All Aboard for a Round Trip

. This should give the reader a sample of a trip up Mount Washington by Cog Railway. The italics text is an attempt to describe what the train crew is doing throughout the trip.

It's 9:30 am and we reserved tickets for the 10:00 am train. Good thing we reserved our tickets in advance. It's a beautiful, clear day and many of the trains are sold out already. We will be able to board in about 15 minutes. The engine and coach are down at the coal bunker being serviced. Soon the engineer or fireman will slowly move the train to the loading platform.  There is enough time to take a quick look around the area. Close to where we will board is Old Peppersass, the first cog engine in the world. Built in 1866, she was used to build the railway and haul passengers until her retirement. Brought out of retirement, in 1929 for one last climb, she was wrecked on the mountain and returned here to watch the trains arriving and departing.

    Preparations for our trip actually started hours ago. The train crew, consisting of the Brakeman, Fireman and Engineer reported to the the new Marshfield Station Crew room around 7:00 am. After a check of the crew assignments for any last minute changes, they order up their breakfast and wait for it to be served. There is a full service kitchen which prepares all the meals for the crews at the Cog. They even provide "track lunches" for the crews to eat at the layover on the summit. After breakfast, it's down to the engine for the morning inspection and service. If the Fireman did his job properly the night before, there is a good bank of coal in the firebox and he knocks it down and begins to slowly build the fire. He opens a valve which blows steam up the smoke stack producing a draft in the firebox. The water in the boiler is hot, so it doesn't take long to bring the steam pressure to about 150 pounds. Meanwhile, he has kept a careful check on the water level in the boiler. The engineer has been busy making a thorough inspection of the engine and tender. He may have noticed something on the last trip of the day yesterday that he will want to adjust or repair. Today it is a repair to a couple of the piston packings. He will add some packing and adjust it properly. He'll check it again on the first water stop. The Brakeman has been busy inspecting the coach. He's been all over the mechanical aspects of the coach and has greased it. He is now washing the windows inside and out as well as dusting the seats and window sills.
    When the engineer is ready to move the engine, he signals the crew with a couple of shorts blasts of the whistle. He has opened the cylinder cocks on the bottom of the cylinders to expel any water in the cylinders. He slowly opens the forward steam valve and unwinds the brakes. The engine creeps slowly ahead, as he listens to and feels the operation of the engine. He moves the train to the coal bunker for servicing. The blower is once again turned on as the ash pan is cleaned from underneath by the brakeman. The fireman has hopped up onto the tender and is filling the tender with about one ton of coal. He then comes down and refills the oil cans with cylinder oil and gets a new supply of grease. The engineer has filled the lubricator with cylinder oil and is making last minute checks of all systems. When the rest of the crew is all set he signals again with two short blasts of the whistle and moves forward.

    We look as we hear the whistle blow and can see our train moving up to the loading platform. Many of us rush trackside to observe this unusual contraption making its way up the track!     There is a cloud of steam and smoke coming from the stack as the train inches forward to loading platform, stopping when the tender is lined up with the water tank. Here the fireman fills the tender with water as the engineer finishes greasing the engine. We will be consuming 1000 gallons of water and one ton of coal on our trip up the mountain. The brakeman greets us as we load into the coach. The coach is a wooden affair and a careful inspection reveals craftsmanship and attention to detail throughout. This coach has been built by Cog employees and is basically a replica of the original coaches built in the 1800's. As we open our windows to let the fresh mountain air in, we can hear the roaring of the Ammonoosuc River below us. It is only a short time until we hear our brakeman call out to the engineer, "All set". Two short blasts on the whistle, a hissing of steam and a gentle bump and we're off.

    There is a loud blast of escaping steam as the engine moves forward. This sound soon changes as the engineer closes the cylinder cocks when he is sure the water has been expelled from the cylinders. The fireman is now concentrating on the fire and the steam pressure as he will for the remainder of the trip up the mountain. After a careful check of the water level, the engineer adjusts the forward steam valve to increase the speed of the engine as we start to climb. Satisfied with the speed of the engine, he adjusts the side stack valve to ease the back pressure on the cylinder, making the engine run more efficiently. Meanwhile the fireman has been shoveling coal at a steady rate into the firebox. There is no automatic firebox door and the fireman has to open the door with one hand and use the other to shovel the coal. He watches the smoke from the stack, and when it starts to clear, he adds more coal to the fire. A glance at the steam gage shows that the fire is doing well and the engine is operating at 150 pounds of steam pressure. The engineer has started the injector and is adding water to the boiler. He will add water almost all of the way up the mountain.

