Following our autumn leaves excursion train ride on the Winnipesaukee
Scenic Railroad, we drove over the spectacular Kankamagus Highway from
Lincoln, NH to Conway. The drive provided beautiful views of
colorful foliage at its peak as well as the scenic Swift River.
Roughly an hour later we arrived at the popular village of North
Conway, home of the Conway Scenic Railroad (CSRR) which we would ride
the next day. As we settled into our room at the Hampton Inn, we
heard the unmistakable sound of a train through the wooded hillside
outside our 4th floor window. A quick look revealed a CSRR Valley
Train on its way to Conway. The same train passed again a few
minutes later on its way back to North Conway. These quick
glimpses made us eager for the following day’s exciting trip over
Crawford Notch.
Autumn leaves in full splendor along the Kancamagus Highway
Scenic views are visible along the Kancamagus Highway
Waterfall at Rocky Gorge on the Swift River
Monday October 7 was Columbus Day, a major holiday
in New England and a busy day for the Conway Scenic Railroad. The
North Conway station was crowded with passengers boarding the round
trip Valley Train to Conway and those waiting for the Notch Train to
Fabyan and return. Once the Notch Train began receiving
passengers, we climbed aboard the first class car “Carroll P. Reed”, a
former Canadian National and VIA Rail Canada dayniter car. The
majority of our fellow passengers were members of tour groups which
were visiting New England. The car’s oversized windows and
comfortable seats were features that made this car popular with
travelers north of the border as well as modern day visitors to the
Conway Scenic Railroad.
The Valley Train prepares to depart North Conway
Former Great Northern vista dome car (later Amtrak # 9469), featured on the Notch Train, seen in North Conway
The first class car, shown prior to general boarding, served Canadian National and VIA Rail Canada as a Dayniter coach
The 9 car
train eased out of the North Conway depot on-time at 11:00am behind
three engines. The first couple of miles took us over
former Boston & Maine tracks. Former B&M F-7 # 4266 was
in the lead followed by ex-Maine Central GP-38 # 252 and GP-9 # 1751
which originally was rostered by the Chesapeake & Ohio. Six
minutes later we reached Mountain Jct., where the former Maine Central
line from Portland, ME was joined. North of Intervale we crossed
a mountain stream then intercepted the Saco River for the first
time. The railway then passed under US 302 north of Glen and soon
passed the Attitash/Bear Peak Ski Resort. The rail line was
proving to be scenic with thick woods, colorful autumn leaves, and
occasional roads and businesses passing our window.
Just beyond milepost 70 we rolled through Bartlett,
destination for some excursions from North Conway. We were just
41 minutes into our journey and the mountain scenery was really picking
up. The Saco River was crossed twice in this stretch and the
views of the rocky river, the broad valley, and the mountains were
beautiful. The Sawyers River section house, north of milepost 74,
reminded us of the rail line’s history as did the many abandoned
telegraph poles visible in the wooded areas along the
right-of-way. The Notch Train crossed Nancy Brook a few minutes
after noon then passed beneath US 302 as we enjoyed our pre-ordered box
lunches.
Crossing the Saco River
The scenic highlight came at 12:21pm as our train
crawled across Frankenstein Trestle where we were treated to views of
the Presidential Range behind the deep Dry River Valley in peak
splendor. The 500 foot long bridge stands 80 feet above the deep
chasm and has a 1.19% grade. From the highway passing through the
valley the trestle appears suspended high in the mountains where
railroads usually don’t go. Milepost 80 was passed at 12:25pm
entering Crawford Notch State Park and the Appalachian Trail was
crossed moments later. Another scenic highlight appeared at
12:43pm as we crossed 90 foot tall Willey Brook Bridge where views of
Crawford Notch were amazing. The rail line was completed through
this area in 1875, an amazing accomplishment given the region’s rugged
topography. Passenger service traversed the line until 1958 with
a daily train between Portland and Montreal. Daily freight
service ended in 1963 and the line sat mostly dormant until CSRR
commenced service from North Conway to Bartlett in December 1994 and
extended to Fabyan in 1996.
