Race the Cog A new Event in 2022

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
This one popped up in the Saturday Conway Daily Sun https://www.rockhopperraces.com/race-the-cog/
Looks like quite the event. A "substantial donation will be made to the organization that maintains the AT in the presidential range". AMC? ATC? RMC?

Interesting! I wonder what this will entail...

Plus…the side of the tracks will be cleaned up this summer!!!

Maybe some grading and smoothing within the private right-of-way?
 
I believe the cog has been actively cleaning up the area along the tracks for several years. Not sure when they stopped actively throwing debris along the tracks but with 150 plus years of history, no doubt there is plenty to remove. They also were in the news a few years back for actively upgrading the "maintenance road" along the right of way with heavy equipment.That road got a major upgrade when the power line to the summit got built. The owner of the cog has made comments in the past that a possible use might be all terrain vehicles to the summit.
 
It is only due to Presbys investments and improvements the tracks were able to be cleaned.Period. If anyone dumps on the Cog on why they never cleaned up work up there on the track crew from early season until the snow flies. Then talk to me. Better yet work the track crew for a week in the spring.
 
It is only due to Presbys investments and improvements the tracks were able to be cleaned.Period. If anyone dumps on the Cog on why they never cleaned up work up there on the track crew from early season until the snow flies. Then talk to me. Better yet work the track crew for a week in the spring.

On any railroad MOW (maintenance of way) work always results in lots of debris. Given the COG's track upgrade and replacement I would guess there's a lot of old rail and underlying wood platforms that need to be dealt with.

Unfortunately MOW equipment can't operate on busy sections of working track. So for the Cog that means off-hours cleanup or post-season.

I'm sure they'll get it done.
 
On any railroad MOW (maintenance of way) work always results in lots of debris. Given the COG's track upgrade and replacement I would guess there's a lot of old rail and underlying wood platforms that need to be dealt with.

Unfortunately MOW equipment can't operate on busy sections of working track. So for the Cog that means off-hours cleanup or post-season.

I'm sure they'll get it done.

I'm talking about the debris since day one back in 1869 that has been the eyesore of some. Not really about the recent work. Between the weather,money,llabor and available equipment it was impossible too clean up. I know cause I worked the track crew years ago. Presby has brought it to a new level and will be one of the top names of owners for the next 150 yrs. I've seen the huge changes in all aspects of the Cog since he took over. And again there are many people who dump on the Cog but I know they have no idea what's involved. Typical actually in all things on this earth.
 
Actually, the person to talk to about cleaning up the trackside at the Cog, is Dennis Tupick, of Randolph. Dennis was the one who did all the site work for the power line up the Cog ROW, and as part of the environmental mitigation, he also transported literally tons of Cog trash down to Cog Base. Lots of early yellow pine RR ties were included in the mess. All that was finished up in 2010, clip and clean, so if the Cog has been " littering" the " litter" dates back only ~10 years, not ~150.

Dennis' company is White Mountain Communication. Dennis was paid by the State of NH, Not by the Cog Railway.
 
Last edited:
I'm talking about the debris since day one back in 1869 that has been the eyesore of some. Not really about the recent work. Between the weather,money,llabor and available equipment it was impossible too clean up. I know cause I worked the track crew years ago. Presby has brought it to a new level and will be one of the top names of owners for the next 150 yrs. I've seen the huge changes in all aspects of the Cog since he took over. And again there are many people who dump on the Cog but I know they have no idea what's involved. Typical actually in all things on this earth.

I applaud Mr. Presby for his commitment to good housekeeping. I don't care if he was responsible for cleaning 10 years worth of debris or 150 years worth of debris. I don't care if he did it to monetize his right of way or to provide his train riders a better view.

I hope Mr. Presby's Cog Railroad continues to be profitable and justifies his investment in time and money. Mr. Presby's Cog Railroad has a at least one billboard down here in Central MA. That extensive an advertising commitment strikes me as someone who is forward thinking and doesn't rest on his laurels.

I hope Mr. Presby is able to reach an agreement with the Auto Road Co. and the State of NH that is equitable for all parties.

Finally, I also hope Mr. Presby never gets the permits for his hotel. :)
 
Man!....I wish I could've gotten hold of some of those old RR ties:(....old growth yellow pine...those were slow growing trees
and lived 400 plus years..you ain't getting nothing like that today.
 
All that was finished up in 2010, clip and clean, so if the Cog has been " littering" the " litter" dates back only ~10 years, not ~150.

My recollection from a few months ago is that there is still some really old stuff out there (judging by the moss), so although "clip and clean" was probably very good, it will take a lot more effort to get everything.

There was also a lot of new debris, but it appeared that was temporary and related to the rebuild (I saw separate work and clean up trains/crews).
 
Yes sir some really old stuff. Including EAC's 1820 I've been here note. As I said seeing first hand that mountain and business effect on the Cog. It was impossible for them to clean it up much since day one. But like many people there are lot's of arm chair Captains. Who think otherwise. Many of them wouldn't last a week there on track crew or even brake man.
 
Last edited:
My recollection from a few months ago is that there is still some really old stuff out there (judging by the moss), so although "clip and clean" was probably very good, it will take a lot more effort to get everything.

There was also a lot of new debris, but it appeared that was temporary and related to the rebuild (I saw separate work and clean up trains/crews).

Question...

Should 100-year-old Cog "debris" be viewed as historical artifact and left in place like logging-era "debris" is in various places in the Whites?

If not, why not?
 
Last edited:
Top