FAQ'S

• Frequently Asked Questions. Everybody has them; here are the FAQ'S of the Cog Railway. Just click on a question and it will expand so you can read the answer.

What is a Cog?

• The Cog is the actual gear in the middle of each axle that drives the train up the "Cog Rack." The Cog Rack is the little ladder in the middle of the two rails. The Cog Rack consists of two angle pieces and the round metal pieces are called spools. The spools are welded into the two angle pieces.

Is the coach and engine connected?

• No, the coach and engine are NOT connected. This is purposely done for one reason which is safety. The coach could be totally independent in the case of anything happening to the engine. That is why this is done.

What kind of brakes are there?

• The brakes are a thick friction brake, similar to those of your automobile. There are four brake shoes on each axle, two on either side of the cog gear, and two brake drums. The more the brakeman turns the brake wheels, the more the brake shoes are clamping onto the brake drums.

Is there a safety on the coach and engine?

• Yes, there are two types, a ratchet and pawl, the old system and the new system which is a sprag.
  • A ratchet and pawl consists of steps with an incline on one side. This lets the engine go foward and when it does, the pawl goes behind each step so the engine is not able to go backwards.
  • A sprag consists of a disk on the down mountain axle, with cylinders clamping on this disk. The disk has a "one way" action., it goes forwards but not backwards.This is a fail-safe operation. The cylinders are always enclamped onto this disk enless they are disengaged (on the way down the mountain). In order for them to seperate from the disk, they need at least 1200 lbs. of pressure to release. So if there is no pressure, they don't release, and you don't go anywhere. For them to release you need at least 1200 lbs. - 1500 lbs.of pressure. So this works better than a ratchet.

How long is the round trip?

• A round trip up the mountain takes around 3 hours. The train goes up about 3 mile per hour, and there are 3 miles of track. The train goes double the speed on the way down, but you have to pull onto skyline siding which takes about 15-20 minutes.

What is the capacity of each coach?

• Each coach can hold up to 70 passengers, the engineer's side seats 2 people and the fireman's side seats 3 people on the coach.

How many people does it take to run the train?

• It takes 3, the Engineer, Fireman, and the brakeman:
  • Engineer- He runs the train and all the controls for it. He is basically the boss of the whole crew. This is the most important job. It takes a lot of skill and experience. It takes about a year or two to become one, you first have to be a brakeman and fireman in order to be an engineer.
  • Fireman- He is the engineer's assistant. He is in charge of shoveling the coal into the firebox, greasing the engine, and doing whatever the engineer needs done.
  • Brakeman- His job is to watch the tracks on the way up to make sure there is no destruction, or obsticles in the track. He also entertains the people on the way up. On the way down, the brakeman is at the brake wheels braking on the way down. He's helping the engine maintain it's speed by doing this.

What's at the top of the Mountain?

• There is a cafeteria where you can eat, a gift shop to shop for Mount Washington Memorabelia, and a museum to learn about wildlife and history of the mountain.

How are the engines powered?

• They are coal-fired and are powered by steam.The coal feeds the fire which boils the water into steam. The steam then heads into the cylinders which eventually reaches to the cog gear which drives the train up the mountain.

Why was the railway built?

• It is and always has been built for the specific reason of bringing people up the mountain and for tourism, nothing else

Why are the boilers tilted on the engine?

• These are like this because there are tubes inside the boiler that always need to be covered by the water and so when the boiler is tilted, the water stays level for the average incline on the mountain which is 25%.

How was Jacob's Ladder named?

• Jacob's Ladder was named after the Jacob's Ladder that is in the bible, the ladder that leads to heaven.

How many trains are there?

• There are 7 trains and 7 coaches. There can be up to 6 trains on the mountain at one time and there is always a spare train.