The Mount Washington Cog Railway is announcing a temporary suspension of steam-powered summit excursions for the 2025 season. Recent pre-season preparations revealed reduced steam pressure in locomotives MW2 and MW9, conditions that would result in significantly slower ascent times incompatible with on-time performance.

The temporary delay in steam service in no way affects our primary operating schedule. Three-hour, biodiesel-powered round-trips to the summit will run normally throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall. As always, visitors from around the globe will continue to enjoy an unforgettable experience aboard one of the world's great rail adventures.

While summit steam trips are on hold, the Cog Railway remains committed to its steam heritage. The Railway intends to reintroduce steam-powered excursions to Waumbek Station during the fall foliage season. Following the 2025 summit season, a comprehensive refurbishment of both steam locomotives is scheduled, ensuring their continued operation far into the future.

OK, so I'm assuming the answer to that problem isn't simply "Shovel in some more coal", Does this mean they were forced to reduced the maximum allowed working pressure for some reason? If so, does anyone know why and what the proposed fix would be?

The Cog's owner stated on Facebook that in prepping the locomotives for the season they discovered issues with the boilers. I'm not sure why you would only start looking at the boilers now when they have had all winter to go over them.

He reaffirmed that they are committed to running some steam and that they are buying new boilers that they want to install for next season.

I'm interested on who is going to build the boilers. My guess would be Boilersmith in Canada since they built the boiler for the Clark's Trading Post Climax and is the past Clark's and the Cog have had a relationship of sorts since they both run steam and are fairly close to each other.

Roger

Interesting and aligns with what I was guessing. But, as you say, why was this a surprise? What happened over the winter that they didn't expect? Do they need new flues, a whole new boiler?

Pure speculation on my part so take it as that. Since they are still planning on running them but at reduced pressure makes me think they did UT's and they came out thin in places.

I know nothing about New Hampshire's laws about boilers, but what has been posted above makes me think its about hydrostatic testing. I assume that, during their hydrostatics, the boilers began leaking prior to reaching the pressure needed to show they can operate safely at whatever PSI is needed to maintain the schedule.

Boo, and we were going there in September too.

They do not run trains to the summit until May, but do run trains to a lower station from Oct.–May. Even if they didn't use steam during the 'off season', though, I don't see anything to suggest when they found the issues; rather, they simply made the announcement at this time.

I suggest adding the words "summit trips" to the title of this thread, just so folks understand that steam is not completely off the table this year at The Cog. Because of the requirement to operate the current boilers at reduced pressure and the corresponding schedule implications, the only steam trips offered this year will be in the fall and will only go to Waumbek Station, which is about a third of the way to the summit. During the fall colors season, folks can still see the steam locomotives leave the base and go up Cold Spring Hill.

/Kevin Madore

The last steam run of 2024 was October 14th. Per the owners post on Facebook, the issue was discovered two weeks ago.