$1.2M loan OK'd to upgrade Cog Railway's climb to the clouds
May 5—A 20-year $1.2 million loan to install "heavy rail" for the Mount Washington Cog Railway will make for a smoother ride and require less maintenance, according to rail management officials.
The Executive Council voted Wednesday to approve the loan from the fund created in 1994 to support upgrades for Class III and Cog Railway Programs.
The only other applicant for the money was the Conway Scenic Railroad.
State officials have tentatively endorsed a $161,000 loan for the Conway Scenic Railroad whose management asked for $480,000 to refinance what's known as the Dome Car Rhonda Lee.
Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield, said the need to make these improvements to the "Cog" was obvious.
"We absolutely all know the Cog is a national treasure, and this request will surely help secure it for decades to come," Kenney said.
The Mount Washington Cog Railway was built in 1869, the first such mountain-climbing train in the world. It has operated every summer from about May 1 to Nov. 1, except during World War I and II, officials said. Ridership has increased from a low of 60,000 riders in 2009 to 130,000 in 2019.
Since last June, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, capacity on the train has been reduced to 50%.
This limit will be lifted Friday, and state park officials said capacity will be gradually increased and raised to 100% seating later this year.
Plans are to reopen the Mount Washington State Park summit facilities by Memorial Day weekend. The state park summit facilities were closed during the 2020 season.
Nearly 150 years old
The current rail in use weighs 25 pounds per yard, and it was installed around 1874 to replace the original strap rail used to build the line.
The upgrade would eliminate wooden side pieces that have to regularly be replaced and maintained as they are prone to failure, according to Shelley Winters, administrator of the state Aeronautics, Rail and Transit Fund.
The loan will pay to replace the rail with 100-pound stock, which is considered heavy rail. It will be 2,600 times stiffer than the existing track, according to rail management officials.
To finish the project, the railway built a custom re-railing car with a boom crane, lights and hydraulic powered tools installed aboard. The work could be completed by the end of September.
"The benefits of this project are numerous. It will result in a smoother ride, lower future track maintenance and a significant reduction in damage to rolling stock, thus reducing maintenance costs substantially," said a report from Mount Washington Railway Co. President Wayne Presby to the Department of Transportation. "It will also increase customer confidence in the line and should result in further increases in passenger demand."
According to a University of New Hampshire poll, the Mount Washington Cog Railway was the second-best known attraction in the state, behind only the Old Man of the Mountain.
Last week, Gov. Chris Sununu marked the 17th anniversary of the Old Man's collapse.
"In the 38 years I have been involved at the railway, this project in my opinion represents the highest cost-to-benefit of any project we have yet to undertake," Presby concluded in his report.