    We are just a few minutes into our trip when the engineer sounds the whistle to announce our departure for the summit. We can already feel the steep grade of the tracks, reminding us we are not on an ordinary railroad. A look out the front window reveals a sharp rise in the track ahead. This is Cold Spring Hill, so named for a spring partway up the hill. This is one of the steepest parts of the track. We can feel the constant pushing of the engine behind us, as it takes the grade in stride. This is what the engine was designed for, and it does the job with ease. Already the views are becoming grand, promising more to come. As we climb Cold Spring Hill, the track seems to disappear from view. As we reach this point the track levels off and we can see a fairly flat area with a water tank standing beside the track. This is Waumbek Tank, and we are at an elevation of 3800 feet. The engineer slowly closes the forward steam valve and the train inches along side the tank. The fireman helps the engineer line up the tender with the hose on the wooden water tank. At the correct spot, the engineer winds up on the brakes and the engine comes to a stop. How quiet it suddenly is! It is wise to take a look behind us, because the view is spectacular. The mountains are spread out in front of us as far as we can see. The base station can be seen below us as well as the red roofed Mount Washington Hotel. To our right we can see the Lakes of the Clouds hut. This is maintained by the AMC and sleeps about 100 hikers. The Ammonoosuc Ravine is clearly visible on our right also. The brakeman steps into the coach and begins to tell us about the railway and the surrounding area. He is a wealth of information about the Cog and the mountain. His speech often has humorous sections and he ready to answer our questions about this unique experience. When we are finished at the Waumbek Tank we will move up and go off on the siding through the Waumbek Switch. Here we will see our brakeman operate one of the two switches on the railway. This is accomplished by the movement of 5 rails, 2 flags and 2 cog racks. These two switches are said to be the most complicated in the world. The brakeman makes the moves with ease and confidence. After he has completed the moves he double-checks his work to insure all is OK. we will pass through the switch at a crawl as our brakeman watches carefully under the coach and then the engine.

    The engineer has made another thorough inspection of the engine and greased it. The fireman has added water to the tender and watched the water level in the boiler carefully. When it reaches the proper level for the terrain, he eases the injector closed. He stays in the engine unless asked by the engineer to come down and help out. The brakeman is introducing the crew to the passengers and giving his speech about the history and operation of the railway. When the engineer is ready to proceed he signals with a couple of short blasts on the whistle. We move forward only a short distance and stop at Waumbek Switch. The brakeman gets down and begins the process of throwing the switch. He must move several rail pieces, cog racks and 2 flags in a specific order to complete the move. He does so efficiently and swiftly, double-checking his work. He is satisfied that all is set and kneels down so he can see under both the coach and the engine. He signals the engineer to move forward. The forward steam valve is opened slowly and the train creeps ahead. The engineer is intently watching the brakeman as he signals the train through the switch. Once on the siding, the brakeman throws the switch back to the mainline position to allow the downcoming train to pass us. The downcoming train is waiting at the switch and proceeds only when the signal is given from the brakeman. Once the train has passed through the switch he must repeat the process again to allow us back on the mainline and then again throw the switch to the mainline position so we may proceed up the mountain.

    We are stopped on the siding at Waumbek Switch, while the downcoming train passes by us. We have enjoyed the speech by the brakeman as well as watching him switch the track four times. The scenery is spectacular and we enjoy watching the passing of the downcoming train. We now continue to move forward up the mountain. The engine continues its steady pushing, steam and smoke billowing out of its stack. The wind catches the smoke and sends it drifting across our view, reminding us we are in an operating steam engine designed to climb Mount Washington. Throughout our trip the aroma of balsam fir tress has been noticeable, now as we climb higher and the air is cooler, we can notice the aroma has intensified. The fir and spruce trees are now much closer to the tracks and we can see that they are not much taller than 6 feet. They seem to be growing at a strange angle, but in fact are growing perfectly straight! We are at the strange angle. the track at this point is following a ridge on the side of the mountain. Along with the trees close to the track, there are rocks and ledges. The sounds of the engine are intensified and can be heard echoing from these rocks. Just ahead of us is a bright red wooden building known as the half-way house. We are at approximately 4600 feet elevation. The house seems to be leaning drastically on its foundation, but again it is perfectly level and demonstrates the incredible steepness of the track. To our left the view is incredible, the mountain drops off drastically into Burt Ravine. The track is becoming increasingly steeper and ahead of us we can see a white board on the side of the tracks to our right. It is placed there to outline a rock profile that has a striking resemblance to the famous Old Man of the Mountains in Franconia Notch. At our speed of bout 4 miles per hour, it is easy to take in all of the scenery and sights. We should take the opportunity to look behind us, to where we have been and to take in the grand views. Waumbek Tank can be seen below us and it is hard to imagine that we there just a short time ago, how small it looks down below us. Looking ahead we can see the track winding its way around the mountain. The trees have ceased to grow at this altitude and the landscape takes on a wild and desolate look. We are now entering the steepest part of the railway. Ahead of us we can see a long, steep trestle about 25 feet off the ground. It spans a gully in the mountain and is curved at the far end. This is Jacob's Ladder, the steepest portion of the trip. It is called the windiest, steepest and highest trestle in the world! It has a grade of 37.41% To attempt to put this number into perspective, the people in the front of our coach are 14 feet higher than the people in the back! The adventurous will want to try to stand in the aisle to see for themselves. The engine is working as hard as it will on this trip and can be felt pushing against us.

