Hikers in the White Mountains immediately cried, “enough is enough.” A grassroots group called Keep the Whites Wildsecured 20,000 signatures opposing this hotel for the ultra-rich. The hotel would be located within the Cog’s 99-foot right-of-way at the terminus of the rail line just below the summit, and it would be open from May to November. In December 2016, the Cog Railway announced plans to open a 35-room hotel and restaurant, the Summit House, in July 2018, the 150 th anniversary of the Cog. Lizzie’s Station represents Presby’s latest attempt at high elevation hospitality.
Presby, who has owned the Cog outright since 2017, told an Associated Press reporter “the project would partly fulfill his vision of bringing back hotels that once graced the mountain in the 1800s.” Prices for sleeping, dining, and shopping at nearly 5,800 feet will also reflect the glorious era of the Gilded Age that Presby wishes to revive. If built, hundreds of thousands of tourists will debark there, greatly increasing threats to the area’s alpine vegetation. It will construct two 500-foot long platforms on either side of the existing rail line near the spot where 20-year old Lizzie Bourne perished in a storm on September 13, 1855. The Cog plans to spend nearly $14 million to build this luxury resort it calls Lizzie’s Station. These cars would operate from May to October and be stored at the Cog’s base station during the winter. The other cars would house bathrooms and high-end shopping opportunities. Nine of those cars would provide sleeping quarters for 70 people, and five others would serve meals and alcoholic beverages. On March 4, 2022, Wayne Presby, owner of the Cog, announced a proposal to offer “upscale accommodations,” consisting of 18 Pullman-like cars situated about 500 feet below the summit on the 99-foot wide Cog-owned right-of-way that runs from its base camp to the summit. Washington State Park, an over-developed, congested nightmare atop the mountain that claims to enjoy the “world’s worst weather.” In 2021, the Cog carried 150,000 tourists to the summit on the 60-acre Mt. As the Cog’s engine, now fueled by diesel, but powered by coal from 1910 to 2008, claws its way up the mountain, it emits black plumes visible from miles away. The Cog Railway line from its base camp to the summit forms a vertical scar on the western face of wild Mt. Their survival depends upon our success in quickly reducing atmospheric carbon levels. Washington, the highest mountain (elevation 6,288 feet) east of the Rockies, have nowhere to go as the climate continues to warm.
The alpine species and natural communities at the summit of Mt. Our powerful biodiesel locomotives use hydraulic pressure to bring the train down at the proper speed, so the coach brakes are only used to stop the coach in place.Īfter a quick introduction and safety orientation, our dispatcher will clear your train for departure.Looking into White Mountain National Forest from south of Route 2 (c) John DavisĬlimate-stressed species, forced to search for cooler climes to survive, often must disperse in a northerly direction, or, as in the case of high-elevation ecosystems, move uphill. On steam trains, we use the coach brakes to help the engineer keep the train at a constant speed. On the return trip down the mountain, the brakeman will be at the brake wheels at the other end of the coach. On the way up the mountain we engage the Sprag clutch, a hydraulically powered safety mechanism that prevents the coach from rolling backwards.īut they are also knowledgable and entertaining guides, and will provide plenty of fascinating information about the railway, the mountain and the region. Their primary job is to act as the engineer’s eyes, paying close attention to the track ahead, signaling the engineer across the switches, and being ready to stop the train if an animal or a hiker gets a little too close. Your brakeman (or brakewoman) is stationed out on the front deck for the up- mountain trip to the summit. We’ll check your tickets and help you find your seats, so settle in- the fun’s about to start! You may have even already met your engineer and brakeman– we know you have lots of questions about the train and the mountain, and we try to answer as many of them as we can before departure time. 15 minutes before your scheduled departure, you’ll be lined up at your gate, ready to board.