AN AMAZING MODERN SHOP
neatly uniformed employees. On one trip Kris and I traveled in the President’s Car, which is beautifully maintained in its authentic condition. The car host was wellinformed, and Kris was impressed by the brochure about the car that conveyed its history in way that was both interesting and informative without being laden with excessive minutia.
Also impressive is the railroad’s expansive paved parking, which allows for a great number of visitors to get easy access to the station, where wide platforms that make it easy to get on and off Strasburg’s trains.
Last June on a visit to New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Cog Railway, I toured the railroad’s brand-new shops. It is by far the most impressive facility that I’ve visited on any tourist railroad. The expansive modern building covers 35,000 square feet with ceilings 30-36 feet tall. Inside is an array of equipment including a pair of 20,000-pound overhead cranes and a computer-controlled plasma table used to precisely cut metal parts.
I was intrigued by the AeroGo Air Casters that the railroad’s Ryan Presby described to me as miniature hovercrafts used to move heavy equipment weighing up to 20 tons on cushions of air. Key to making these work is a completely flat floor that is kept clean of dirt and debris.
Presby notes, “We have to tape the expansion joints.”
The shop’s groundbreaking was in 2019. It opened in 2021. The railroad has invested nearly $2.5 million in the facility and plans to put in another million before completion.
The Cog Railway is one of two builders of mountain climbing cog locomotives, the other being Stadler in Switzerland. Significantly, the cog also manufactures its own railcars and track structure, producing its distinctive cog-racks as its shop. In the last few years the railroad has replaced most of its track to the top of its namesake mountain — the highest in New England.
BUILDING LONG-TERM SUCCESS
These are my choices for railroads that truly get it right. All are marked by an uncommon level of focus, energy, and determination to give visitors a memorable railroad experience. It’s a winning recipe for long-term success.
Its friendly attitude, attention to detail, and wide-open rural views makes Strasburg a great experience. During a spring visit in 2022, I was impressed by the ease of buying tickets, the excellent value for money, the variety of cars well-maintained and exceptionally clean inside and out, and the railroad’s neatly uniformed employees.