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Special Features

Bikes, Barges and Trains (Part 2)

©May 2005 by Peter Lynn

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Mount Washington Cog Railway : New Hampshire

Area Mountain Bike Trails: White Mountains, New Hampshire

Riding the Cherry Mountain Loop, Ammonoosuc Rail Trail or any of the mountain bike centers in the White Mountains listed above will put you close to one of the great rail adventures in the world, the Mount Washington Cog Railway. It climbs to the summit of Mount Washington, highest peak in the northeast, with its spectacular views and ever-changing landscape. From here you can see four states, Quebec and even the Atlantic Ocean!There is a museum, gift shop and restaurant at the base station. You can also see "Peppersass", the world"s first mountain climbing cog railway engine, on display. At the summit visit the State Park and Sherman Adams Observation Center. The excursion takes around 3 hours with a 20-minute stop at the summit and runs from May-November. Reservations are strongly recommended. Check the website or call for schedule and fares.

The Cog Railway was as an engineering marvel when built in 1869 and is now a National Historic Engineering Landmark. It was also the culmination of a dream to provide rail access to the summit for Sylvester Marsh, a New Hampshire native known for his creative and innovative thinking. It is the only railroad built entirely on a trestle and uses coal-fired steam locomotives to climb the second steepest track in the world. The unique technology has a central cogwheel on the engine gripping a center notched rail in the middle of the track. The appearance of the engines, with their unusual tilted boiler, and passenger cars have changed little over the past century. Improvements to the system are mechanical and not apparent to the average passenger. This is truly a trip back into rail history.

Contact information:

Mount Washington Cog Railway
Base Road
Mount Washington, NH 03589

Phone: 603-278-5404 or 800-922-8825
Website: www.thecog.com