White Mountain Central Railroad

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Coordinates: 44°03′00″N 71°41′13″W / 44.05000°N 71.68694°W / 44.05000; -71.68694
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White Mountain Central Railroad
Climax Locomotive of 1920
Overview
HeadquartersLincoln, New Hampshire
Reporting markWMCRR
LocaleClark's Bears
Dates of operation1958–present
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length1.25 miles (2.01 km)
Other
Websitewhitemountaincentralrr.com
White Mountain Central Railroad
Legend
I-93.svg I-93
Pemigewasset River
Engine shed (private)
 
Engine shed (private)
 
 Clark's Bears

The White Mountain Central Railroad is a short heritage railway at Clark's Bears in Lincoln, New Hampshire. It is notable as being one of the few places in New England with regular steam locomotive operation,[1] as well as being a very rare example of a purpose-built tourist railroad (like those found in amusement parks and theme parks) that uses standard-gauge track instead of narrow-gauge track.

Route[edit]

The entrance building to Clark's Bears (previously known as Clark's Trading Post) doubles as the train station. From there, the train leaves north through the park, and then past the small locomotive shop. The railroad crosses the Pemigewasset River on a covered bridge and then heads into a wooded area. In this section of the railroad, an actor playing a wild prospector named "the Wolfman" chases the train in a primitive car.[2] Finally, the railroad goes under a ramp for Interstate 93 and terminates.[3]

Schedule and fare[edit]

The railroad operates whenever Clark's Bears is open, between late May and early October.[4] There are several round trips per day, depending on the park's operating hours.[4] Each trip is 30 minutes long, and the fare is included in the Clark's Bears admission price.[5]

History[edit]

Construction on the railroad began in 1955. The first train ride was on July 30, 1958.[1]

The railroad includes a 1904 Howe truss covered bridge that was originally located in East Montpelier, Vermont, where it spanned the Winooski River and carried trains for the Montpelier and Barre Railroad.[6] The bridge was purchased by the owners of Clark's Trading Post and dismantled in 1964,[7] then moved and reassembled to span the Pemigewasset River near the Trading Post.[8] During one weekend in September, Railroad Days are celebrated, with extra trains and special consists. That yearly event had stopped in 2014 and now operates every 5–10 years.

A listing of covered bridges maintained by the state of New Hampshire notes that Clark's bridge "appears to be the only Howe railroad bridge left in the world."[9]

Views of the bridge, including tourist trains, above the Pemigewasset River

Locomotive roster[edit]

Number Type Builder Date Heritage Status Notes
1 0-4-0T H.K. Porter, Inc. 1931 Koppers # 1 Operational Smallest steam locomotive. Operated at railroad tie treatment plant, Nashua, New Hampshire. Retired from service in 1954. Operates during Railroad Days only.[10]
2 Gasoline locomotive Vulcan Iron Works Granite quarry, Barre, Vermont Operational Tiny locomotive, too small for revenue service. Operates occasionally for track maintenance.[11]
4 Heisler locomotive Heisler Locomotive Works 1929 International Shoe Company Stored, unserviceable First ran in 1961. Primary locomotive, 1964–1976, secondary locomotive 1977–1984. Not powerful enough to handle 5-car trains, so operated only sporadically 1984–2006. On display during Railroad Days only.[12]
5 2-4-2T Baldwin Locomotive Works Nov. 1906 East Branch and Lincoln Railroad, 1966–1969. Loon Mountain Ski Resort (display). Operational Logging locomotive for 40 years, 1906–1946. Logging mill switcher for 23 years. WMCRR debut September 26, 1999. Operates during Railroad Days only.[13]
5 Class B Shay locomotive Lima Locomotive Works Dec. 1917 Woodstock Lumber Company, Franconia Paper Company Display 50-ton, builder no. 2958. Sold new in 1919, used as a switcher. Displayed during Railroad Days only.[14]
6 Climax locomotive Climax Locomotive Works 1920 Beebe River Lumber Company, East Branch and Lincoln Railroad Operational Bldr. number 1603. Restoration completed 1976.[15]
1943 GE 65-ton switcher GE Transportation Aug. 1943 Newport Dinner Train Operational Bldr. number 17886. Used for primary backup power.[16]
B1 Railbus Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad 1930 Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes RR, 1930–1937. Starbird Lumber Company. Operational Once used for the shoulder season, but now even that is too much for the railbus to handle. Operates during Railroad Days only.[17]
Unknown Miniature steam locomotive Unknown Unknown Unknown Display A miniature 15 in (381 mm) gauge steam locomotive that originally operated for a theme park. On static display inside the museum building.[18]

Station[edit]

Clark's Bears
Heritage railway
General information
Location110 Daniel Webster Highway,
Lincoln, New Hampshire
United States
Owned byClark's Bears
Line(s)White Mountain Central Railroad
Tracks1
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
ParkingFree
AccessibleYes

The Clark's Bears station came from Freedomland U.S.A., after that park closed in 1964.[19]

See also[edit]

Other locations with historic trains in a non-historic setting:

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "WMCRR Steam Train in NH USA - Railroad History". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved 2011-11-04 – via Wayback Machine.
  2. ^ Duckler, Ray (2009-04-17). "Clark's Wolfman looks for successor". Concord Monitor. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
  3. ^ "WMCRR Steam Train in NH USA - Virtual Tour - Steam Train Ride". Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  4. ^ a b "Calendar & Schedule". clarksbears.com. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  5. ^ "The White Mountain Central Railroad – Where History Meets Fun". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Jamele, Joe (January 29, 1964). "Covered Bridge Being Moved From E. Montpelier To N. H." The Times-Argus. Barre, Vermont. p. 7. Retrieved June 18, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Covered Bridge In Montpelier Being Dismantled". The Burlington Free Press. AP. February 3, 1964. p. 13. Retrieved June 18, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Take a steam-powered journey through history, but beware of the Wolfman!". clarksbears.com. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  9. ^ "Clark's Bridge". NH.gov. New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  10. ^ "Steam Loco #1". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  11. ^ "Gasoline Loco #2". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  12. ^ "Steam Loco #4". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  13. ^ "Steam Loco #5". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  14. ^ "Steam Loco Shay". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  15. ^ "Steam Loco #6". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  16. ^ "Diesel Loco #1943". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  17. ^ "Rail Bus #B1". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  18. ^ "Miniature Steam Locomotive". whitemountaincentralrr.com. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  19. ^ McGrath, Garrett (2013-03-22). "Freedomland Forever!". Retrieved 2015-06-02.

External links[edit]

44°03′00″N 71°41′13″W / 44.05000°N 71.68694°W / 44.05000; -71.68694

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