Wayne Presby, owner of Mount Washington Cog Railway, stated that the almost $14 million project would place 18 rail cars at an elevation of around 5,800 feet (1.670 meters), from mid-May through mid October. Up to 70 guests could be accommodated in nine sleeper cars, which would cost the same as other sleepers.
It is in high demand. Presby stated that people want to live on the mountain. The project will require permits from the state and counties and could take seven years. They want better facilities than the ones offered by New Hampshire and everyone else.
This project was presented to the Mount Washington Commission earlier this month. It comes many years after Presby abandoned a plan for a 35-room hotel to be built on the mountain. The proposal was widely criticized by environmentalists as well as hikers who claimed that the hotel, which measures 25,000 square feet (2,300 square meters), would harm the fragile alpine ecology, and ruin the scenic views.
Presby stated that the state supports the latest proposal. It includes plans for sewage to be piped down the mountain and upgrades to fiber-optics. The Cog would also agree not to expand on the summit in return.
A spokesperson from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources didn’t immediately respond to a request.
It is not clear if this proposal will be met with the same opposition that the larger hotel project which attracted thousands of signatures.
Chris Thayer is the Appalachian Mountain Club representative on the commission. He called the proposal “creative” in its approach towards summit operation and visitor experiences challenges, but said that it needed to be considered more carefully for impacts on sensitive natural resources, and aesthetics of viewsheds.
David Govatski is a former U.S. Forest Service forester and can view the site from Jefferson. He opposed the larger hotel. He is still undecided this year.
Govatski believes that the project will ease congestion caused by the summer tourist crowds on the mountain. It includes a shuttle service from sleeper cars to the summit at 6,288 feet (1.91 km). The cog currently goes straight to the summit. This results in hundreds of people being able to get on and off trains simultaneously.
He is concerned that hotel guests may damage alpine plants, including Bigelow’s sedge at the mountain, and could also stress out the rare American Pipit nesting in the area. Others worry that brightly colored rail cars, which Presby stated could be changed to more neutral colors, would look out of place on the mountain.
Over the years, the area where the rail cars would be parked has seen many activities. Nearby is the Mount Washington Auto Road. There are fuel tanks, a helipad, and barracks that were once used as a testing laboratory for jet engines.
“They have done their planning. Although the concept is attractive on paper, the real problem lies in the details. Govatski stated that this is what we want to do.
He said, “You must balance the economic benefit of a railroad such as that against the potential environmental impact of increased use at new locations near the mountain top.” “I will remain neutral until I have the opportunity to study the effects.”
Since 2003, Mount Washington has attracted more tourists to New Hampshire’s North Country. This is due to the disappearance of the Old Man of the Mountain (a granite profile that was used as a state symbol and granite profile) which was lost in 2003. Each year, the mountain attracts more than 300,000.
Presby, 65, has been the railroad’s owner for almost 40 years. He said that the project would partially fulfill his dream of bringing back the hotels that graced the mountain in 1800s. The Summit House Hotel was one of them, but it burned down in 1908.
The Cog Railway would be able to increase its economic power, something it has been proud of since the first train was built over 150 years ago. Tourism is heavily dependent on the region, which has one of the lowest median incomes in the state. Each season, 150,000 people travel by train to the summit.
“The cog railroad has been a part of my life. Presby stated that he bought the place at 26 years old. “My goal was to restore the railroad to its former glory.”
