After a year-long absence, steam has returned to the summit of the Northeast’s tallest peak. 

Earlier this summer, New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington Cog Railway completed a rebuild of 0-2-2-0 No. 9, and after a series of test runs in early July, it entered regular service on July 10. The biggest aspect of the recent overhaul was a brand-new boiler built by Maine Locomotive & Machine Works in Alna, Maine. 

Mt. Washington Cog Railway 9 is seen pushing the second regular steam run of the 2026 season up the Northeast’s tallest peak on July 11. Photo by John House. 

Constructed in the 1860s, the Mt. Washington Cog Railway was the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railroad. From 1869 until 2008, steam ruled the west slope of Mt. Washington. However, in the late 2000s, diesel locomotives began to replace most steam locomotives. Presently, there are two steam engines on the active roster: Locomotive 2, the  Ammonoosuc, built in 1875, and locomotive 9, the Waumbek, built in 1908. Both locomotives were constructed by the Manchester Locomotive Works, which later became part of the American Locomotive Company.

In recent years, the steam engines have generally been used on the first train of the day during the summer and fall. But last year, during pre-season preparations, it was determined that neither locomotive could be operated at full pressure until additional repairs were made. In August, locomotive 9 was put back in service, but only for runs halfway up the mountain. Over the winter, the Cog received two new boilers from Maine Locomotive & Machine and installed the first atop 9’s frame earlier this year. With the locomotive back in service, the railroad plans on operating steam on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 9 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. through the summer and fall. Locomotive 2 is expected to be restored soon as well, ensuring that steam will continue to push trains up Mt. Washington for decades to come. 

—Justin Franz