North Conway Scenic RR (NH) Railfan weekend

[ondrek]

I took my family up to the white mountains of NH this weekend for my son and wife...my daughter tagged along because she had no choice.  My son loves Diesels, he's not too big on Steam, he's almost 6, my wife likes steam over Diesels so we went to ride a steam train.

I took some good pics i hope and I thought some of you folks would like them.  I have the two videos in much higher quality if anyone is interested in a copy.  you will need to email me if you want one.

we are not much for rail fans, we dont do this often, maggie wanted to spend the night up in the white mountains, and nicholas loves trains so i figured we would combine the two.
the pics from the White mountain Central RR are from Clark's traiding post, not North Conway Scenic RR.

Kevin

http://www.vermontel.net/~kevin_ondre/2006_Conway_Scenic_RR/2006_Conway_Scenic_RR.html
http://www.vermontel.net/~kevin_ondre/2006_Conway_Scenic_RR/2006_CSRR_01.mov
http://www.vermontel.net/~kevin_ondre/2006_Conway_Scenic_RR/2006_CSRR_02.mov

[daveklepper]

Good photos, and much nostalgia for me, with memories of the B&M RDC running all the way form Boston to that most distinctive North Conway Station.

 

But you didn't go to Mt,. Washington and ride the Cog?   A truly wonderful experience, recommend it highly!

[ondrek]

I grew up in Weathersfield, VT and currently live in Springfield, VT with my wife and kids, we are ~125 miles from North Conway.  We have been up a few times, we have ridden the cog train.  the kids havent, but my son does not like steam trains as much as he likes the Diesels so cog train wasnt on the plan, plus time wasnt on our side either, we drove up on sat after his soccer practice and had to get home sunday by 5pm.  if we had more time i would have drug the kids up to the cog, as i need some more detailed pics so i can build my Gscale of it, which probably will be years down the road in development....

I have more pics from the weekend but these were the best ones in my opinion, there are other great ones, but my son is in them as he wanted. and no one really wants to see my son's mug.

we also have the Green Mt. RR that goes from Bellows falls, VT to Chester, VT with scenic rides.  we will take the kids on that one too as that one runs only Diesels, the steam ride was to please my wife who wanted to ride a steam train, she must have forgotten that she went on the cog, which was steam.  we road on the ride pushed/pulled by the climax too at clark's but she didnt consider that one to be a "normal" steam train.  she really liked the 0-6-0 at NC.   she likes the trains with large drivers and several ones to boot.

funny how likes/dislikes get exposed like that.

we are not much for rail fans, we seldom well, actually never go make it a point to go watch real trains operate, only if nicholas asks too, then its mostly a quick trip to Bellows falls.

Kevin

[daveklepper]

I even remember the days when Nelson Blount was alive and when Steamtown was located in Bellows Falls.   I arranged for Lord John Greton, then owner of Pendenis Castle (still owned by Lady Jenny Greton, his widow) to have a cab ride on the train to Chester in the 2-8-0, with Nelson.   He ended up running the locomotive and did a good job.

We also rode the Mt. Washington cog.  And inspected the B&M Budd car arriving at N. Conway.

Pendenis Castle is a Great Western 4-6-0, now consmetically restored and preserved, and capable of being fully restored.

 

I worked on the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth.   Do you ever hear concerts or plays there?

[ondrek]

Dave-
I am unfamiliar with Pendenis Castle, is it located in Bellows falls?
a 2-8-0 ran from Bellows falls to chester?  do you have any pics of the engine or does anyone out there have any pics of it?  I want to get a 2-8-0 for the Gscale layout we are going to do, I am just waiting for aristo to get it off the development bench and into production.

I have been to the Hop, but only once and it was a long time ago for school.  I dont get into Hanover much.  I work in Lyme, NH which is 10 miles north of it, but still just dont get into Hanover much at all.

Kevin

[daveklepper]

Pendenis Castle has not left England, but where it is escapes me, although there is a website with each British steam locomotive located.

 

Lady Jenny, JOhn's widow, runs the Ramsdale & Ecksdale mineature steam common-carrier narrow gauge line on the Cambrian Coast, but Pendenis Castle is standard gauge.   For a long time the Castles were the top-of -the-line Great Western passenger power.   If I remember corrrectly, the Great Western was the only one of the three British Big Gour that never ownerd a Pacific 4-6-2.