Conway Scenic Railroad

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Conway Scenic Railroad
Conway Scenic Railroad logo.png
North Conway Depot front view.jpg
Conway Scenic Railroad depot on July 26, 2013
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 located 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] [17]
NumberImageTypeClassBuilderBuiltSerial numberStatus
7470 Canadian National 7470 at the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway, New Hampshire. August 2019.jpg Steam 0-6-0 Grand Trunk Railway 192122/1500Operational
23 Conway Scenic No. 23, July 2013.jpg Buddliner RDC-1 Budd Company 19525504Operational
216 Conway Scenic Railroad (249619209).jpeg Diesel GP35 Electro-Motive Diesel 196530297Operational
252 Conway Scenic Railway, Norcross Circle, North Conway (494314) (11925064514).jpg Diesel GP38 Electro-Motive Diesel196632661Operational
255 Some Maine Central Power, circa 1970, Photos by Roger Puta (25815735173).jpg Diesel GP38 Electro-Motive Diesel196632664Operational
360 NHCR 360 - August 2024.jpg Diesel 44-ton switcher General Electric 1942UnknownDisplay
501 MEC 501 - August 2024.jpg Steam 2-8-0 American Locomotive Company 191047732Under restoration
573 DSC03689 - Engine 573 (9530573079).jpg Diesel GP7 Electro-Motive Diesel195012369Operational
1741 Conway Scenic Railroad 1741.jpg Diesel GP9 Electro-Motive Diesel195723239Operational
1751 CSRX 1751.jpg DieselGP9Electro-Motive Diesel196522036Operational
4266 Conway Scenic Railroad Engine New Hampshire.JPG Diesel F7A Electro-Motive Diesel19498476Operational
4268 Boston & Maine -4268 and -4266 June 2023.jpg DieselF7AElectro-Motive Diesel19499932Operational

Visiting units

Locomotive details [18]
NumberImageTypeClassBuilderBuiltSerial numberPrevious ownerStatusCurrent owner
Flying Yankee Flying Yankee 1935.jpg Diesel Electric Streamliner Budd Company, Electro-Motive Corporation 1935Unknown Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad Under restorationFlying Yankee Association

Former units

Locomotive details [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [7]
NumberImageTypeClassBuilderBuiltSerial numberNotes
15 44 ton locomotive at the Ogema Train Station.jpg Diesel 44-ton switcher General Electric 194527975Sold to Southern Prairie Railway
108 Steam 2-6-2 Baldwin Locomotive Works 192052820Sold to Rannoch Corporation
1055Diesel S-4 American Locomotive Company 195078416Sold to Downeast Scenic Railroad
1757DieselGP9Electro-Motive Diesel195621888Scrapped after being used as parts source
1943 Railroad turntable at the North Conway Scenic Railway Station, September 2010.jpg Diesel B23-7 General Electric 197842056Sold to Finger Lakes Railway
2820 Locomotive No. 2820 of the Finger Lakes Rwy,, Geneva, New York - August 2015.jpg Diesel U23B General Electric 197540130Sold to Finger Lakes Railway
6505/6516 Conway Scenic Railroad FP-9 6505 August 2007.jpg Diesels FP9s General Motors Diesel 1954/1957A635/A1046Sold to Pan Am Railways

2022 fire

On the morning of January 3, 2022 at 4:44 AM, 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. [24] 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. [25]

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. [26]

See also

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. "The Mille" . Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  11. Eastman, Tom (April 13, 2018). "ALL ABOARD! Conway Scenic's 44th season opens with new owners". The Conway Daily Sun.
  12. Solomon, Brian (September 13, 2022). "Maine Central 501 on the Move!". Tracking the Light. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  13. Solomon, Brian. "April 2021 Wheel Report". Conway Scenic Railroad.
  14. "4266 and 4268 Updates on July 30 and August 1". The 470 Railroad Club Blog. August 1, 2021.
  15. "Conway Scenic Acquires Second Maine Central GP38". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. October 19, 2021.
  16. "Historical Group Saves Boston & Maine GP9". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. December 24, 2020.
  17. Solomon, Brian. "October 2020 Wheel Report". Conway Scenic Railroad.
  18. Lasson, David (July 24, 2024). "'Flying Yankee' changes hands, will be moved to Conway Scenic Railroad". Trains.com.
  19. "Maine Central 44 Ton Switcher #15". Ozark Mountain Railcar. Archived from the original on September 27, 2009.
  20. "Request for Expressions of Interest in Acquisition of Steam Locomotive #108". Railway Preservation News. July 25, 2005. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  21. "Steam Locomotive #108". The Rannoch Corporation. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  22. "Rail Equipment" . Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  23. "Old CSRR locomotive is dismantled for scrap". The Conway Daily Sun. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  24. Parsons, Jeff. "Fire in Conway Scenic Railroad Steam Locomotive Causes Whistle to Blow Alerting Staff". Q97.9. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  25. Eastman, Tom. "Minor engine fire cancels special run at CSRR". Q97.9. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  26. Merrill, Kieth (May 7, 2004). "12 Dogs of Christmas". Meridian Magazine.