The Mountaineer: Conway to Crawford Notch - Conway Scenic Railroad, 2020 скачать в хорошем качестве

The Mountaineer: Conway to Crawford Notch - Conway Scenic Railroad, 2020

Program Itinerary: *footage shot on 7/4 & 18/2020 Conway Freight House: 0:11 Saco River Bridge (Conway Branch): 0:39 North Conway Station: 1:08 Milepost P61: 1:24 Intervale Scenic Vista: 1:49 Glen Station: 2:32 Bartlett Freight House: 2:43 4th Iron over the Sawyer River: 3:22 Notchland: 3:46 Willey Brook Bridge (trackside perspective): 4:05 The Gateway: 4:51 Gateway Motor Car Shed: 6:14 Crawford Notch Station: 6:31 —— Return Trip to North Conway —— The Girders: 6:41 Willey Brook Bridge (Route 302 perspective) 7:01 Frankenstein Trestle: 7:20 Arethusa Falls Trailhead: 8:45 4th Iron over the Sawyer River: 9:25 Bartlett Roundhouse: 9:48 Cooks Crossing: 9:58 Saco River East Branch Bridge (Woodland Pines): 10:25 River Road Overpass: 10:55 The Maine Central Railroad’s famed Mountain Division rides along some of the scenic trackage in New England, riding along the rocky banks of the Saco River into the steep grades of Crawford Notch. Departing from North Conway’s grand Boston & Maine station, ex-Norfolk & Western GP-35 No. 216 leads Conway Scenic’s Mountaineer on its 50 mile journey to Crawford. Before the Mountaineer sets off on its 5 hour excursion, 216 would bring the consist south on the first Conway excursion of the day, following the Conway trip return, she would begin her Mountaineer service. The Mountaineer’s origins can be traced to the Boston and Maine’s service of the same name; in cooperation with the Maine Central, the Mountaineer originally would depart Boston's North Station and travel along the Western Route until reaching Dover where it would divert onto the Conway Branch. The B&M's service would run the entire length of the Conway Branch, stretching to North Conway where the current service begins today; continuing to Intervale, this is where the B&M would end the Conway Branch and ride along the Maine Central's Mountain Division all the way to Whitefield. The route in between offered splendid scenery as it crossed and paralleled the Saco River primarily, as well as other rivers such as the Ellis, and Sawyer Rivers, not to mention the various branches of the Saco. Once at Bartlett, this is where the grades begin as the train begin it's climb to Crawfords, heavy freights in the steam era would take on helpers at the helper terminal at Bartlett Roundhouse to help with the difficult climb. At 4th Iron, the Maine Central passes the site of the Sawyer River Logging Railroad as well as Livermore Village, all was abandoned by the mid 1930s when a flood crippled the already dying logging mills. Rolling through Notchland is where passengers may have disembarked for one of the grand hotels, Notchland Inn still survives today, a flagstop from decades prior is now replaced by a station sign stating the location. The climb up Crawford intensifies as the tracks crosses Arethusa Falls, following which the famed Frankenstein Trestle. The route was populated by section houses between Sawyer River and Crawford Notch, working westward, the Willey House Station, standing until it was intentionally burned by the railroad in 1988, and the Mt. Willard Section House, standing guard along the western portal of the Willey Brook Bridge, it too would be burned by the MEC, the building was lost in 1972. Riding along the mountain shelves, the route truly embodied mountain railroading, crossing the Girders on approach to the Gateway of Crawford Notch, a massive rock cut as the route snakes it's way into Crawford Station. This is where the modern day route terminates, historically grand hotels served the rich and populated the area on whatever flat land could be found, Crawford being the destination of choice for many. Continuing along, Fabyan is the next stop, another hotel once served the land, and a junction by the Boston and Maine served north towards the Mt. Washington Cog Railroad, that route long gone as is the hotels except for the Mt. Washington Grand Hotel; looking at current day, Foliage runs by the Conway Scenic terminate here. The road to Whitefield would ride past Quebec Junction, leading towards Beecher Falls, the Mountaineer continued onto Whitefield Jct. where it would rejoin the B&M and continue onto Littleton, Boston and Maine's Mountaineer service terminated here, today, the route shortly after Whitefield has been lost to time. Hazen's shortly after Quebec Jct. is where Conway Scenic's trackage rights end. The route of the Mountaineer is rich in history, this only telling a small portion of the highlights on the B&M's routing, Conway Scenic's offerings are understandably much shorter, but much is due to what they were left with, however they were left with the most scenic and iconic portion of all, providing rides during the summer months and stellar foliage season, the ride is definitely worth a visit! Enjoy the sights and sounds of mountain railroading!