    After leaving Waumbek, the engineer has once again begun to add water to the boiler. The fireman is now shoveling coal at a steadier pace than before and his work will only get harder as we climb. He watches the stack intensely and adds coal about every 30 seconds now. As we approach Jacob's Ladder his pace will increase until he adding coal at the rate of a couple of shovelfuls every 20 seconds. The engineer is ready to lend a hand should the fireman need to keep the firebox door opened for a brief period. At this grade the weight of the door increases and is more difficult to close. The engineer and fireman work as a team and each one helps to back up the other.

    We have been thrilled as we pass over this amazing trestle. One cannot help marvel at the men who accomplished this over 130 years ago. As we continue around the curve of the ladder we come upon another section of trestle that takes us to the right, then ahead of us is Long trestle. This is the second steepest section of the railway and is as straight as can be. The view is so amazing that we are glad our train is only traveling at 4 miles per hour so we can take it all in. It is hard to decide where to look first. As we crest over Long Trestle, we enter a relatively flat area just below Skyline Switch. The track has an almost roller coaster effect in this area. We proceed along this flat stretch until we reach Skyline Switch. The view all around us is unobstructed for 360 degrees. There are no down coming trains to meet so we will be able to proceed through the switch with no movements. However, the rules call for us to come to a complete stop so that our brakeman may examine the switch and signal the engineer when it is OK to proceed through the switch. We are at an elevation of 5600 feet here and the terrain is barren and void of all trees and shrubs. We can see the summit to the right and are nearing the end of our trip up the mountain. It is noticeably colder now and the wind has picked up. To our left is the Great Gulf as well as Mounts Clay, Jefferson, Adams and Madison. If we look carefully we can see the thin thread of a hiking trail over these peaks. Closer to us we can see pile of rocks or cairns, used to guide hikers when the visibility is poor as it often is. On both sides of the tracks we can see hikers stopped to watch in amazement as our train continues its steady climb to the summit. The summit is close now and we pass by a tall, white wooden monument on our right. In 1855, 23 year old Lizzie Bourne attempted to climb to the summit with her uncle and cousin. However, they were exhausted just below the summit here and she died from apparent heart failure. On the left side of the track, there is a bronze plaque marking the spot where, in 1932, two 22 year old men froze to death in January. As we make our final approach to the summit, the engineer gives the classic blasts on the whistle to announce our arrival. Although the wind is quite strong, a number of people come to the edge to watch us arrive. The final stretch is fairly steep and the engine pushes steadily on. We are the only train on the summit, so the engineer stops with the engine and coach on a grade to make departing easier. We are now free to leave our warm coach and look around on the summit. Many will want to head right in to the Sherman Adams building for refreshments and to look at the Mount Washington Observatory's Museum. Those of us who pause to look around the summit and perhaps go onto the observation deck on the roof are reminded that we are on a mountain that is host to the worst weather in the world. The winds blows steadily and the temperature is such that it takes our breath away. One cannot help wondering what it was like for those who perished from exposure on this mountain. the view from the observation deck is fantastic. We are so fortunate to have such visibility. We can see mountains in Vermont and Maine, as well as a slight glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean. The summit also is home to some interesting buildings. The Sherman Adams building was completed in 1980 and is home to the Mount Washington Observatory all year long. During the summer and fall months there is a museum and snack shop as well as a gift shop. Except for the view, it is hard to imagine you are on the highest point in New England. Also located on the summit is the power station for the summit community and the buildings which house the various towers and transmitters for the TV and radio stations. The old Tip-Top House, built in 1853 is one of the original buildings on the summit. An announcement has just been made that the train will be boarding in a few minutes.

