped us, and while they limited the view, they offered a reminder of the conditions facing those who dared to imagine and make real a railroad through this terrain and weather system.
Despite the dodgy weather and costly tickets, I was very happy and satisfied with my cog railway experience. Compared to driving or running, riding the train was by far my favorite and most relaxing mode of reaching the summit, taking in the views, and enjoying Mount Washington as a whole. If you have been considering a visit to Mount Washington or you are just looking to take unique train ride in New England, I highly recommend the cog railway.
