Conway Scenic Railroad

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Conway Scenic Railroad
Conway Scenic Railroad logo.png
Boston and Maine 4268 EMD F7 (8061873194).jpg
EMD F7 No. 4268 on display beside the 1874 North Conway freight depot with GP7 No. 573
Locale White Mountains region of New Hampshire
Connections New Hampshire Central Railroad
Commercial operations
Built byConway Branch: Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad;
Mountain Division: Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad
Original gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Owned byProfile Mountain Holdings Corp; Mountain Division right-of-way owned by the State of New Hampshire
Operated byConway Scenic Railroad
Reporting mark CSRX
Length51 miles (82 km)
Preserved gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened1872
1875Mountain Division is completed and connected
1890 Boston and Maine Corporation acquires the Conway Branch
1972Conway Branch abandoned north of Ossipee
1983Crawford Notch regular service ends in September
1984Last Crawford Notch train (October)
1992Mountain Division abandoned east of Whitefield
ClosedN. Conway Station 1961
Preservation history
August 4, 1974Started
1994Mountain Division operations begin
Headquarters North Conway
Website
conwayscenic.com

The Conway Scenic Railroad( reporting mark CSRX) [1] is a heritage railroad in North Conway, New Hampshire, owned by Profile Mountain Holdings Corp. 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.

Contents

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. [2]

History

The Conway Scenic Railroad was formed by Dwight Smith, who was an employee of the Boston and Maine Railroad in the late 1960s. After years of negotiations, Smith was able to convince his employer to sell a portion of the Conway Branch, which it planned to abandon, to him and two local businessmen in 1974, and the Conway Scenic Railroad began that year. [3] In 1999, the original owners were bought out by husband and wife Russ and Dot Seybold and on January 30, 2018, the railroad was sold again to Profile Mountain Holdings Corp. [4] [5]

Operations

The Dorthea Mae dome car Dorthea Mae Dome car.jpg
The Dorthea Mae dome car

The railroad operates passenger trains out of its station in North Conway Village from April to December each year. [6]

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. The train was led by locomotives No. 573, No. 6505 and No. 6516. It was the first scheduled freight train through Crawford Notch since September 3, 1983, and the first freight train of any kind since October 1984. The empty cars were shipped out nine days later, led by No. 6505 and No. 4266. This shipment completed the first and only revenue freight move for the Conway Scenic to date. [7]

Equipment

Locomotives

Locomotive details [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
NumberImagesBuilderTypeWheel ArrangementBuild dateSerial NumberStatus
7470 Canadian National 7470 at the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway, New Hampshire. August 2019.jpg Grand Trunk Railway Steam 0-6-0 192122/1500Operational
23 Conway Scenic No. 23, July 2013.jpg Budd Company RDC-1 RDC-119525504Operational
216 Conway Scenic Railroad (249619209).jpeg EMD GP35 (B-B)196530297Operational
252 Conway Scenic Railway, Norcross Circle, North Conway (494314) (11925064514).jpg EMD GP38 (B-B)196632661Operational
255 Some Maine Central Power, circa 1970, Photos by Roger Puta (25815735173).jpg EMD GP38 (B-B)196632664Operational
360 New Hampshire Central - Engine 360 (9533772154).jpg General Electric 44-tonner (B-B)1942UnknownDisplay
501 DSC03781 - Engine 501 (9531010507).jpg Alco Steam 2-8-0 191047732Under restoration
573 DSC03689 - Engine 573 (9530573079).jpg EMD GP7 (B-B)195012369Operational
1741 EMD GP9 (B-B)195723239Under restoration
1751 Conway Scenic locomotive 1751.JPG EMD GP9 (B-B)196522036Operational
4266 Conway Scenic Railroad Engine New Hampshire.JPG EMD F7A (B-B)19498476Operational
4268 Conway Scenic locomotive 4268.JPG EMD F7A (B-B)19499932Operational

