Operated by Conway Scenic Railroad Phone +1 603-356-5251 | Length 82,077 m Opened 1974 | |
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Locale White Mountains region of New Hampshire Connections New Hampshire Central Railroad Built by Portland, Great Falls and Conway Railroad, Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad Original gauge 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Owned by Russ Seybold; Mountain Division right-of-way owned by the State of New Hampshire Address 38 Norcross Cir, North Conway, NH 03860, USA Similar Cran Mountain Resort, Crawford Notch, Story Land, Hobo Railroad, Attitash Mountain Resort Profiles | ||
Conway scenic railroad to bartlett 8 16 16
The Conway Scenic Railroad (reporting mark CSRX) is a heritage railway in North Conway, New Hampshire, United States. The railroad operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway that was formerly part of the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and a line from North Conway through Crawford Notch to Fabyan that was once part of the Mountain Division of the Maine Central Railroad. The Conway line is owned by Conway Scenic, and the Mountain Division is owned by the State of New Hampshire. Russ Seybold is owner and president of the Conway Scenic.
Contents
- Conway scenic railroad to bartlett 8 16 16
- Conway scenic railroad 7470 steam in the snow 2015
- History
- Operations
- Special freight operation
- References
The railroad's main terminal is located in historic downtown North Conway in the Mount Washington valley. The station complex has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.
Conway scenic railroad 7470 steam in the snow 2015
History
Conway Scenic Railroad was founded by local businessmen Bill Levy and Carroll Reed and a Boston and Maine Railroader named Dwight Smith. They purchased the abandoned station and rail line from Conway to Intervale (7 miles) from the Boston and Maine in 1974. Smith bought Canadian National 7470 and the first train was run on August 4, 1974.
In 1983, the Mountain Division was abandoned, and for twelve years Conway Scenic was insulated without a connection to the wider United States rail network. In 1994, they obtained from the state a lease of the Mountain Division. On December 17, 1994, the first revenue train made it as far as Bartlett, and operations through the scenic Crawford Notch began in September 1995. The first train ran to Fabyans in 1996.
The original owners were bought out by husband and wife Russ and Dot Seybold in 1999.
Operations
The railroad operates excursions of varying duration under two banners - the "Valley Train" which runs either south to Conway (55-minute round trip) or north to Bartlett (1¾-hour round trip), and the "Notch Train" covering the line through Crawford Notch. The Valley Train excursions include the dining car Chocorua, the 1898 open-deck Pullman observation car Gertrude Emma, an open-air car, and several restored heavyweight coaches, some dating back to the 1920s. The Notch Train service is typically a 5-hour round trip to Crawford Depot (located at the height of land in Crawford Notch), but is extended to 5½ hours during the fall foliage season when the train travels all the way to Fabyan Station, located near Bretton Woods in the town of Carroll. The Notch Train includes an open-air car (Silver Cascade #1308), a vista dome car (Dorthea Mae), a first-class car (Carroll P. Reed), and commuter coaches retired from the Montreal commuter pool. In 2010, a restored dining car built as N&W Powhatan Arrow 492 in 1950, and now named Hattie Evans, was added to the train. Annual special events at the railroad include Day out with Thomas, a railfan day on the first Saturday of September, Polar Express-themed trips during December, and a "Steam in the Snow" (or "Covered Wagon in the Snow" when the steam locomotive is not available) photographer's special in early January sponsored by the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts.
Special freight operation
On June 20, 2009, a 20-axle Schnabel car was brought down through Crawford Notch carrying a 227-ton transformer for Public Service of New Hampshire, an electrical utility company. It was the first scheduled freight train through Crawford Notch since September 3, 1983, the first freight train of any kind since October 1984, and the first and only revenue freight move for the Conway Scenic to date.