Back in the rotation. After a couple of years undergoing some heavy maintenance, Mt. Washington Cog Railway Locomotive #9 "Waumbek" returned to the rotation in 2022, probably in the best shape since she was new. Although the Cog Railway only maintains two steamers today, they are probably better cared for than at any time in the history of the railroad. In this scene, #9 has just had her fire cleaned after the first trip of the day and is being repositioned by Engineer Art Poltrack from the ash pit to the coaling area. The crew is preparing for their second trip, which typically happens just about noon.
This particular view is interesting, because it emphasizes a feature on the 9 that only ever existed on one other cog engine here. Unlike most of the historic fleet, the 9 was built with a cab that is on the same plane with the boiler, making things just a little more comfortable for the crew when the engine is actually on the mountain, as the grade averages 25% up there. Of course, all of the boilers have always been tilted, in order to keep the water out of the steam dome, which would pretty much defeat the purpose of it.