Traversing Frankenstein Trestle
Another beautiful view from towering Frankenstein Trestle
Cloud draped mountains covered in autumn leaves
Abandoned telegraph poles such as this one seen at Crawford Notch
US 302 winds through the Dry River Valley below the railroad
Looking back at the valley in its peak foliage
Silver Cascades waterfall at Crawford Notch
Continuing north we soon spotted the Silver Cascades twin waterfalls on
a mountainside across the valley beyond US 302 at Crawford Notch.
The train paused at the neat wooden station at Crawford at 12:59pm and
passengers were invited to detrain to enjoy views of adjacent Saco Lake
and the surrounding mountains or browse in the station gift shop.
After a 50 minute stop the train continued north, passing the famous
Mount Washington Hotel, before reaching the excursion’s northern point,
Fabyan Station, at 2:15pm. Over the course of the trip, the
railroad climbed over 1,300 feet.
Former Boston & Maine F7 # 4266 leads the train at Crawford
Former Maine Central GP-38 # 252 in the trailing position at Crawford
First class car Carroll P. Reed was a Dayniter coach for CN and VIA Rail Canada
One of six open window cars at the rear of the Notch Train
Passengers remained on board as the engines were cut
off and ran around the train for the return to North Conway. The
stop required more switching than usual as # 1751 was set out to be
moved to Whitefield to assist with freight service.
The return trip began after a half hour stop with engine # 252 in the
lead. Just south of Fabyan we crossed the road that leads to the
famous Mt. Washington Cog Railway and soon passed the stately Mt.
Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods. That hotel was the site of the
United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference which ratified key
financial agreements at the conclusion of World War II.
The historic Mount Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods, NH
We passed by the Crawford station 20 minutes into
our return then enjoyed the view of low hanging clouds and autumn
leaves in the mountain-framed valley visible from Willey Brook
Bridge. A similar view highlighted passage over Frankenstein
Trestle 20 minutes later. Interesting information about the route
was provided over the PA system by Ben English, a rail historian with
the Conway Scenic whose extensive knowledge of the railway and the
surrounding area enhanced the trip greatly. As we continued
south, we passed Bartlett, Intervale, and Mountain Jct. before arriving
back at North Conway at 4:50pm after a round trip of approximately 60
miles.
Rail historian Ben English provides information about the route to passengers
The Notch Train includes several classes of service
including open window coaches, climate controlled closed window
coaches, a first class car, and a former Great Northern/Amtrak vista
dome car. A former Norfolk & Western dining car is part of
the Notch Train and is a favorite of tour groups that frequent the
line. It is advisable to make reservations for dining car seating
as this feature is extremely popular. Box lunches are also
available and should be reserved when purchasing tickets.
Conway Scenic offers a variety of excursions and other special events
through much of the year. At least one route is offered on most
days between mid-April and the end of December. The Notch Train
runs four times per week during the summer months and daily for much
for September and October. The Valley Train offers a short trip
between North Conway and Conway on numerous dates between mid-April and
late December. A third option is the Bartlett Route which
operates between North Conway and Bartlett. A number of special
events also are held each year including the popular Day Out with
Thomas on two summer weekends, Murder Mystery Dinner Trains, Railfan
Weekend in early September, Pumpkin Patch Trains, Santa’s Holiday
Express, and more. Information and schedules can be found at the
Conway Scenic Railroad website link below. North Conway is a popular mountain town with a number of outlet stores
and other activities to entertain visitors. Story Land in nearby
Glen, NH has long been a favorite place for families with young
children. Scenic drives connect to the area in all directions and
make travel to Maine, Vermont, and Canada very easy. We found the
Hampton Inn a perfect place to stay in North Conway.
