Negotiating Upper Waumbek Switch. When the Mt. Washington Cog Railway was originally constructed in 1869, and for roughly 7 decades afterward, the line was a single, 3.1 mile track. There were no sidings and no switches. Multiple trains typically ascended and descended the mountain in one, large gaggle. It wasn't until 1941, that a switching mechanism was invented, permitting the establishment of a couple of spur tracks, which allowed ascending and descending trains to pass each other, dramatically increasing flexibility and capacity on the line. Having seen those early switches, I would best describe them as "Survivor Puzzles", as a tribute to some of the complex puzzles presented to contestants on the TV show "Survivor." The switches were complicated and required 9 separate motions to actuate. After setting one of those manual switches, the railroad Brakeman would often stand and stare at it for several seconds, to ensure it was done correctly. It was not difficult to understand their concern. It was an improperly set (or tampered with) switch which was responsible for the only accident on the Cog Railway in it's 150+ year history that resulted in fatalities to revenue passengers. That was in 1967. Ever since, the railroad had been looking for a better way.
In the early 2000s, technology caught up with The Cog. The railroad developed hydraulically-actuated switches and first employed them at Waumbek Tank. The spur track was eliminated, and a long, passing loop was established, with the hydraulic switches at each end. In this image, you see Diesel-Hydraulic Locomotive M6 "Laprade" and its passenger coach, descending through the upper switch on the Waumbek Passing Loop. Gone are the "Survivor Puzzles" and manual effort. Instead, there are two solid sections of track, one leading to the ascending side of the loop and one leading to the descending side. These sections are mounted on a sliding table, which simply slides back and forth to position the appropriate section for the train that is about to pass. The table is hydraulically powered, and electricity to power the pumps is supplied by solar panels and a battery array which stores electrical power. The switches are actuated by the Engineers on each train, from a small switch box positioned at cab-level right next to the track. You can see the box just used by the M6 crew on the right side of the track, adjacent to the far end of the coach. Since trains often travel in multiple sections, the switch is left in position until the last train in the section passes. If you look just above the coach roof, you can see another descending train approaching the switch. This image was captured from the front platform of an ascending train, with the kind permission of our Brakeman, as we waited for the descending trains to clear.
Today, all of the old manual switches have been eliminated and the old passing spur at Skyline is gone. Trains are now able to pass at the Base Station, Waumbek Tank and Summit Station, all with the aid of switches just like this one.
