Thursday 7/31/2014 - Mt. Washington Cog Railroad
In the summer of 2014, we found ourselves with a wedding to attend in Booth Bay, Maine. Wanted to be frugal about flights, we decided to stretch it into a trip of the northern New England or at least a part of it. We flew into Boston on Saturday, July 26th. Once landing and checking into our hotel, we got a pass on the subway system and headed out to Fenway Park for a tour. Since the Red Sox were out of town, we were able to see and get into all of the stadium on the tour. We then headed down to the harbor for a sunset harbor tour. On Sunday, July 27th, and Monday, July 28th, we did "The Freedom Trail" of Boston. This is a brick patch that took us through some of the most historic places of the city. Since we decided to take two days, we were able to do some of the more in depth tours of the sites along the way and even chose to do a guided tour of the first part. We ended on Monday at the Bunker Hill Monument. We tired to get a tour of the USS Constitution but it was closed on Monday…
On Tuesday, we picked up a rental car and started out of Boston. We stopped in Lexington, Mass for a bus tour of the Battle of Lexington and Concord sites. We then continued on into New Hampshire to the area of Conway, NH and the White Mountains. On the way, we stopped at a few of the historic covered bridges in the area. On Wednesday, we hiked in the state parks in the White Mountains around Conway.
On Thursday, July 31st, we left our bed and breakfast early in order stop at the Mt. Washington Cog Railway on our way to Booth Bay, Maine. The cog railway is known as the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway and opened in 1868. The railroad uses a Marsh rack system to allow the railroad to have an average grade of over 25% and a maximum grade of 37%. The railway is about 3 miles long and starts at an elevation of 2,700 ft and ends at the top of Mt. Washington at an elevation of 6,288 ft, climbing over 3500 ft in the process.
In 2014, the railroad had 5 bio-diesel locomotives on the roster and was only operating the first train of the day as steam (now days I believe there are two steam trips a day). Our locomotive for the day was steam locomotive #2 the Ammonoosuc. The Ammonoosuc was built in 1875 by the Manchester Locomotive works and was (and still is) the older of the two steam engines still running. The other steamer, #9, the Waumbek, was built in 1908 was from what I can tell is the usual steamer running. I considered us lucky the have the Ammonoosuc on this day. Of the lines other steam engines, #3 Agiocochook last operated in 2009 and #6, Kancamagus, last operated in 2010 and both are considered stored serviceable (according to Wikipedia).
A trip up to the top of Mt. Washington is not to be missed if you are in the area! The top is known to have some of the more extreme weather in the world with the second highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth being recorded there. This is due to it being the highest peak in the Presidential Range at 6,288 ft and being at the point that the three major wind patterns of North American converge there. The trip to the top on the steam train is a rattling adventure and on the day we did it, took us up into the clouds. The top was significantly colder than when we started at the base and it was very windy. The summit was covered in a cloud the entire time we were there. The summit had a few building for weather observation along with a visitor center that explained the weather. On the trip back down, it seemed like 100 ft below the summit, we were back out of the pesky cloud.
On Tuesday, we picked up a rental car and started out of Boston. We stopped in Lexington, Mass for a bus tour of the Battle of Lexington and Concord sites. We then continued on into New Hampshire to the area of Conway, NH and the White Mountains. On the way, we stopped at a few of the historic covered bridges in the area. On Wednesday, we hiked in the state parks in the White Mountains around Conway.
On Thursday, July 31st, we left our bed and breakfast early in order stop at the Mt. Washington Cog Railway on our way to Booth Bay, Maine. The cog railway is known as the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway and opened in 1868. The railroad uses a Marsh rack system to allow the railroad to have an average grade of over 25% and a maximum grade of 37%. The railway is about 3 miles long and starts at an elevation of 2,700 ft and ends at the top of Mt. Washington at an elevation of 6,288 ft, climbing over 3500 ft in the process.
In 2014, the railroad had 5 bio-diesel locomotives on the roster and was only operating the first train of the day as steam (now days I believe there are two steam trips a day). Our locomotive for the day was steam locomotive #2 the Ammonoosuc. The Ammonoosuc was built in 1875 by the Manchester Locomotive works and was (and still is) the older of the two steam engines still running. The other steamer, #9, the Waumbek, was built in 1908 was from what I can tell is the usual steamer running. I considered us lucky the have the Ammonoosuc on this day. Of the lines other steam engines, #3 Agiocochook last operated in 2009 and #6, Kancamagus, last operated in 2010 and both are considered stored serviceable (according to Wikipedia).
