Steam has returned to the slopes of the Northeast’s highest peak. On August 29, the Mount Washington Cog Railway resumed its regular steam operations, almost four months after announcing that both of its steam locomotives needed repairs.

From 1869 to 2008, steam power dominated the west slope of Mount Washington. Built in the 1860s, the Mount Washington Cog Railway was the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway. However, in the late 2000s, diesel locomotives started replacing most steam engines. For a few years, only the first run of the day up the hill used steam. Recently, the railroad has offered a few trips to the summit using steam, as well as a Mid Mountain Steam Special that goes about halfway up the hill. 

Two steam locomotives are currently on the railroad’s active roster: Locomotive 2 Ammonoosuc, built in 1875, and 9 Waumbek, built in 1908. Both locomotives were built by the Manchester Locomotive Works, which later became part of the American Locomotive Company. Earlier this year, pre-season preparations showed that the two locomotives could not operate at full pressure until further repairs were completed. Repairs have now been made on one of the locomotives, and it will be pushing (not leading) regular runs halfway up the mountain on Thursdays through Sundays until mid-October, departing at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m.

The railroad says it remains dedicated to steam and has two new boilers on order to ensure that the locomotives can operate for decades to come. 

—Justin Franz