A Train To The Moon? Almost - Mount Washington Cog Railway
Written: Apr 14 '04 (Updated Apr 14 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: One Of A Kind Experience, Views, Mount Washington Summit, Simply an experience!
Cons: Ticket prices are quite high, reservations are generally required
The Bottom Line: Ticket prices might be high, reservations might be required, but for the sheer pleasure of the experience, nothing can beat this railroad to the sky
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| jps246's Full Review: Mount Washington Cog Railway |
Begun as a wild dream of Sylvester Marsh in 1852, the Mount Washington Cog Railway opened in 1869 when “Old Peppersass” became the first cog driven train to climb to the summit of Mount Washington and became the first cog driven train anywhere in the world. The Mount Washington Cog Railway is still there today, over 135 years later, offering riders a chance to experience a train ride that cannot be duplicated anywhere else.
Revolutionary at the time and still today, the Mount Washington Cog Railway was the first train that used a “cog” to climb its way up a mountain. The track and trains have a distinctive design that allows the two to interconnect and gives the trains the ability to climb the steep slopes that were required to get to the summit of Mount Washington.
Cog Railway Basics
The Mount Washington Cog Railway is located in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, at the base of Mount Washington. From Boston it’s about 2 ½ hours away, and from New York City, the Cog is about 5 hours away. The Cog is located at the end of Base Road, off of Route 302, which is an easy drive from Interstate 93.
The Cog generally runs from mid-May until mid-October, but that schedule can vary depending upon weather conditions on the sides and summit of Mount Washington. The tracks need to be clear of snow and ice and since it’s been known to snow on Mount Washington every month of the year, especially in the spring and summer, you should always check ahead to make sure the train is running when you are planning on being there.
Reservations for the Cog are almost always required. This is a very popular destination. Advance reservations can either be made at the base station, or can be made online through the Cog’s website at http://www.thecog.com. The Cog offers discounts for certain very trains and also offers a family pack discount.
Being one of the few operating cog railways (but the oldest, first and only coal operated) in the world, the Mount Washington Cog Railway is decidedly not inexpensive. Tickets are $49 for adults and children age 6 to 12 are $35. Children less then six can ride for free and senior citizens can purchase a ticket for $45. If you’re a Canadian visiting, the Cog will take Canadian money on a par with American cash (so that’s a pretty significant discount), but you will be required to show proof of Canadian Citizenship.
The Cog operates on both clear and cloudy days (with cloudy days outnumbering clear ones on Mount Washington). Either kind of weather makes for an exciting ride – each having its pluses and minuses. On clear days, the views once you reach above treeline (about halfway up) are extensive, from the Bretton Woods valley below you to the summits of the other Presidential mountains and the White Mountains. On especially clear days, it’s said you can see four states, Canada and the Atlantic Ocean. On cloudy and stormy days, the ride takes on a whole new personality. You melt into the clouds on your journey up the mountain, you can feel the winds buffeting the train and when you finally climb off the train on the summit, you’re exposed to the full brunt of Mount Washington’s weather.
The trains on the Cog are coal fired and thus there is plenty of smoke and sometimes some soot that can get into the passenger cars. Any rider should expect to smell the smoke and possibly even at times get enveloped in it. It’s not that bad since most of the time the higher winds take the smoke and soot away, but riders should be prepared for it.
The Base Station offers basic services including a cafeteria, a small museum, a gift shop and restaurants. The nearest hotel is at the end of Base Road in Bretton Woods proper. The Mount Washington Hotel, one of the grand resorts of the region is also located in Bretton woods, along with several other smaller hotels and motels.
The Ride
For you’re money, you get to ride the Cog from the Marshfield Base Station all the way to the summit of Mount Washington. This ride takes about an hour and 20 minutes each way and you are provided with a 20-minute stop at the summit of Mount Washington. Riders can stay on the summit longer, but they can only be guaranteed a seat down the mountain on the train that they rode up on. If you want to chance it, you’re more than welcome to spend more time on the summit.
Weather conditions can vary tremendously between the Base Station and the summit of Mount Washington. Down at the bottom you could be comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt, but by the time you got to the summit, you’d need pants and a heavy jacket. You should always bring warmer clothes with you when you ride the Cog and should always check the weather conditions on the summit of Mount Washington (posted at the base station) before you leave on your excursion to make sure you’ve got the right clothes.
On clear days, the photographic opportunities are almost endless as you ride up and down the Cog. The windows on the passenger car are open and you are allowed to stand and take pictures. Even inside the train, there are tremendous photo opportunities, when you reach Jacob’s Ladder, the steepest section of the train, the guides suggest you stand to experience it – when you are standing at what you think is straight, if you take a picture, you’ll see how much of an angle you are standing at compared to the train – it’s that steep.
The Summit
Once you’re let off of the Cog at the summit of Mount Washington, the summit includes the Mount Washington Observatory where there is a museum, a cafeteria, gift shop, along with rest rooms and eating areas. There is the restored Tip Top House, which today is now a museum but used to be a hotel on the summit of Mount Washington. You can also look and see the Mount Washington Auto Road winding its way up the shoulder on the other side of the mountain.
My Experiences
I’ve been lucky enough to ride the Cog in both good weather and in bad. The first time was in the remnants of a tropical storm – where I took my brother up the mountain. The train groaned and creaked from the winds and pressure and you could see the clouds swirling around the car. When we reached the summit, stepping off the train you were almost blown away from winds that were around 50 miles per hour with gusts well over 80 miles per hour. My little brother literally had to hold on to me to keep from getting knocked down in the very highest gusts.
Then my partner and I got to ride the Cog on one of those rare crystal clear fall days on Mount Washington. I literally had my face pressed to the glass the entire time and my camera almost constantly clicking off pictures. He had never experienced anything like it and was simply amazed.
I’ve climbed Mount Washington several times on foot, and even ascended the route of the Cog railway in the wintertime, so a ride up the Mount Washington Cog Railway is a treat for me. While I would never suggest replacing a climb up the mountain, the Cog comes in at a close second simply because of what a unique experience it is. Trains shouldn’t be able to go up something so steep, yet sitting there on the train, there you are, climbing Mount Washington.
Because there is so much to see and do at the summit of Mount Washington, I wish there was more time to wander when you are on the summit. The 20 minutes that the Cog gives you is enough to walk around and take in some views, but nowhere near enough time to explore the museum, the Tip Top House or even really the gift shop. If you want to spend lots of time on the summit, I would suggest driving up the Auto Road, where you are free to spend however long you want at the summit.
But even with the limited time on the summit, the main attraction of the Mount Washington Cog Railway is the train and the ride – not so much the destination. You’re riding on a one of a kind machine, the only operating coal fired cog railway in the world and that’s something that not only cannot be done anywhere else, but is a first-class experience in its own right.
Final Thoughts
Nowhere else can you ride a train like the Mount Washington Cog Railway. The ticket prices might be high, reservations might be required, but for the sheer pleasure of the experience, nothing can beat this railroad to the sky.
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A big thanks to SurgRN911 for adding this one for me!
More White Mountain Attractions
Mount Washington Auto Road / Wildcat Mountain / Cannon Mountain / Tuckerman Ravine / White Mountain National Forest
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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