It’s all uphill from here!

Once your train has cleared the steel bridge spanning the Ammonoosuc River, you’ll feel a burst of acceleration as the engineer brings the locomotive up to its maximum speed– 5mph! The steamer is just a little bit slower, but every bit as capable of climbing to the top of the mountain. Dense forest brackets the right-of-way on either side as your train makes its way up Cold Springs Hill, the second steepest part of the railway at a grade of nearly 35%.

The Waumbek passing loop is next, 2100’ of double track governed by two solar powered, hydraulically operated switches. The second track, installed in 2000, allows as many as 7 trains moving in opposing directions to operate on the mountain at the same time. Here you’ll also see the Waumbek Tank, where our steam engines stop briefly to top off the water level in their tenders.

Crossing the Upper Waumbek switch puts the train back on single track, now following a narrow ridge line. Halfway House, elevation 4300’, is on the right, and if you look at the reflection of the coach in the building’s window as you pass you’ll get a sense of just how steep the climb is right here. Yes, that old shelter for track workers is perfectly level, but your train is most definitely not!

The Old Man Of The Mountain was a rock formation on the side of Cannon Mountain that has long served as the symbol of the State of New Hampshire. That formation suddenly collapsed on a very sad day back in 2003, taking with it part of the state’s rugged identity and it’s most popular attraction. Luckily, someone noticed that a remarkable facsimile of the Old Man exists on Mount Washington, it’s right next to our tracks just ahead of us at this point. We installed a white background behind it so you can see the old man’s profile a little more clearly.

And just past Profile Rock, you’ll come out onto the most impressive part of the entire railway– a high trestle known as Jacob’s Ladder.