Former units

Locomotive details [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [7]
NumberImagesBuilderTypeBuild dateWheel ArrangementSerial Number
15 General Electric 44-tonner 1945(B-B)27975
108 Baldwin Steam 1920 2-6-2 52820
1055 Alco S-4 1950(B-B)78416
1757 EMD GP9 1956(B-B)21888
6505/6516 Conway Scenic Railroad FP-9 6505 August 2007.jpg GMD FP9s 1954/1957(B-B)A635/A1046

2022 accident

On the morning of January 3, 2022 at 4:44am, a radio inside No. 7470's cab caught fire, and it caused the inside of the locomotive's cab to burn up as well. The fire also damaged the spring in the whistle valve, causing the whistle to continuously blow, which alerted the nearby steam locomotive mechanic, who called 9-1-1. [22] The nearby fire department arrived shortly afterward to put the fire out. Had it not been for the whistle valve blowing itself, the 1874-built roundhouse it was stored in would have received critical fire damage and collapsed onto No. 7470. The cab has since been repaired and the engine returned to service in June 2022. [23]

Appearances in film

In the 2005 Christmas television film, The 12 Dogs of Christmas, starring Jordan-Claire Green, the museum's depot was filmed in several scenes during the beginning of the film, and the Conway Scenic's passenger cars were also used in the film. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Mountaineer</i> (Boston and Maine) Former passenger train in the United States

The Mountaineer was a summer-only passenger train connecting Boston with Littleton, running via Dover, North Conway and Crawford Notch. The Mountaineer began service sometime in the 1940s, replacing an unnamed train. Like most summer trains, it was suspended during World War II, but resumed service in August 1945 and operated until 1961.

References

  1. "Search MARKs". Railinc. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  2. "NEW HAMPSHIRE - Carroll County". National Register of Historic Places. (District - #79003792)
  3. Amadon, Ron (July 23, 1977). "A Nostalgic Train Ride". The Telegraph . Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  4. "History: Conway Scenic Railroad, Inc". Conway Scenic Railroad. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  5. Eastman, Tom (January 31, 2018). "Conway Scenic RR sold to Profile Mountain Holdings Corp". The Conway Daily Sun.
  6. "Visit NH: Conway Scenic Railroad, Inc". Visit NH. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Tucker, Edith (June 24, 2009). "End of line for made in China transformer. 411-ton transformer is hauled on Conway Scenic RR". Coos County Democrat. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  8. Solomon, Brian (May 2020). "Steam, Stunning Scenery, Ghosts, and a Cat Named Cinders". Trains . pp. 32–39.
  9. "Steam Engine #7470". Conway Scenic Railroad. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  10. Eastman, Tom (April 13, 2018). "ALL ABOARD! Conway Scenic's 44th season opens with new owners". The Conway Daily Sun.
  11. Solomon, Brian (September 13, 2022). "Maine Central 501 on the Move!". Tracking the Light. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  12. Solomon, Brian. "April 2021 Wheel Report". Conway Scenic Railroad.
  13. "4266 and 4268 Updates on July 30 and August 1". The 470 Railroad Club Blog. August 1, 2021.
  14. "Conway Scenic Acquires Second Maine Central GP38". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. October 19, 2021.
  15. Solomon, Brian. "October 2020 Wheel Report". Conway Scenic Railroad.
  16. "Historical Group Saves Boston & Maine GP9". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. December 24, 2020.
  17. "Maine Central 44 Ton Switcher #15". Ozark Mountain Railcar. Archived from the original on September 27, 2009.
  18. "Request for Expressions of Interest in Acquisition of Steam Locomotive #108". Railway Preservation News. July 25, 2005. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  19. "Steam Locomotive #108". The Rannoch Corporation. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  20. "Rail Equipment" . Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  21. "Old CSRR locomotive is dismantled for scrap". The Conway Daily Sun. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  22. Parsons, Jeff. "Fire in Conway Scenic Railroad Steam Locomotive Causes Whistle to Blow Alerting Staff". Q97.9. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  23. Eastman, Tom. "Minor engine fire cancels special run at CSRR". Q97.9. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  24. Merrill, Kieth (May 7, 2004). "12 Dogs of Christmas". Meridian Magazine.