A trip up to the top of Mt. Washington is not to be missed if you are in the area! The top is known to have some of the more extreme weather in the world with the second highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth being recorded there. This is due to it being the highest peak in the Presidential Range at 6,288 ft and being at the point that the three major wind patterns of North American converge there. The trip to the top on the steam train is a rattling adventure and on the day we did it, took us up into the clouds. The top was significantly colder than when we started at the base and it was very windy. The summit was covered in a cloud the entire time we were there. The summit had a few building for weather observation along with a visitor center that explained the weather. On the trip back down, it seemed like 100 ft below the summit, we were back out of the pesky cloud.
Sunday 8/3/2014 - Wiscasset Waterville & Farmington Railway
After the Mt. Washington Cog Railroad, we continued to Booth Bay, Maine where we met up with Emily's family. We spent three nights at the Green Leaf Inn Bed and Breakfast in Booth Bay for the wedding festivities. On Friday, August 1st, a few of us took a harbor tour which was pretty neat. On Saturday, August 2nd, was the wedding with most of us parting ways on Sunday, August 3rd. Emily decided to ride with her dad over to Portland, Maine, our next stop. I took the car and stopped at the Wiscasset Waterville & Farmington Railway which just happened to be on the way.
The WW&F is a unique Maine two foot gauge railway with an even more unique history. The railroad is slowly being reconstructed on part of its original right of way starting in Alna, Maine and going north for a few miles with the goal to maybe reach the community of Head Tide one day. The volunteers already had a pretty staggering amount rebuilt when I visited in 2014 but today, the railroad much much more. The rail line has been extended a good bit further in the last 8 years, a turn table been constructed, a round house started, and #9 returned to service (the #9 is the locomotive being rebuilt in the photos).
On the Sunday I visited, the steam engine #10 should of have been in service but the fireman couldn't make it so the little industrial switcher diesel locomotive was doing the honors along with their antique railbus. I spend a good bit of the day there, riding both the passenger train and the railbus and walking around the yard. It is really a special operation and one that I need to visit again!
The WW&F is a unique Maine two foot gauge railway with an even more unique history. The railroad is slowly being reconstructed on part of its original right of way starting in Alna, Maine and going north for a few miles with the goal to maybe reach the community of Head Tide one day. The volunteers already had a pretty staggering amount rebuilt when I visited in 2014 but today, the railroad much much more. The rail line has been extended a good bit further in the last 8 years, a turn table been constructed, a round house started, and #9 returned to service (the #9 is the locomotive being rebuilt in the photos).
On the Sunday I visited, the steam engine #10 should of have been in service but the fireman couldn't make it so the little industrial switcher diesel locomotive was doing the honors along with their antique railbus. I spend a good bit of the day there, riding both the passenger train and the railbus and walking around the yard. It is really a special operation and one that I need to visit again!
Monday 8/4/2014 - Maine Narrow Gauge Museum
That evening, I picked up Emily and we settled in for the night in Portland. The next day, Monday, August 4th, we were able to head over the Maine Narrow Gauge Museum which was located on Portland's water front. It is a pretty neat museum with some great artifacts and a nice run along the bay. We didn't have time for a ride but was able to spend an hour or two walking through the museum. The two foot gauge passenger equipment sure didn't have much room in it!
After the tour through the museum, we started to head south out of Portland, toward the airport in Manchester, NM. On the way, we made a point to try to see a few of the famous light houses. A stop was made at the Portland Head Light just south of Portland and then just a little further south of it at Two Light Lighthouse. One last lobster roll had to be had at The Lobster Shack at Two Lights. We then got on the interstate and headed for Manchester, NH. There were a few other lights houses on the way but we were pretty nervous on making flights back then. We had to change plains in Baltimore which were delayed but we made it home.
I didn't know what to think when we got the invitation to the wedding in Maine but the New England area was a lot of fun to visit! There was a certain charm of the area north of Boston that was fantastic to experience. One day, we will visit the area again and venture up to Acadia National Park!
I didn't know what to think when we got the invitation to the wedding in Maine but the New England area was a lot of fun to visit! There was a certain charm of the area north of Boston that was fantastic to experience. One day, we will visit the area again and venture up to Acadia National Park!
Safe Travels,
B & E
B & E