    Upon arriving at the summit, the engineer has slowly closed the forward steam valve and wound on the brake with the help of the fireman. At just the right moment, he finishes winding the brakes and the train comes to a stop at the right place. With brakes on and the ratchet down, the train cannot roll backwards. While the passengers unload and head into the summit building, the fireman checks his fire to be sure that there is a proper bank of coal. the engineer is out checking the engine over carefully. He has closed the stack exhaust valve and switched the waycocks for the downward trip. The fireman is out greasing the engine. The brakeman is still inside the coach reversing the seats so the passengers will face down the mountain. When the crew has finished all of their duties, they head into the summit building for hot coffee, soup or other refreshments. Depending on the time of day, they may head down to the crew room to eat lunch. The brakeman, who is equipped with a radio, contacts the Base to let them know we are on the summit. They will, in turn, advise him to call back at a certain time to receive further instructions. Just prior to the announcement to the passengers that the train is boarding. After a last minute check of all systems, the fireman and engineer wait for the signal from the brakeman that he is all set.

    The brakeman has once again greeted us and we are boarded and ready to go. After checking to see that we are all here, he moves to the down-mountain end of the coach where the brake wheels are located. He will ride in the back of the coach operating the brakes for the trip down. Just a note as to why we need a brakeman operating hand brakes. For the downward trip, the engineer has set the valves and cylinder cocks on the locomotive to operate on compression of air rather than receive steam pressure. We will basically use no steam for the trip down. The side stack valve is opened to allow the intake of fresh air and the air valve is adjusted to keep the engine speed in check. The engine will basically coast down the mountain on its own. The cylinder cocks are opened and we can hear the air being discharged. This compression of air in the cylinders is enough to control the speed of the engine without using the brakes except to stop. However, it would not be sufficient to hold back the loaded coach as well. Therefore the coach is equipped with hand operated brakes which the brakeman sets and uses all the way down. He will set one of the brakes to drag and use the other to constantly adjust the drag of the brakes on that axle. Did I mention that we are not coupled to the engine at all? The brakeman will keep the coach "light" on the engine all the way down with the exception of the relatively level spots along the way. Here he will actually let the weight of the coach push against the engine to keep it moving at the proper speed. We descend the mountain only slightly faster than we ascended. The brakeman is in place, the sprag clutch has been set  in the coach and he signals the engineer that he is all set. The engineer acknowledges and calls out "going back". A couple of short blasts on the whistle and we are off!

    The brakeman has stepped to the rear of the coach and set the brakes on one axle to drag. When he is ready to go, he sets the sprag clutch and signals to the engineer that he is all set. He releases the other brake and the engineer calls out "going back". As the engine starts to roll back, the brakeman starts adjusting the brakes to keep the coach just barely touching  the engine. The engineer has received the signal from the brakeman that he is ready to go. He instructs the fireman to lift the ratchet and calls back to the brakeman that he is going back. A final check of the position of the air and side stack valves and he releases the engine brakes. He makes adjustments to the air valve and the train is on its way down. Air can be heard escaping through the open cylinder cocks. There are valves on each side of the engine which the engineer and fireman open slightly to allow water to be added to the cylinders to help cool them. No steam is needed for the trip down so the job of the fireman is to monitor the fire and water level and to watch the tracks. He inspects the switches when descending and if necessary helps the engineer with the brakes. It is not uncommon for a fire man to run the engine as part of his ongoing training.

    As we head down we are facing down the mountain. Although the route is the same, the scenery seems different. The views are again spectacular, and we are amazed at the thought of being on the mountain on a 132 year old railway! We descend the mountain only slightly faster than we went up, so it still easy to view all aspects of the scenery around us. We can feel an occasional bump as the brakeman eases the coach to the engine to help push it along. The ride is as spectacular as the trip up with the exception that we know our trip is coming to an end shortly. We watch as the barren ground gives way to small trees and shrubs. The trees grow progressively larger and we can feel the temperature warming. Soon there is grass and flowers appearing beside the tracks, reminding us we are nearing the bottom. As we look along the ground, we can see where track work has been done. There are many new timbers in place and we can see old timbers sawed up and stacked along the tracks. Trackwork is an ongoing process that keeps a team of men busy for many months. We are on Cold Spring Hill once again and the Base is in view. We almost wish it were further away so we could enjoy the trip a little longer. The engineer blows the whistle to announce our arrival and we are soon at the platform. As we exit we speak to the brakeman, thanking him and perhaps shaking his hand for a job well done. We get another look at our engine crew, busy getting ready for another trip up. As the engine backs down to be serviced, some us walk along side to get a last look at "our" engine. Then it's off to the gift shop for some mementos of our unique trip and perhaps a snack at the restaurant. Located in the downstairs of the Marshfield Station is a museum containing many pictures and artifacts from the Cog. There is a full sized locomotive cab and a partial coach. After visiting the Marshfield Station, we get one last look from the deck as another train leaves for the summit and another adventure.

Many thanks to Doug Smith for the use of his pictures.